The Labour election candidate for South West Wiltshire, Emily Pomroy-Smith, met with Labour councillors that form the largest group on Westbury Town Council recently.
Emily Pomroy-Smith was discussing issues that currently are important to people in Westbury. The campaign that Labour have been supporting, to stop the siting of a gasification plant to incinerate some of our local waste, in the area was a key issue with Emily determined to do all that she can to stop the plant being sited locally. Emily said, “This is a relatively new system of waste disposal and not enough research is available for us to consider the negative effects of this technology. When there is any doubt with issues like this that could effect health so adversely, we must stop and wait until it can be shown to not be a health risk to local people.”
The transfer of some services that are currently the responsibility of Wiltshire Council to Westbury Town Council is proving a very contentious issue. Cllr Mike Kettlety said, “Whilst we can see the benefits of having more control of how more of our services are administered locally, it would be irresponsible to take on these services without knowing we have sufficient funds to provide them.” Emily noted, “The transfer of services is a cynical political ploy to make it appear that there is going to be less state involvement in service provision. To pass these services over to smaller councils without proper funding is simply done so that local councils will be only able to offer an inferior service. This gives the government an opportunity to push for even more private businesses making profits from the public purse, by service provision at what are apparently initially lower costs.”
Emily has committed to be involved in ensuring that local councils are properly funded.
