West Suffolk is a special place. In a time of great uncertainty for our country, Nick is working as the local MP to protect and improve residents’ quality of life.
Whether it’s over-development, high streets, local school standards, the condition of the roads, or broadband speeds, with the right plan we can make our community the best it can possibly be. Having spoken to thousands of residents — and surveyed tens of thousands more — Nick has a clear vision for how to do this. He is working with residents in Brandon, Mildenhall, Newmarket, Haverhill, Clare and all our villages to deliver positive change.
Demanding more from developers
Developers have too often run rings around our local communities. We do need new homes, but they need to be attractive family homes, in the right places, and they need to come with the right amenities and infrastructure. Nick is making a clear case for the local councils with responsibility for development to insist that developers put people before profit. He has a track record of success, and recently worked successfully with residents in Risby and Great Saxham to stop a development application that was entirely inappropriate for the area
Working with others to revive our high streets
As the way we shop changes, and people spend more time online, the economics of high streets change. But we cannot accept their decline, as they are the heart of our communities. Nick is keen to work with retailers, business experts and the councils to develop and refine a plan to improve our high streets in Newmarket, Brandon, Mildenhall and Haverhill. Nick wants to see a more proactive plan for markets, and in Newmarket, he is pushing for the market to return to the high street.
Fighting the bio-digestion plant near Haverhill and Withersfield
It is clear that the application for a bio-digestion plant at Spring Grove Farm needs to be stopped dead in its tracks. Building such a plant so close to so many family homes would harm the quality of life for residents, increase traffic congestion, and worsen road safety on the A1307. It also represents an environmental risk and would risk deterring much-needed business investment in Haverhill.
Making the case for better transport, including a relief road for Mildenhall and a rail link from Haverhill to Cambridge
Before the election, Nick held productive talks with ministers and officials regarding the potential for a new railway station in Haverhill. As Cambridge grows and its economy develops, the case for a rail link from Haverhill will only grow more powerful, and Nick will continue to campaign to get it built. Meanwhile, around a thousand homes are proposed for construction to the west of Mildenhall. Nick’s view is that that the development should only go ahead if we get a relief road to tackle traffic congestion, which is significant enough already. We must also keep pushing the Government for construction of a by-pass for Fiveways roundabout to keep the flow of traffic moving.
Tackling flooding in parts of West Suffolk
Flooding causes damage, heartache and disruption. Differences between the companies and agencies with responsibility for tackling flooding matter little to residents — we demand action. Nick is campaigning to ensure that sluice gates are better maintained, and drains and ditches cleared promptly and thoroughly.
Working with others for improvements in local services and amenities
Nick is working with local councillors to argue the case for maintaining and improving access to banking services. He is consulting and cooperating with local charities and volunteers to help to deliver improvements on mental health care. He is pushing to improve access to GPs and dentists. Education is a personal passion for Nick, and he has visited many schools across West Suffolk, listening to teachers and parents so we can get the very best for our children.
Holding the government to account on Sunnica
Nick is standing strong with residents against the proposal for a massive solar and battery farm near Newmarket and Mildenhall. The proposal is too big and too close to where people live. It undermines farming, business, the horse-racing industry and village life. It would alter and harm the peace and character of our area. There are serious concerns about the safety of the flammable and toxic batteries. And it is totally wrong to build a solar and battery farm like this on high-quality agricultural land. The decision by the Government immediately after the general election was made with such haste it is difficult to believe that Ed Miliband respected the process or acted with good reason — which is what the law requires him to do. Nick continues to work with residents who have campaigned so hard against this proposal over the years to fight it to the very last breath
Protecting our environment and heritage
Nick’s home is in West Suffolk — near Haverhill — and his family has long connections to the area. His parents live in Hundon. He loves walking his dog Monty in our countryside, and wants to preserve the special character of West Suffolk. There has been considerable development around West Suffolk in recent years, and Nick says we need to learn from the experience. “We need to make sure villages remain villages,” he says. “And where we do build, we must make sure it is in keeping with our local heritage, and comes with the right infrastructure and services.”
