Paul attended his first meeting of Ballaugh Parish Commissioners last night and has issued the following letter announcing his election:
Dear Voters and Residents of Ballaugh Parish,
I am delighted to have been nominated to fill one of the three vacancies on
Ballaugh Parish Commissioners, left unfilled following the local authority
election last July. As I am one of only three people to stand, I am now duly
appointed to serve alongside Rachel Andrew and Robert Perry, as we join
Chairman, Steven Curphey and Vice Chair, Liza Nicholson. It is good to know
that our Commissioners can now function properly, although it is still
unfortunate that so few people are prepared to come forward to serve our
community in this way. In that regard, I am disappointed that an election
wasn’t required.
You will know that I recently stood as a Liberal Vannin candidate, seeking
to represent you as one of your MHKs for Ayre & Michael. You will be aware
then of my background and views on a wide range of issues affecting the
Island, including all of us who live here in Ballaugh. I will represent you
on Ballaugh Parish Commissioners as a member of Liberal Vannin. Having the
support of a political party is important, as I can share ideas with Lawrie
Hooper, our MHK and now Minister for Health & Social Care, and fellow party
members and supporters. As one of your Commissioners, I can bring this
collective experience to bear on your behalf. My first loyalty, however,
will always be to you, the residents of Ballaugh.
I will work on your behalf, with our fellow Commissioners and local MHKs, to
lobby for the best possible services for Ballaugh from government
departments and agencies. I will keep you informed about issues that may be
relevant to us and seek your views as to how local services may be improved.
I am particularly keen to see if we can get better bus services locally,
particularly night time services to Douglas, Peel and Ramsey. Our local shop
/ post office, pub, school, recreational facilities and other local
businesses and amenities are all vital to us and I will look to find ways to
ensure their continued successful existence and development. I will argue
against planning development on ‘greenfield’ sites within the parish.
As this year’s local elections have shown, local authorities on the Island
are often struggling to keep going and generate local support and
enthusiasm. Having a voice to represent our views on very local issues is
important, and our MHKs can’t be expected to do this alone. Ballaugh Parish
Commissioners work closely with our counterparts in the other Northern
parishes and developing more joint services and less duplication of effort
is essential, in my view.
Please get in touch if you have any ideas to help improve the Parish of
Ballaugh, or if you want to know more about my own ideas.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Weatherall
Halcyon Days, Main Road, Ballaugh, IM7 5EX
Mobile: 07624 479436
Email: paul.ballaughpc@gmail.com