Wednesday, 24 April 2019

An Interview with Sue Lee-Richards, 2019 Newsome Green Party Candidate

Sue Lee-Richards

New Laithe Hill resident and Newsome Community Forum Treasurer and volunteer Sue Lee Richards will be standing for the Green Party at the next Local Elections on Thursday May 2nd as Cllr Julie Stewart-Turner will be standing down after 17 years as a local Councillor.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I will admit that I was born in Lancashire, but I have made Yorkshire my home for the last 27 years.  I am married to Gideon and have been a teacher for 22 years and worked for a local green business based in Huddersfield. I am currently working as supply teacher on a part time basis to allow me to focus on community issues.

What do you like the best about living in Huddersfield?

I have enjoyed living here for the last 13 years. It is a really friendly place and I have made lots of good friends and feel part of the community.
I like living here because there are green spaces to walk and enjoy the views but also access to the town for eating out, entertainment and shopping.

What do we need to do to improve the local area?

Outgoing Cllr Julie Stewart-Turner with Sue
It’s all about doing the best for our community, providing better access to the town for walkers and cyclists so that people feel safer; it would also encourage people to improve their health and wellbeing along with better public transport. As well as having the added benefit of improving air quality.  Hopefully you’ll meet me on the free Green Party bus over the Christmas holiday period. I’d love to see Newsome free of fly-tipping, litter and graffiti.

I am keen to see area along our local rivers a new park area come to fruition. There are some really active organisations like River Holme Connection and Greenstreams that I will be working alongside in the coming months. Oh and World Peace and an end to pot holes!

Why do you want to be a councillor?

I think Huddersfield is a great place to live, it has real character and while it has its issues like many towns, such as empty shops on the High Street there are some potentially helpful plans in the pipeline to give the town a new lease of life.  If I become a councillor I look forward to being fully engaged in making those plans a reality. That, and of course ensuring that the community maintains effective healthcare services. We have to save Huddersfield Royal Infirmary including the vital Accident and Emergency services.

Cllrs Andrew Cooper and Karen Allison with Sue.
Why the Green Party?

The Green Party is the one that encourages its members to work for a fairer society that is more community focused. They most closely match my belief in local democracy that works with and for its residents.

What do you do when you’re not involved in the community campaigning?

In my spare time I enjoy going to the local events, gardening and reading crime fiction. I am aspiring to create a bee friendly garden, but this is still in the development stage.

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