Parish Council Elections Stoke Ferry

Those nominated and their manifestos

The following persons are nominated for election as Councillor for the Stoke Ferry Parish Council:

* Robert Terence ALLAWAY

* Mark Dean EVANS

* Matthew Neil FERRIE

* Brian Reginald HARRISON

* Mandy Jane LEAMON

* Michael Jonathan MANN

* Malcolm Roger MYCOCK

* Stephen Andrew RANDALL

* Christopher John STOCKING

* Anthony Maurice WHITE

Hello, my is Mark Evans I have live in Stoke Ferry all my life, I attended the James Bradfield Primary School, then moved on to Methworld High School. Then after finishing High School, I accepted a post with Patsy and Bob Lewis at the Corner Shop in the Village and trained NVQ level in retail and customer service and for the next five years delivering your newspaper and groceries in the surrounding area and helping with the day to day running of the shop.

While working at the shop I got to know many people of the village and made very good friends with them. Then in mid August 2002 I moved on to Marks & Spencer at Kings Lynn, where I am now training to be a section manager and have got to know lots of new friends.

I was born and raised in Newmarket, Suffolk, and have worked for the last four years within the City of Ely. For eight months I and my family have been residents of Stoke Ferry.

As many others, we are new residents not only to Stoke Ferry but to Norfolk. If elected, I hope to help the whole community feel they have a voice within the Parish Council.

Following the Village Workshop held a few weeks ago and hearing the feeling of disquiet expressed regarding both the amenities in and the upkeep of the village, together with the level of criticism of the parish council, I have decided to stand for election to the Parish Council. Criticisms with which I entirely agree.

As many of your readers will know, I have lived in Stoke Ferry for the past 10 years and have been closely associated with the agricultural community of West Norfolk for 40 years. I am already involved in the village community serving on the Favor Parker Liaison Committee and acting as Advertising Manager for the Village Pump. I live in the centre of the village and am thus well able to see every day the many problems that that exist.

I believe strongly that local government should be open and reflect the needs of the local community. The members of the community should feel ownership of the village and be able to influence its future development. To this end, if I am fortunate to be elected, my door will be always open for villagers to be able to discuss the needs of the community in order to ensure that Stoke Ferry continues to be a vibrant and enjoyable place to live. Who knows, together we might be able to improve the surroundings and lifestyle of us all!

When I first moved to Stoke Ferry, my work colleagues' reaction was one of horror that I would want to move to such a place!

However, I have lived in the village for over 2 years now, and find it a very pleasant place to be. However, to many outsiders, Stoke Ferry is seen as 'blighted' by environmental issues.

Certainly, Stoke Ferry is by no means perfect, and I would like the opportunity to address the issues affecting residents. In particular, the 'dead' village centre, and the consequences of the heavy traffic flow through the village are cause for concern.

I have lived in Stoke Ferry for the past 16 years. I own and run a successful small company with my wife. I play a large part in the community being both a youth leader at the recently reformed Stoke Ferry Youth Club and a member of the Harvest Fayre committee. If elected I would strive to make the Parish Council more approachable by members of the parish and make the whole process of the councils business more transparent.

I have been a resident of Stoke Ferry all my life, as have the previous five generations of my family. I work at the local Blacksmiths workshop (T.B.Bonnett), which has operating from the village since the turn of the century. I am 32 years old and have a young family.

I was elected to the Parish Council last autumn and if I am fortunate enough to be re-elected my main areas of interest are making the Parish Council more pro-active and to improve conditions locally.