Roads, Infrastructure, and Services​

 

Whether it’s the lack of school places, the rural road left crumbling for years, or the local GP surgery bursting at the seams — it’s all connected. These problems aren’t isolated. They’re symptoms of a system that’s lost sight of the basics. When services are stretched, infrastructure is ignored, and planning is reactive instead of prepared, it’s communities that suffer. These aren’t luxuries — they’re the foundations people rely on every day. And the longer we pretend they can wait, the harder life gets for everyone.

I’m standing for Oxfordshire County Council because I believe this kind of neglect should never be normalised. We need proper planning, real accountability, and bold investment in the basics that make communities work. And above all — we need to stop treating public space like an afterthought.

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1. A Fully Funded Long-Term Road Repair Plan

Let’s fix the problem, not just the pothole.​​

 

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Too many roads are patched instead of properly resurfaced. Pavements are left crumbling until someone gets hurt. The system is reactive, not proactive. And the bureaucracy involved in fixing a single pothole often seems more complex than building the road in the first place.

What I Stand For:

Yes, urgent repairs matter — but they must be paired with a strategic, long-term plan that prevents these issues from happening in the first place. I will work to cut through the red tape and bring decisions closer to the communities affected.

My Pledges:

• I will back urgent pothole repairs, but demand permanent follow-ups — not repeat patch jobs.

• I will vote against short-sighted highways budgets that favour temporary fixes over lasting repairs.

• I will support a fully funded, long-term road maintenance strategy focused on prevention, not reaction.

• I will push for an investigation into delays and inflated repair costs across Oxfordshire.

• I will press for a review of the red tape that slows down basic maintenance and leaves residents waiting.

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2. Smarter Planning and Infrastructure Investment

New homes should mean better services — not more pressure on the old ones.

We’ve all seen it — new estates go up, but the roads stay the same, the schools get full, and there’s no sign of extra GP appointments or green space. It’s not just frustrating — it’s unfair.

What I Stand For:

While county councillors don’t approve housing, we are consulted on infrastructure — and I will use that role to challenge developments that don’t come with the services and investment we need.

My Pledges:

• I will oppose development proposals that fail to include fully funded infrastructure.

• I will challenge developers and planning authorities when new builds overload existing services.

• I will push for stronger planning conditions that require roads, schools, and facilities before homes are occupied.

• I will ensure Brize Norton and Carterton East have a strong voice in all infrastructure-related consultations.

• I will support reforms that strengthen the county’s power to resist unsustainable development.

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3. True Accountability for Maintenance and Services

Too many hands on the wheel, and no one steering.

When something breaks, no one knows who’s responsible. Calls bounce between departments. Deadlines slip. Residents get silence. That’s not just inefficient — it’s unacceptable.

What I Stand For:

I will bring clarity, pressure, and public scrutiny to Oxfordshire’s maintenance and service systems. If money is being spent, people deserve to know where it's going — and see the results.

My Pledges:

• I will vote against highways budgets that cut essential maintenance without explanation.

• I will fight for full transparency on where and how public money is spent.

• I will hold council contractors and delivery partners to account for delays and poor-quality work.

• I will support public-facing reporting tools, so residents can track what’s being fixed — and what isn’t.

• I will work to improve resident feedback systems across Brize Norton, Carterton East, and the wider county.

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4. Investment in Essential Local Services

Buses, libraries, youth services — these aren’t extras. They’re essentials.

They may not always make headlines, but when they disappear, we all feel the loss. These are the quiet, vital threads that hold a community together. And when they go, something human is lost with them.

What I Stand For:

Some services fall under town or district councils — but many, including libraries, youth services, and public transport, are the county’s direct responsibility. I will protect these services wherever I can — and work with others where I need to.

My Pledges:

• I will vote against budget proposals that threaten Oxfordshire’s libraries, youth centres, and bus routes.

• I will support investment in services that keep people safe, connected, and supported.

• I will challenge outsourcing contracts that fail to deliver quality or local value.

• I will work with town and district councils to protect things like street cleaning, public toilets, and local upkeep.

• I will defend services that support vulnerable people, such as SEND transport, home care, and safeguarding teams — putting dignity and fairness first.

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5. Environment and Climate Change: A Balanced and Practical Approach

What I Stand For:

We all share responsibility for protecting the environment, but climate action must be grounded in evidence, not driven by ideology.

Investing in renewable energy is vital for long-term sustainability, but it must also be affordable, practical, and fair to consumers.

Public transport must be expanded and integrated — but reducing car use should be done through positive incentives, not through punitive restrictions.

The war on the car — or even the perception of one — must end.

Policies that restrict community cohesion, harm local businesses, or limit everyday freedoms cannot be tolerated. Demonising people simply trying to live their lives, get to work, care for loved ones, or drop their children at school is both unhelpful and unfair.

We need to build a public transport system that provides real, workable alternatives — but not by punishing those who currently have no choice. The freedom that the car provides has helped shape modern life, especially in rural and semi-rural communities. Undermining that freedom without offering credible replacements will only deepen public resentment.

The Green Agenda is losing momentum and public support — not because it isn’t needed or a priority, but because it’s been hijacked by overzealous politicians, perceived to be cashing in through taxation and restrictive policies. Often, these approaches are backed by scientific predictions that have not come to pass, weakening public trust.

Action needs trust — not fear, not force. And trust is built through honesty, fairness, and practical solutions that work with people’s lives, not against them. If we want lasting progress, we must bring the public with us — by focusing on what’s realistic, responsible, and rooted in common sense.

My Pledges:

• I will oppose Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and blanket restrictions that divide communities or punish residents under the banner of environmentalism.

• I will reject policies that restrict movement, damage local businesses, or reduce access for the elderly, carers, deliveries, and working families — especially when based on ideology rather than evidence.

• I will vote against large-scale solar farms that destroy the rural landscape. It’s hypocrisy to talk about preserving the beauty of the countryside while covering fields in glass.

• I will oppose the introduction of 20mph speed limits on environmental grounds only. Road safety matters and priority, but using environmental claims to justify unnecessary restrictions is a very thin argument.

• I will support investment in reliable, integrated public transport, but only as a credible alternative — not a forced replacement.

• I will stand against disproportionate environmental taxes and road schemes that hit ordinary people hardest without delivering real environmental benefit.

• I will back renewable energy investment, but only when it is affordable, practical, and in partnership with local communities.

• I will push at all levels for all new builds to include solar panels or other green energy solutions from the planning stage — because real environmental progress starts with smart design, not rural destruction.

• I will defend the car as a vital part of rural and working life, not a problem to be solved.

• I will push for balanced, science-led climate action that works with people, not against them — building trust, not resentment.