BREAKING NEWS: Campaigner takes on election battle

ONE of the leading campaigners against the 3,000-home new town planned for Gaydon and Lighthorne Heath (GLH) is standing against the sitting Conservative councillor in next May’s Warwickshire County Council elections.

Laura Steele, the chairman of FORSE – the campaign group that fought a losing battle against the hugely controversial housing proposals – will be trying to win the Kineton seat on the council currently occupied by veteran Tory councillor Chris Williams.

Ms Steele, who was chairman of Lighthorne Parish Council before taking over at FORSE, will be standing as a Liberal Democrat.

She says that in her role at FORSE she consistently found herself up against “secrecy and ambiguity”, which she described as “the modern plague in local government”.

Ms Steele, a criminal barrister by profession, added: “As a parish councillor for over four years in addition to being chair of FORSE, I have struggled through a system where we have had brick walls put up in front of us and doors closed in our faces when we should have been helped, guided and above all represented.

“So, rather than continue to be frustrated and disillusioned, there seemed only one clear way to proceed – to stand in the WCC elections next year to represent our division myself, and to do my best to achieve the very best outcome for our communities.”

For the full story see Thursday’s Herald.