Parties pitch for your votes ahead of Horsham District Council election

All 48 seats are up for election, with polling day on Thursday May 2.

A boundary review has meant a number of wards have had to be changed, while the number of councillors, currently at 44, has been increased by four.

Conservative Ray Dawe, leader of the council, said: “We are able to deliver these ambitions because we have a prudent and financially strong Conservative led council and we ask for residents to support Conservative candidates to keep our district as a great place to live.”

The Horsham Green Party said: “We will hold developers and councils to account to invest in the infrastructure needed to support new homes. It’s simply not good enough that thousands of homes are built but patients can’t access local health services and children can’t access local education.”

Carol Hayton, Horsham Labour Party agent and candidate for Forest ward, said: “A Labour council will prioritise council spending, not on risky retail property development, but on services that ensure that everyone in our district has a decent quality of life. We will ensure that skilled staff are in place so that money is not wasted on consultants and failed service outsourcing projects.”

David Skipp, leader of the Lib Dem group at HDC: “As Liberal Democrats we recognise the need for green space, providing areas for relaxation and exercise, but there is a need for more affordable dwellings for key workers, young people needing starter homes or families keen to establish themselves in a community.”

Meanwhile UKIP Horsham said: “We want to end a chapter of history in which residents’ aspirations have been neglected. We will work for the benefit of those who elected us, not for the party.”

Mike Morgan, who currently represents Henfield, is the only independent standing in these elections.

In his election leaflet to residents he describes how for many years he has chaired the summer show committee, been the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal organiser for the Henfield district for the past 20 years as well as being a parade marshal at the Remembrance Day parade and a long-standing member and currently treasurer of the fundraising committee of the Scout Centre Building Appeal.

He said: “I very much hope that you will vote for me to enable me to maintain the long standing independent voice for our special community on Horsham District Council.”