I have served as a Town Councillor for Uppingham since first being elected in May 2011. Between 2014 – 2016, I had the honour to be Mayor of this great town. My record has been one of having a "hands-on" approach and I was a key player in getting the original Uppingham Neighbourhood Plan accepted by our residents at referendum and then working with Rutland County Council to defend it from legal challenge at the Supreme Court.

I have been actively involved with the Uppingham Hopper Bus and you will often see me acting as a volunteer driver. I have lived in Uppingham for over 30 years raising my children here with my wife Sheena. You will no doubt have seen us around the town, often with one or more of our six grandchildren and our family bond is what motivates me to wish to serve as a Town Councillor.

I feel very fortunate to have been able to live in Uppingham and I want the same opportunities for my own children and grandchildren. This does mean, however, that we need to ensure that we have enough facilities available to keep our town viable as a place to live, work and play. We face some massive challenges as a town, not least the planned development of 14,000 new homes in Corby just six miles to the south of us. This will act as a magnet to families who can't find suitable homes in Uppingham and we need to provide opportunities for our families to stay and be a part of our Uppingham community. I have therefore been pleased to be a part of the team looking to create a Trust to build some truly affordable homes in Uppingham.