Today I am announcing that I will be standing for election in the upcoming local elections on May 6^th for Norfolk County Council – Sheringham division, which includes Beeston Regis. Having lived here for 25 years now and brought 2 boys up here in this caring community. Keeping this town special  and ensuring it is a vibrant town , which offers a future for our young people and all the people who are part of this special community is the reason I became involved in  local politics.  As County Councillor I will be able to build on much of the work I am already doing for the town in looking to that future and being a voice for the town I am passionate about.  For me it isn’t about party politics but standing up for and representing what is best for the town.

This is going to be a very different election campaign with limited opportunities to door knock and engage with   local residents, friends and neighbours. However my campaign team and I will be making phone calls to chat to you about my work for the town and we look forward to talking to you. If you would like to contact me and have a chat about local issues I will be from next week (15-02)be available on Monday Afternoons, Wednesday evenings (6-9) and Thursday mornings  on 07905292897. Please message me on my @Cllr Liz Withington fB page or email me on lizwithington1@gmail.com However I must say as always I am always happy to be contacted by people and help and support in any way I can.

I would also love to hear from you if you feel you can assist with my campaign by helping to deliver when we are able, by helping to phone residents or donating funds so we can mail out information and cover the costs of that. I would love to hear from you and welcome lots of people to be part of this campaign to increase connections within the community and also with Norfolk and beyond.

I set up Sheringham Community Support (SCS) in February 2020 after realising from my work as a lead on Sheringham Dementia Friendly Community and my District Council work that there were already many people in the town who needed support before the Pandemic.  The Covid Crisis was therefore only going to compound this. With over 130 volunteers covering every street in the town shopping, prescriptions and befriending have taken place and people are less isolated as a result. Building on the connections I had already established we have been able to work in partnership with organisations such as the Lighthouse, Salvation Army, The Cromer Foodbank, the Health Centre The District Council and wellbeing services. As a result we have been able to support people and signpost them to appropriate agencies and make a difference to many lives. I am hugely proud of how the community has come together to support residents. I am now focussing on finding a way to make SCS sustainable as a Good Neighbourhood Scheme.

Prior to the pandemic I was acutely aware that many of our residents both younger and older are cut off from the town and access to amenities, social activities, health facilities and onward travel by public transport. Working with Norfolk County Council Passenger Services, Sheringham Town Council and Sanders Coaches I have managed to get a funding package agreed to operate a Town Service. This will connect the estates of Beeston Regis , the outskirts of Sheringham and Upper Sheringham on a timetabled loop system. This will enable people to continue to access vital services and reduce loneliness and isolation. It is hoped to start the service when public transport use has returned to better levels in order to give the service a chance to be successful. Concessionary tickets will be accepted on this route and their will no need to book onto the service even for wheelchair users. Sanders coaches trained all of their drivers in dementia awareness in 2019 as part of a scheme where I trained all the drivers to increase dementia accessibility in public transport.

As the recent flooding in August showed, we are living with some of the impacts of climate change already. So as well as supporting the residents through this flooding and in responding to Norfolk County Council Water Management investigations and engaging with Anglian Water I have also instigated the declaration of a Climate Emergency in Sheringham.  I continue to work with colleagues in putting together the Sheringham Climate Emergency Action Plan and am part of sustainable Sheringham.   This grew out of Sheringham Plastic Aware which I initiated and I am really proud to say in just a year we achieve Plastic Free Community status for Sheringham. The first to do so  in Norfolk and Suffolk.

At the heart of our towns community sustainability and our response to the Climate emergency is our independent Town Centre. I initiated and  lead on the Town Centre development Group and we have been focussing on a number of issues.

• Firstly, bringing together the residents, businesses, Chamber of Trade and the tourism sector, to develop a more pedestrian friendly zone in the town.
• Along with this, focussing on how we can highlight and direct people to our town amenities and attractions through a new Pedestrian Signage scheme and spread the load of visitors away from the Station Road entrance to the town.
• To do this, making better use of all our car parks and getting people where they want to be with a Highways signage project as well.
• Encouraging cycling has also been a factor and I have liaised with Norfolk County Council to bring Active Travel funding to the town.
• Working with the LEP as well we are looking to apply for Town Growth project funding, which these projects are eligible for. Sadly the roundabout is not eligible directly for LEP funding but alongside colleagues I have helped to write the original business plan and in the event of external funding coming available the roundabout plan could be considered. In the meantime I continue to work with highways pushing for the roundabout as a Highways project

Before the Pandemic I had also been working closely with businesses, The Chamber of Trade, the Bittern line and Greater Anglia and Carnival to ensure that the town is working together   The new Sheringham Platform upgrade has been another big part of my work in this area. As was the coordination of the Sheringham Sinkhole Repairs for the town.

I have also been working with the district council and seafront businesses to develop a more reliable and extensive WIFI for the East and West Beach. this will not only help the businesses but with a growing dependence on digital information and communication visitors to the town can access information and find where to spend money in our local businesses.

My support for businesses has continued through COVID ;ensuring  businesses have had the appropriate support and access to financial funding. In particular I worked locally and nationally getting financial support for the B and B sector which had fallen through the cracks. A potential disaster for our area.

For me building connections within the community are at the heart of what I do. It makes us a more resilient and caring community. However Connections beyond Sheringham are also important and after  initiating a Town Plan for Sheringham I understand the need to promote Sheringham’s needs and priorities across the county. I would look to ensure we look to develop Norfolk so Sheringham can have employment opportunities Alongside this we need the appropriate community support and care for all in our community to make us a resilient community living in a sustainable environment

Thank you to all the people in the town and my friends and colleagues, who have supported me in particular in the last year and who have worked so hard in bringing our community closer. I hope, if you feel you can vote for me on the 6^th May, I can then be the voice for Sheringham that means together we can build a bright and vibrant future for our town, businesses, residents and visitors.