In the run up to the General, Borough and Parish Council elections on May 7th we have been publishing brief interviews with each of the candidates that respond to our request (before the end of the month), in the order in which they respond.
To read the interviews with other candidates click on the tags at the bottom of the article. For example, pieces on the other candidates for the Alderley Edge Parish Council election will all be tagged 'Alderley Edge Parish Council Election'. Candidates representing the same party or group will also be connected via the tags.
Xanthe Holt is a Conservative candidate for Alderley Edge Parish Council.
Xanthe moved to Alderley Edge in 2000 with her four children, two sets of twins. She was born in Macclesfield and brought up in Poynton.
Xanthe told me "I come from a family that originally started in the motor industry in the early 1920s. I carried on that tradition in the 1980's with my husband and we developed a successful car business which expanded quickly. Personal circumstances however, meant a change in my circumstances and priorities so I am presently self employed as a Property Manager. I have been a Magistrate for 23 years in Stockport and sit at the Criminal Justice Centre in Manchester.
"I particularly enjoy Family Law and am on the Training and Development Committee for Greater Manchester. Having raised 4 children, I am a keen advocate for children's rights and welfare. I have also been a member of the Valuation Tribunal for England since 2003, so have experience with business rates, council tax bandings, council tax exemptions etc."
Speaking about why she would like to become a parish council, Xanthe said "If you want the honest truth... I was approached by an associate and was invited to stand. I was a little surprised, and although flattered, stated I didn't think I would be the right person. I am outspoken, truthful, often blunt, and although never rude, I will say what I think. His response was ..... 'perfect!' So here I am."
Xanthe added "This is my first election. I don't have as much experience as my colleagues, but the issue I feel is important, is parking. This affects me, my friends, my family.... everyone who resides/works in Alderley Edge. I am a member at Alderley Edge Cricket Club where I play tennis, and I get really annoyed when non-members park in the club car park, to go into Alderley Edge!! We need more parking and we need it longer than 2 hours.
"The new medical centre is essential for Alderley Edge as is the proposed car park on Heyes Lane. I cannot understand why the allotment holders are making such a fuss! This is a small group of people who have been given financial compensation and have been offered an alternate allotment site... that is much bigger! This village NEEDS more parking. I appreciate the allotment holders will be inconvenienced and change is always difficult but should we not look at the greater good??"
When I asked Xanthe why Alderley Edge residents should vote for her, she replied "I am a Conservative and believe this present government is doing a very good job in these difficult times. I have seen so many changes in the areas I specialise in, but I really think we are heading in the right direction. Benefits are being cut, legal aid is much harder to obtain and plans are underway to tackle immigration. I believe this country is changing and for the better. I want to be a part of it.
"I appreciate the fact that most of you don't know me, but I have come into this forum to ensure Alderley Edge has a Parish Council that reflects the residents needs. The village is getting busier, our needs are changing and the Parish Council must evolve with it. I feel the present council has done a great job so far.... but it is your vote. All I ask is think carefully who you elect... we don't want to lose what we have gained so far."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Only nine crosses, it's difficult!!
" I cannot understand why the allotment holders are making such a fuss! This is a small group of people who have been given financial compensation and have been offered an alternate allotment site... that is much bigger!
Perhaps she would understand better if it were Alderley Edge Cricket Club that were being bulldozed to provide car parking.
What Alderley Edge needs now is people who will take the time to understand the bigger picture. Or else it will be the Allotments today, the Cricket Club tomorrow and probably The Edge itself in the fullness of time!
I entirely agree with Xanthe's views and I also cannot understand why these 27 Allotment Holders are holding up the progress this village of almost 5,000 citizens wants to make.
Fact ; 27 Allotment Holders but only 14 of them are Alderley residents.
Fact ; Most people in this village (62%) do not support keeping the Heyes Lane Allotments.
Still, on the plus side, we only have to wait one more week to find out, eh? The electorate will speak with their votes, and you will either be proven right, or wrong. What a relief that will be.
No , actually the 62% were either;
A) not asked to sign the petition
B) chose not to sign the petition for some other reason
C) not in support of the allotments but couldn't be bothered to say this when the parish council pledge sought their views.
I am not an Allotment holder.
What I am is a holder of principles. It doesnt matter if it's 27 people or 27,000 people. The point at issue here is that the land is being taken without proper consultation and without regard to due process.
And that 62% of Alderleys citizens didnt express an opinion one way or the other, cannot be construed as votes in favour of a carpark - much as your Conservative chums might like to have us believe that.
