On Thursday (27th March) voters in the town council Penrith East Ward will have the opportunity to elect one of four candidates to serve as a town councillor until May 2027.
The By Election was called following the resignation of one of the three town council Penrith East ward councillors in January.
Polls will be open between the hours of 7am and 10pm on the 27th March with voting for the ward taking place at Penrith Parish Centre, St. Andrew’s Place.
We have invited all four candidates to submit a short introduction and why they are standing to be a town councillor in the by election.
The following statements are by the individual candidates.
Tallis Andrews
Tallis Andrews is standing as an independent candidate
I live in Penrith just beside Beaconside Primary C of E school, where one of my children is in reception with the other about to attend the nursery. I work at the Penrith-based autism charity Triple A Project as a bookkeeper and I spend time volunteering for Triple A Project by running a weekly social group for autistic adults in the area.
I care about making Penrith a place that serves its community well and lets people feel proud to call their home.
I support the planned expansion to Beaconside Primary C of E school but I want to ensure that it is done well. A lot of people are rightfully concerned over the increase in traffic in the area. At school drop-off and pick-up times, the streets are full of cars and drop-off spaces are limited and any increase in that does have to be managed and the impact it will have on people living in the area has to be addressed.
In terms of accessibility, the area needs to be supported by a good bus route that is fit to serve the residents. The current times do not allow for school start times or work times, and this is something I feel could be improved.
There needs to be some additional road crossings added to some of the busier streets to ensure the safety of those that enjoy walking, people with limited mobility, wheelchair and mobility scooter users, and parents with pushchairs in the area. I want any change to the street lighting provision to be done in line with the needs of the people in the community and I am aware that there is a need to balance costs with the need to make walking when it is dark feel safer.
I believe there is real value in the outside spaces around town, especially the Scaws play area and St Andrew's Churchyard. These little pockets of green inside a town are so important to the community, for children and families, for dog walkers and for people to just enjoy. I will push for funding to be allocated to these green spaces to keep them working for the wellbeing of the residents.
I support the new wheelie bins that are being trialled. The current system of blue bags does not seem to be fit for purpose, rubbish is often found on the streets in the morning after animals are opening the bags in the night. Residents resort to using sheets to cover the blue bags overnight to try and stop the animals. I believe the wheelie bins will start to deal with this issue and that the information and feedback gathered from the trial can be put to good use moving forward.
If you want somebody to listen to the community and be guided by how you want your community to work for you, then you should vote for me, Tallis Andrews on Thursday 27th March.
Ron Kelley
Ron Kelley is standing as the Liberal Democrat candidate.
I am a local resident living on Carleton Meadows. I retired three years ago after working in banking and IT for over forty years. I have been involved at all levels of volunteering, and I’ve been a part of community groups for very many years. I worked for over ten years as a volunteer with the National Trust organising large volunteer groups. Music is a big part of my life, and I’m involved with various local music groups, choirs, and orchestras.
The world is always changing, and that means we need to work hard to make sure that Penrith is a vibrant and attractive town for both residents and visitors. We have to work to make change happen – it won’t happen on its own. We need to work with everyone - local businesses, residents, and groups within the community – to identify the changes needed, and to then make those changes happen.
At the local level it means working to make the town a pleasant place by maintaining parks, green spaces, and play areas. It means getting problems with pavements and roads sorted out. It means looking at ways to attract people into the town and to make it welcoming to visitors. People need to be able to get to and from Penrith which means making sure that there are bus and train services that work for people.
If elected I will work to make the changes we’d like to see happen.
Treena Lang
I am Catriona Lang, also known as Treena. I am standing as the ReformUK candidate.
I come from a family with close connections to Penrith and Cumbria going back many generations. Although born in Edinburgh, I spent many of my childhood family holidays returning to my mothers home town of Penrith to visit family and friends. My late grandfather was Joseph Simpson Yeates. He was a proud Penrithian and spent his life serving the local community.
My parents moved back to Penrith following my fathers retirement from general practice in the 1980s and I moved home to live with my mother in 1990, after my father died. I have lived and worked locally in the area for the last 34 years and I am proud to call Penrith my home.
I have mainly worked in the Equine Industry, including teaching and assessing professionally, not only in the workplace but also with charitable organisations such as The Pony Club and Riding for the Disabled. I am now semi retired and would like to put something back into the community.
I believe in getting value for money, and to this end I would endeavour to scrutinise any town council spending to ensure it was relevant to local residents, and that it would not increase local taxation unnecessarily.
I would fight to protect any green spaces in the local areas, especially now with the threat from the new planning legislation. These community spaces must be safeguarded for future generations.
I firmly believe the town councils primary aim is to represent their local residents, in an accountable and transparent manner. With this in mind, if elected, I will always make myself available to discuss any local issues and do my utmost to help resolve any problems.
So if you would like me to be your voice on the town council, please vote for Catriona Lang.
Also standing in the Penrith Town Council by election is:
Vivo Dippita, The Labour Party Candidate
All candidates were invited to provide an introduction and why they are standing in the by election the above two candidates have yet to provide details.
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