Dear Parish of Oxborough Residents,
My name is Simon Willies and I have lived in Oxborough permanently for nearly eight years. I do however, have a long history with the Parish of Oxborough through family links. The cottage I live in with my wife, Elaine, has been in the family through generations stretching back to when it was converted from stables to living accommodation back in the 1800s. All grew up, lived and worked in the Parish.
I became a Parish Councillor nearly six years ago and am the current Chairman. During this time there has been a lot of change, mostly for the good. We now have a play area that is regularly used and the ancient beech tree has been made safe by the creation of a monolith. Both of these projects have been made possible by external funding and the very generous donations of Oxborough residents.
Oxborough is now part of the mobile Post Office service. This has proved an invaluable resource which many people use. The Lime tree on the pound has now had a good prune and it has given it a new lease of life.
I stepped into the hot seat, as Chairman, when in a short space of time 3 Councillors resigned creating an uncertain future. Residents pulled together and with new blood the Parish Council moved forward. The pandemic and lockdown affected many peoples lives and meant the Parish Council had to embrace different ways of working. If there was a positive the pandemic brought the community together and widened the access to Parish Council meetings through Zoom.
Administratively, improvements have been made with better financial reporting and system improvements ensuring a smoother and transparent operation. I do get frustrated with the levels of bureaucracy we have to go through to move forward given the limited powers of the Parish Council.
I have put my name forward for re-election to the Parish Council. If selected I will continue to serve the parish to the best of my ability, striving to move forward and support the local community.
Don’t forget to vote on 4th May 2023. Your vote is important and can help shape the future of our wonderful village and parish. Please remember to bring along your photo identification.
Best Wishes
Simon Willies
Editors note – all candidates have been invited to submit an election statement.