So if you really think that paving over a green space that adds to the uniqueness of the village will solve the parking problems, and that the incumbent PC have diligently, impartially and responsibly done everything possible to seek better alternatives; then let your vote reflect that.
But if you are not totally sure about that, if there is doubt; then surely you have to give AE1 a chance to find the correct solutions.
So basically you are standing for election because you are a bit mouthy, you got asked by a mate of yours, you are a bit fed up with people parking at the cricket club, the allotment holders are making a bit of a fuss and the Conservative government are doing a good job.
However i have a solution for your parking issues at the Cricket Club, concrete over one of the Tennis Courts, now where have i heard that suggestion before?
What a contrast with the vacuous twaddle from Xanthe Holt who gets “really annoyed” because non-members park in her tennis club car park and wants those common people on the allotments to be evicted to stop this happening.
Xanthe was flattered to be asked to stand as she “didn't think I would be the right person. I am outspoken, truthful, often blunt, and although never rude”. The flatterer’s response was 'perfect!' Well, why stop at not being rude Xanthe, it has never bothered some of our Parish Councillors.
Xanthe is just what we need on the Parish Council, someone whose knowledge of local issues comes via chit chat at the tennis club and who is standing as a prospective Parish Councillor because she was flattered into it over a glass of wine in the club bar; just the sort of committed and considered representation that ordinary people in the village need.
The fact Xanthe is a local Magistrate and, by definition, deals with all types of difficult people and unusual situations during her time in Court may persuade many voters that this is just the sort of person we may need on the local council ........ and someone whose no-nonsense approach is sometimes exactly what's required on many occasions, compared to some of the candidates who sit on the fence all day and are not prepared to announce their intentions "till we get elected" ...............
If we're not careful, we'll be voting in candidates who'll spend all their time taking views, having polls, discussing issues, asking questions, taking more polls, etc, ......... and getting absolutely nowhere and doing nothing because they're not able to make a decision !
I am assuming at this point that you also play tennis.
A rather remarkable manifesto statement.
I think you will find the criteria for those who wish to stand as PC candidates has already been posted, but please see the below link:
http://bit.ly/1AAeCWW
What do you have against people who play tennis? And support a local venue which is held in great esteem in our village?
Thanks Elly
That, as I said, is just my opinion.
Local enough for me Claire !
All the best for Thursday Xanthe
(From a UKIP Supporter)
Welcome back, I have missed you. I have not said that Xanthe is not eligible to stand for the PC; she clearly is. When she does come to Alderley Edge she probably comes by car as it an awful long way to walk. So she is probably part of the problem rather than the solution.
I have nothing against tennis, I love tennis, my son plays tennis and his grandfather played at Wimbledon.
My point was that she cannot vote for herself and her council tax does not go to AE. Who did you pay your last council tax bill to Elly?
The people of Alderley Edge don't really need a car park because they live and park in their own homes.
So all this kerfuffle is about people who don't live in Alderley Edge......the sort of people who Frank Keegan (for one) seemed to feel, were beneath contempt!
Missed me? Flattery will get you nowhere!! Although I do love a bit of sarcasm!
I do not know whether Xanthe drives or walks into the village or both. But not sure what your point is in this regard- I think that many who use the cricket club, whether very near to it or within the vicinity, often drive there due to equipment they need to take with them. are you suggesting people who live in the village should not drive within the area they live? my parents and I drive into the village sometimes and walk other times but I do not think anyone would raise issue with this as I think it is pretty typical. Your comment about Xanthe having a long walk seems rather odd? I'm pretty sure it would be quicker than even a jog from Stockport.
It's unfair and unjustified to say Xanthe is part of the problem.....simply by standing as a candidate she is making an effort and her input would undoubtedly be an asset to the current p.c.
Candidates can vote for themselves.
Thanks Elly
Go and lie down as you need help .......
Firstly you ASSUME I play tennis ?
Then you clearly state Xanthe DOES NOT live in Alderley Edge ?
Get your facts right before coming here with these wild statements.
Your latest statement to Elly is just plain bonkers.
If you have nothing better to do than stir things, go back to Stockport where you live and work and don't bother coming back !
Martin Dixon doesn't have to be a super sleuth to know you play tennis. You announced it yourself in this article http://bit.ly/1FMC6y1 .
