And What I Will Do for Seaham

TL;DR – What I Can (and Can’t) Do for You

• ❌ Can’t stop immigration or change national health policy
• ✅ Will work with police and council teams to keep our streets and shops safe
• ✅ Will fight against solar farms on green land and promote rooftop solutions
• ✅ Will press for fairer hospital parking and better local access
• ✅ Will always focus on what’s in my power to change — and get it done

Local politics matters — but it’s important to understand what a County Councillor is responsible for, and what falls outside of our control. As a candidate in Seaham for Durham County Council, I want to be honest with you about both. I’ve spoken to hundreds of local people, and I hear the same concerns over and over again — about community safety, immigration, crime, energy, the environment, and public services.

So in this post, I’ll share what a County Councillor like me can realistically do, and what I’ll be pushing hard for if elected — always within the powers of the role, always on your side.

🚫 What a County Councillor Can’t Do: Immigration and Border Control

Let’s get this one straight.

Local councillors do not control immigration. We don’t set border policy. We can’t stop boats, enforce visa rules, or manage asylum claims — these are matters for national government and Parliament.

So when other candidates promise they’ll “stop the boats” from your local council seat — I’d urge you to take that with a healthy dose of scepticism.

✅ What I Can Do: Tackle Crime, Unlicensed Activity and Protect Our Communities
What I can do — and will do — is work closely with our local police and enforcement teams to support safe communities and ensure local businesses are operating legally and responsibly.

I will:

• Support action against criminal activity and unlicensed premises
• Use planning policies to challenge unsuitable business changes in high streets
• Stand against shops opening under false pretences or operating outside of the law

We’ve all seen cases where enforcement has worked — but not enough of it is happening. I’ll be pressing for more joint inspections, stronger planning enforcement, and a zero-tolerance approach to criminality of any kind.

🚫 What a County Councillor Can’t Do: Change National Energy or Climate Policy
Energy costs and climate change are big concerns — and rightly so. But County Councillors do not write national energy policies or control green levies. That’s the job of national ministers and government departments.

That said, County Councillors can influence how renewable energy is implemented locally — and that’s where I’ll focus.

✅ What I Will Do: Protect Green Fields, Push Smarter Solar Solutions
I believe strongly that our green fields should be protected from mass solar development.

Yes, we need to reduce carbon emissions and produce clean energy. But covering productive land with solar panels is not the right answer — especially when we have so many underused rooftops and public buildings.

If elected, I’ll:

• Oppose planning applications that put solar farms on greenfield sites
• Call for rooftop solar panels on public buildings, like schools and council offices
• Push to cover hospital and council car parks with solar canopies
• Advocate for local buildings to generate and feed back into the grid, reducing community energy costs

There are better places for solar than farmland, and I’ll fight to make sure we use them.

🚫 What a County Councillor Can’t Do: Fix the NHS
I’ve worked with many residents frustrated by long waits for GPs, dentist shortages, and hospital backlogs. The truth is: County Councillors do not run the NHS. We don’t set pay, funding, contracts, or NHS staffing. That’s all handled by national government and NHS Trusts.

But we can still make a difference locally — and I plan to do just that.

✅ What I Can Do: Improve Hospital Access and Push for Better Parking
I believe councils should be doing more to make hospital access easier and fairer. That includes:

• Working with NHS Trusts to improve parking availability
• Pushing for free or reduced-price parking for patients and carers
• Encouraging Trusts to use solar panel canopies over car parks to power hospitals and offset costs

I’ll also press for better public transport access to medical facilities — especially from places like Seaham, where residents often have to travel for appointments.

🧭 Let’s Focus on What Local Councils Can Do — And Do It Well
There’s a lot of noise in politics at the moment — especially on social media. But your vote on 1st May isn’t for a Prime Minister or a Home Secretary. It’s for someone to represent you on Durham County Council, with all the responsibilities — and limitations — that come with it.

If elected, I will:

• Be clear and honest about what’s possible
• Tackle real issues within council powers
• Work across departments to get results
• Always stand up for Seaham’s residents, values, and quality of life

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Let’s make Seaham stronger — together.

Promoted by Tom Baker on behalf of Ian McAndrew at Conservative Office, Creative Business Park, Riverside Ind Est.. Langley Park, Durham, DH7 9TY