2021 County Elections - Burgess Hill East - Richard Cherry

Apart from four years in the United States, my family and I have lived in the Burgess Hill area for over four decades. My wife and I have been in our current Junction Road home since the 1990's.

I have always had a strong interest in our community. I currently chair a local charity, Neighbourly Care, as well as the local board of The Burgess Hill Academy. In previous years, I have also been a school governor for Sheddingdean Primary School and Downlands Community College. Consistent with my strong interest in education I have also worked for the Hackney Learning Trust and the National Association of Head Teachers.

From 2015 till 2019 I was a local Town and District Councillor and took a leading role in forwarding plans for a Burgess Hill community and performing arts centre, the Beehive.

My hobbies and pastimes range from keeping fit, now largely confined to exercises and walking, to reading and current affairs.

Liberal Democrat Values

I was formerly a member of the Conservative Party but, over the past five years, that party jettisoned the values that were important to me and I realised feel that my real political home was with the Liberal Democrats. Like many I found the Lib Dems' values of balance, fairness and social justice matched my own. Unlike other main parties, the Liberal Democrats were early and true adopters of policies to strengthen local democracy, safeguard the environment and work collaboratively with our international friends and neighbours.

I also believe in the social market; getting the best out of our economy whilst safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of all, to ensure that everyone benefits from our economy.

Why I am standing

• To provide a strong and articulate voice for our community, with the purpose of providing residents with more control of their own destiny, particularly in such areas as local planning and development.

• To help deliver better provision of school places and early years' settings.

• To ensure the improvement of Burgess Hill's transport situation: ranging from train stopping patterns to new road construction. Also high on my agenda are the better pedestrian and cycle pathways to improve heath, wellbeing and the environment.

• To seriously review parking issues and deliver solutions to solve Burgess Hill's street parking problems.

Areas of interest in West Sussex

• Education

• Infrastructure

• Service Delivery