Candidates standing for the Wigton ward in the upcoming Cumberland Council election

Voters will take to the polls on May 5 to elect Unitary councillors for the new authority.

Candidates standing for the Wigton Ward in Allerdale have highlighted the main issues they hope to tackle in the area.

Sandra Hodson 

Independent 

INDEPENDENT: Sandra Hodson

If elected as your new Councillor I promise to put residents’ interests first.  The cost of living is putting pressure on every aspect of our lives, and we need new and innovative ways of helping our community thrive.

I also want to promote Community Pride & Respect for our area whilst showcasing our outstanding Heritage. I was one of the driving forces behind bringing a pop-up Heritage Display into one of the shops to help encourage Visitors into the town and then in 2021 to help bring a Putting Green experience to Wigton.  Both a great success.

 In the new Council I will lobby at every opportunity to receive our fair share of the monies raised and use it to support local businesses and help rejuvenate our town centre to make it a place where people want to visit stay and shop.

Elaine Lynch 

Labour 

LABOUR: Elaine Lynch

I believe I would be a strong and effective voice for Wigton and will always put Wigton first.

The education and well-being of the young people of Wigton is very important to me. This will be a key focus for me if I am elected.

I will also ensure the £3m Borderlands grant is used to help enhance the town centre and promote economic prosperity.

I want to see a stronger police presence in Wigton to curb anti-social behaviour and get more local enforcement officers to deal with parking problems and dog fouling.

I will also fight to protect services such as our library, outstanding residential care home and health services at Wigton Hospital which are vital for our community.

Alan Pitcher 

Conservative 

CONSERVATIVE: Alan Pitcher

A key issue that has been highlighted is that of car parking. I will ensure that chaotic car parking is brought under control, stopping drivers dumping their cars causing obstructions for the Emergency Services or blocking allocated disabled spaces and I will lobby for regular enforcement patrols.

Sadly, anti-social behaviour is still an issue in Wigton. I will work with council officers, the police, our Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, and other stakeholders to come up with an action plan, with prevention being at the heart of this strategy. I want to work with the community to develop a community led solution.

We need more Electric Vehicle charge points in the area. If we want to encourage people to shop in Wigton, we need to provide access to EV charge points. I will work with officers to promote EV charging provision in our car parks which would also be of benefit to Wigton residents.