Sean Houlston has provided an update on his work for Sandbach following a meeting with local residents: infrastructure, business and bins.
Speaking from the Town, Sean said that future development must be supported by the infrastructure and public services needed to make it sustainable.
The comments follow the announcement of proposals for around 450 new homes to the south of Sandbach. Sean argued that the town should not be expected to absorb further development without improvements to roads, schools, healthcare and other essential services.
He said:
“We need an infrastructure-first approach to development. If our town cannot properly support a new development, it should not go ahead. It is as simple as that.”
Sean also highlighted the importance of supporting Sandbach’s business community, including shops, hospitality venues, professional services and new start-ups.
He said the council should focus on creating the right conditions for businesses to establish themselves, grow and invest in the town.
“Sandbach already has a fantastic business community, but we need to do more to protect and encourage it. I want Sandbach to be the best town in Cheshire in which to start and run a business.”
The third priority raised in the update was the quality of council services, particularly bin collections.
Sean criticised missed and unreliable collections, as well as proposals to reduce the frequency of general waste collections from once every two weeks to once every three weeks.
“Residents pay enough council tax and they have every right to expect reliable, good-quality services in return. Moving to three-weekly bin collections while the existing service is already falling short is simply not good enough.”
Sean said these issues would remain central to his work as a Conservative council candidate for Sandbach East and Central ahead of the Cheshire East Council elections.
