Biography

I was born in Mirfield in 1960 when it had many amenties, one of which was its own maternity hospital. I have grown up in the town and seen many changes in that time - sadly not all of them for the better.

I understand that a place must move with the times but change should not isolate communities. I would like to see a return to that community spirit in areas of Mirfield.

I am old enough to remember Mirfield as it was and young enough to see it grow with a better future in mind.

I live in Upper Hopton with my partner Mark and my son Peter and have been active in the Mirfield community for some time now. I want to see my son and Mirfield both grow, safely and securely.

Before joining Mirfield Town Council I worked on the fight to stop a waste transfer station that was to be built close to our Town Centre - at least, that was the guise the planning application went under but I knew it was to be much more: a thing that would have blighted our Town and our lives. To date, the waste transfer site remains empty and unoccupied.

I later went on to achieve results as Chairman of a road safety initiative. With a team of dedicated people, funding was secured from Kirklees Community projects. We worked with Kirklees Highway engineers on the road safety project. It has hopefully made the roads of Hopton safer for all.

I then joined Mirfield Town Council in 2004, which shows the trust that has been placed in me.

The first job I did after joining was to re-form the Mirfield Road Safety Committee after the collapse of the old one and as Chair of that committee, I am already seeking to enable more projects like the Hopton one. Let's make all of the roads in Mirfield safe, for all of us.