I found this article really interesting, incidentally, because even though it was written only 18 months ago, you didn't once mention how frustrated you were with the parking situation here in Alderley Edge. You want more police and fewer pot holes, but no mention of a solution to the parking problem....And yet now, you seem to be one of the greatest and most vocal advocates of paving over the allotments on Heyes Lane.
Magnificent tan, by the way.
Oh, and can someone please clarify whether Xanthe does or does not live in Alderley Edge please?
Upcast Lane is half in Wilmslow and half in Alderley Edge Postal Area. However it comes under the Parish of Chorley. Why would somebody who lives in Chorley Parish want to represent Alderley Edge Parish Council?
Why not do good for your own people instead of another place, or is the cachet of 'Chorley Parish Council' not quite good enough? I'm pleased to say that my mother-in-law was proud to act as Councillor Norbury of Chorley Hall Parish Council in her day.
I can't disagree with you when you say "Why not do good for your own people, instead of another place". According to Craig Browne's personal profile on this site he has lived in Alderley Edge since 1996, but when I was doing my candidate research it showed he was a Liberal Party candidate for Wilmslow West in 2011. At the same nine Conservative candidates were unopposed in Alderley Edge. The google search did bring me back to this site and it showed a photograph of him, so I know it's not a question of two different people of the same name. So in 2011 did he live in Wilmslow West or Alderley Edge, or does it really matter if he met the Official rules?
You have to live within three miles, and she does.
Good luck Xanthe
I KNOW the rules, I KNOW that you CAN stand for Parish Councillor if you live within 3 miles of the boundary. I'm just saying, why does an individual have more interest in somebody else's Parish, over that where they live?
And Elly, I'm sure you know that if you own a business in a parish you are eligible to stand for council. The issue of 'why' is obvious there.
So let us just start with the fact that she, like me, does not live in the ward of Alderley Edge.
David Hadfield
You wrote to me, "Go and lie down as you need help ......." Both you an Frank Keegan think the same but at least he is praying for me.
Then you said, "Firstly you ASSUME I play tennis ?" I do not assume you play tennis, you disclosed this on the interview you gave on AE.com 18 months ago. Nice tan by the way.
You then go on to say, "Then you clearly state Xanthe DOES NOT live in Alderley Edge ?" That is correct, I do state that. As you will see above the electoral records also state that.
Then your killer blow is to say, "Get your facts right before coming here with these wild statements." You might want to rethink that one David.
Thank you for your polite reply. Just at the moment I really appreciate it.
If I could further explain what I was trying to say. Many people who live in the village have little need of a car parking space as they are close enough to all of the amenities to be able to walk there. So if there is a parking problem it is more likely to be caused by people who do not live in the village. So the £300k that the outgoing PC want to spend, and the loss of an allotment site, both of which belong to the people of Alderley Edge, is really only for people like me and Xanthe.
Some residents have a real problem with parking outside their homes, most notable is Martin and Jane Hallam. To your credit, neither you nor Duncan have ever expressed this problem but you live on the same street.
So I would suggest that what would be really useful is to fully research what the cause of the parking problem is, and then, once you have the data, use that to implement solutions.
Unless you have accurate data you cannot possibly create an effective solution.
As you don't know the road I live in you should be careful what you say, We live in an unadopted road which is made of cobbled sets. My drive slopes up and to the right. When coming out you have to turn to the left but cannot make the turn due to the road being narrow outside my gate. Just yesterday I was helping people get between the car parked by my gate and the tree which is in the bank opposite. Elly and Duncan live on the other side and the lie of the land is completely different. Without the proper information you should refrain from comment.
I have not been involved in recent posts on this site, but I can't resisit a last 'dig'.
You write about Xanthe that you don't understand why she has more interest in a parish she does not live,rather than an interest in the parish she lives in. But when it was pointed out to you that one of your co-candidates also does not live in the parish, you write stuff about her owning a business in the parish (which I don't think she does actually!).
Given that both the two ladies referred to live just outside the parish, might you not have accepted that you'd made a small error and just written 'its a fair cop guv' ? The last time I was caught out in a small factual error, on alderleyedge.com, I accepted (with good grace?) that I'd got it wrong; I'm still alive !
I believe the allotments should be moved to make way for a car park-not for my sake, but for Alderley Edge business' and residents. As for negative comments regarding Alderley Cricket Club.....its a sports club. Yes it has a bar but people of all ages from all backgrounds enjoy the facilities, including members of Alderley Edge First!!
