I am pleased to be standing as the Conservative candidate in Eastleigh Central Ward in the local elections on May 3rd.  I have lived in the borough of Eastleigh for some thirty years and am married with a son at Barton Peveril College.  I am a former teacher and currently run a travel business with my wife.

I am very concerned about the redevelopment of Eastleigh town centre and wish to make sure it will benefit local residents, not just for the development and the council.  I am currently seeking voters' opinions on moving the civic offices to Eastleigh and the proposed redevelopment of Sainsbury's, as these could have a negative impact on the town centre.

So this blog will deal with these major concerns:

• ·         Save Eastleigh Recreation Ground from being encroached on by the Sainsbury’s redevelopment
• ·         Save Eastleigh Market and find ways of revitalising it
• ·         Protect parking at the Station end of Leigh Road, where it is proposed to relocate the taxi rank
• Reverse the trend of shop closures by tempering the Sainsbury’s development and re-introduce the half hour free parking in the shopping area of High Street and Market Street.
• ·         Prevent the overdevelopment of the centre.  The council plans to move the Civic Offices  to Eastleigh House in Upper Market Street which will:

a)  place considerable pressure on parking in the centre.

b)  cost an estimated £12m for the relocation.

c)  make it very difficult for members of the public to access the Civic Offices.

d)  place a very heavy burden on the infrastructure by the redevelopment of the existing Civic Offices site.

• ·         Set realistic parking charges to encourage visitors to the centre and make residents parking more affordable.
• ·         Explore measures to make Campbell Road Bridge safe for pedestrians.
• ·          I would oppose building on Green Field sites, particularly 1300 houses on North Stoneham Park land designated as the Strategic gap between Eastleigh and Southampton.