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TWO concerned residents, anxious about the decline in the fortunes of the town, are among the first to challenge the political status quo by declaring their candidature in the unitary council elections. 

 

Steve Dancey took the decision last week after it became clear that the visionforwarminster.co.uk website ideas to positively move the town forward had found little favour with the current political establishment.

 

In a leaflet delivered at the weekend to the Portway estate Steve explains his decision.

 

'Do you think Warminster is in a poor way?' writes Steve. ' I do and I am committed to do something positive about it.

 

'For the past eight months, together with former district councillor Paul Macdonald, I have been busy developing a series of proposals designed to take Warminster forward after years of stagnation.

 

'Unfortunately our ideas, published on the internet, have been cold-shouldered by those in power despite our non-party political status.'

 

"The last straw was when I read Cllr Ridout's letter in the Warminster Journel say that she wouldn't get involved in plans to deal with the town hall or the lack of a cinema here."

 

Steve is standing as an 'Independent voice from your town to represent you not a political party'

 

Co-author Paul Macdonald has requested an information pack from the elections department at the new Wiltshire Council which will be holding their first ever ballot on 4 June.

 

"It was never my intention to become a councillor again but I have been reminded time and time again of our achievements in the 1990s," said  Paul.

 

"Chairing the Crusader Park working group providing the jobs and getting the Center Parcs planning application through the district council by one vote providing more jobs.

 

"Then making the town council more than a talking shop with real money to spend on the town.

 

"These are a legacy from the first five years of the 1990s. I compare that with the first five years of this decade. What has been achieved?

 

"It is time once again for a positive attitude rather than the conservative with a small 'c' attitude 'leave things as they are' or 'we cannot afford the cost'.

 

"As we showed before it is about using an imaginative and informed approach and having the vision. It is not just about pounds, shillings and pence."