I can't possibly please all the people all the time, and I do appreciate no one likes change, but surely Alderley must progress and adapt with the times? We now have a thriving village, great restaurants, supermarkets, coffee shops, leisure facilities etc and the council, who ever is elected tomorrow should support this. We did have a good community spirit, but all this back biting amongst the potential councillors and the allotment issue divide, is not doing this community any favours! The voters have the chance to elect some good people...but careful consideration and caution should be contemplated. I understand some of you want a 'change' in the parish council-and I am an advocate for change ...but only when it's a change that is necessary and is best for our future.
Whether I'm elected or not, I hope the council elected will genuinely put the needs of Alderley Edge above all else, and not for their own agenda?
PS A special thank you to you Elly. I think Alderley would be very lucky to have you on the Parish Council
Thanks for finally making an appearance 'in person' on here. I just have a couple of observations.
Firstly, I don't recall seeing anyone contributing to this forum criticising the Alderley Edge Cricket club. Did I miss something? Far from it, in fact. My own opinion is that it enhances the village in which we live. Like the allotments on Heyes Lane, and annual events like the May Fair and the switching on of the Christmas lights, it contributes to the precious 'village ambiance' that I and so many other people hold dear.
Secondly, you say something in your post that I am entirely in agreement with. And that is, "I am an advocate for change ...but only when it's a change that is necessary and is best for our future." I cannot think of a better time for change than now, in terms of our Parish Council and I wholeheartedly believe what the AlderleyEdgeFIRST candidates offer is absolutely 'best for our future'. Who else can we rely on to 'put the needs of Alderley Edge above all else'?
I'm so pleased we agree on something.
Martin Dixon, you're a bit of a thorn in the side, or should I say you're a P.I.T.A. (work it out) but I will explain the facts to you;
When I suggested you were the Alderley Sleuth ............ do you think I really meant it ?
If you were any good at "sleuthing" you wouldn't be offering goofy statements.
Claire Macleod investigated my details and could see I said I am a tennis member.
However, you only "assumed" I play tennis ? I said in the interview I PLAYED TENNIS !
You said Xanthe DID NOT live in Alderley Edge.
Yet again, you're proven wrong as she DOES live in Alderley Edge.
You're also wrong about hinting that maybe I probably put Xanthe up to be a candidate for the Parish Council ? ........... These innuendos, plus making these malicious comments about so many people in this village is just plain stupid and anyone with an ounce of sense would have stopped it by now.
Claire Macleod;
Pl;ease allow me to explain ;
I live so near to the centre of the village that parking doesn't affect me.
However, what does bother me is the fact the AlderleyEdgeFIRST team are trying to stop the sensible proposal of creating a large car park on Heyes Lane to assist potential visitors to the village, plus it will help the hundreds of staff who work in the village and need to park all day and, finally, the proposed car park would be only a two minute walk from the rail station, where parking is also at a premium.
Claire, .... the "1850 signatures" subject has been debated to death and most people are fed up with it, (Well, I am anyway) so lets both agree to disagree with our opposite views.
Coming back to Martin Dixon;
You're so clever in telling us all that Elle and Duncan live on the same street as Jane and Martin Hallam ......... you are just a troublemaker who enjoys causing problems for many many people.
As I said before, go and lie down as you need help !
(and unlike Frank Keegan, I won't be praying for you) ............ Goodbye !
I have nothing to defend but am glad you both appreciate my literary 'appearance'.
Paul H... very true..... being glued to Alderleyedge.com is not a priority to me.... far too much acrimony for my liking.
As I stated this morning, I will put the 'needs of Alderley Edge above all else', so can I count on your vote Clair????
(Sorry, I couldn't resist a mischievous reply)
It is staggering that you managed to get BOTH names wrong!
The names are Claire and Anne.
So to summerise; you think I am "a thorn in your side, a pain in the a**e, stupid. a trouble maker, that I need to lie down and I need help". Of course you are entitled to your opinion.
I take all you have said as a huge compliment; thank you. There is one thing that I am not, and that is wrong.
So, in fairness, I should really give you a compliment back; nice tan.
One of the arguments against the present PC is that they don't respect the residents.
I was always taught that one of the very basic elements of respect is to address people by their names & to get them right.So you seem to fit the template very well.
I know you're not a regular on Alderleyedge.com but I think if you take the time to look you will find that Claire is one of the most frequent contributors to the website.
Her posts are always intelligent , articulate and pertinent.
By the way , please don't patronise me by calling me a 'girl' !!
Thank you for your very kind comments.