The Marston by election

Who's standing, and what might happen?

On 3rd June Oxford City Council announced a by election following the resignation of Green Councillor Alistair Morris. The Clarion thanks him for his service as a councillor and wishes him well.  Marston has two councillors for the city, the other, Cllr Mary Clarkson, is Labour.  The last City council elections were held on 2nd May where half of the city councillors (one in each ward) were up for re-election. We wrote about them, together with the parties' manifestos here.  

Side note, as regular Clarion readers will know we are duty bound to remind readers of the difference between city, and county elections:

The City Council is responsible for: housing, planning (which includes drawing up the Local Plan), licensing (taxis, pubs and gambling), parks and leisure centres, and waste and recycling collections. It also does some day-to-day road maintenance via ODS, which is owned by the City Council,

The County Council is responsible for highways and roads (yes, including the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods), education (including special needs aka SEND), social care, public health, waste disposal (all waste & recycling sites in the county), and bizarrely, planning below ground. You want to start fracking in Tackley? You have to apply to the county. Yes, really.

And when the dust had settled, and all the leaflets safely recycled, Labour had lost  7 seats, the IOA/ Indies had gained 5 seats and the Greens had gained two seats. Significant changes, but with just one seat on which to focus all resources, instead of having to split campaigners across multiple target seats in the city, anything could happen tomorrow...

That said, who's standing this time?

Labour have been working this hard since well before the election and since.. a lot

So have the IOA...

And the Lib Dems...

Are you voting in Marston?

We asked each candidate what they would deliver for Marston. Here are their responses, in the order they appear on the ballot paper.

Duncan Hatfield, Conservative

"I want to bring more resources to Marston, especially to meet the needs of local young people and to tackle local crime. I want to keep Marston Ferry Road open, tackle excess traffic, build a multi-story car park at the JR and improve cycle provision. I want to balance bio-diversity with common sense and take action on fly tipping, recycling and flooding."

Nasreen Majeed, Independent Oxford Alliance

We did not recieve a response from the IOA so here is a picture of her leaflet. Should the IOA provide a response, we will update this article.

Kathy Norman, Liberal Democrat

I won’t be copying Ed Davey and abseiling down Carfax tower! But I will commit to working hard for residents and staying in touch all year round. The Lib Dems are the largest opposition group at the city council and provide a strong challenge to the Labour administration. In Marston we'll work to deliver more reliable buses, including supporting the bus gates trial (and being open to changes where needed). We’ll also support measures to enhance active travel. And will focus on planning policy, to help find a balance between housing and protecting green spaces such as parks and allotments.

Kate Robinson, Green Party

I will bring a work ethic, commitment and compassion to the role of City Councillor. I will continue to work hard; listen to and represent the people of Marston no matter what background they come from. I will also stand up for nature, biodiversity, young and marginalised people – who are often left ‘voiceless’ and without protection.

Alongside this, I will continue to work together with those local organisations that keep our communities strong and safe – such as schools, the library, shops, pubs, parish council, community centres, voluntary organisations, sports clubs, religious groups, parks and environmental groups. I am already co-founder of ‘Marston Community Gardening’ (part of the CAG Oxfordshire Network) where we promote community building, health and wellbeing through tree-planting, increasing biodiversity and growing food. I am also a volunteer for Marston Eco Group, ‘Northway Together’ foodbank and have helped set up ‘Northway and Marston Community Kitchen’, where we provide free, seasonal, delicious food – and teach people how to grow and cook great, nutritious food.

Some of the key issues that local people want me to address is:

- the inequalities that lie in Oxford. Rent is sky-high and too many people live in cold, damp and inadequate housing. There is such wealth, knowledge and skills in the city that I believe we have the ability - and responsibility -  to make sure everyone has a decent, warm home.

- maintaining our green spaces much more thoughtfully. We need to work together – with residents, local groups, ODS, Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council to get the balance right between verges, hedgerows, green corridors, paths and cycle routes. We need to make sure we keep areas well maintained full of biodiversity.

- safer walking and cycling and improving our public transport. Marston desperately needs more regular and reliable bus services, and there is always more work to be done around Oxford City Centre to make it easier and safer to cycle and walk around.

- food poverty. We need to reduce our food waste on one hand and malnutrition on the other. As a community, we need to show the next generation that if we connect with growing, sharing and cooking our food – we all become healthier and happier.

If elected, I would be proud to represent the people of Marston – and truly listen to everyone’s ideas and concerns. I will work tirelessly to bring a positivity, unity, care and kindness to Oxford City Council – at a time when it is needed most.

Charlotte Vinnicombe, Labour Party

As a Labour City Councillor, my priorities will be:

 - Tackling the cost of living crisis

-  Building a greener, cleaner Marston

 - Speaking up on local housing developments

 - Combatting antisocial behaviour

 - Opposing the proposed Marston Ferry Bus Gate

I’ve lived in Marston for 17 years, and have lived and worked in Oxford for nearly 30 years.  I love living in such a special part of Oxford, and I’m passionate about making our area an even better place to live. More than ever before, Marston needs a strong team of active City Councillors championing our community. I’m standing to ensure our area has another strong voice alongside Labour Councillor Mary Clarkson, and Mark Lygo, our Labour County Councillor.  Together we will put our area first, speaking up for residents and holding the Council to account if things go wrong. I am already working hard for residents as a Parish Councillor and as the Chair of a Residents’ Association.  I have been speaking to Marston residents for years, finding out what matters to them, and have worked with City and County officers and representatives to seek solutions to our local issues.  As a City Councillor I want to champion residents’ views at the Town Hall, especially on local housing developments and traffic concerns.  I will be persistent in communicating the significant level of concern about the Marston Ferry Bus Gate and widespread dissatisfaction over the management of highway grass verges.  And I will work with the police and youth services to tackle anti-social behaviour. I am a long-standing active local environmental campaigner.  As a member of the Environment Committee on Old Marston Parish Council, I co-organised a local Climate Emergency Workshop, led the campaign to preserve historic Back Lane, highlighted concerns about access and flooding associated with the Marston Paddock development, challenged Thames Water over sewage spills and water leaks, and have consistently lobbied for improvements to the Marston cycle path.  I was formally a volunteer and then Chair of the Oxford Conservation Volunteers, undertaking practical conservation work across Oxfordshire.  As a City Councillor, I will press for the filling in of grey and brownfield sites before greenfield sites are used, work to protect our green spaces, and continue to call for better bus services and safer walking and cycling routes.

If you are voting in Thursday's election in Marston, as per usual, the Clarion would remind you to look at each statement with the context of what city councillors can achieve vs what sits in the remit of county councillors, or even MP's. But do vote. Because  a powerful voice that represents you in the city council matters.