PERSONAL STATEMENT BY SARAH DOW
I fell in love with Keevil the day I first met her nearly seven years ago. We have an amazing community that always felt like family, and I have made lifelong friends here that mean the world to me.
Keevil normally has a thriving calendar, it’s one of the things that makes us such a strong community, and I pitch up and in wherever I can – out in all weathers with our Community Shed or walking group, joining social village events, supporting the occasional cricket game – and of course help run our independent village website.
In recent years I’ve taken a keen interest in wider parish affairs. I am a photographer, however, before the life-changing events that brought me to Keevil, I had a successful career spanning media and health sectors. I currently sit on the Board of Trustees of the Royal Photographic Society, and in the past have served as an elected NHS Trust Governor, and volunteered with several cancer-related and animal rescue charities.
Here’s where I stand on a few key issues:
Accessibility
I love footing the paths of home, but I’m aware our footpaths and verges aren’t always easy to safely navigate for everyone, and I’m committed to trying to do something about this.
Communications
Good communication strengthens trust, respect, and unity between neighbours. To me, this means encouraging community involvement at every level – building strong relationships with local landowners and businesses, asking parishioners what they think, listening to what they say, doing all I can to support healthy debate, and find consensus on issues that matter.
Conservation, heritage, and planning
I fully support the preservation and protection of our conservation areas and historic heritage, and I believe in future development being appropriate to the existing landscape and character setting. Material documents that guide planning decisions have changed over the years, and I support a review of the opportunities available to us in both the short and long term.
I also believe we should have a voice in all consultations concerning the A350 Melksham Bypass, the Wiltshire Council Local Plan, and anything else that affects the future of our rural environment.
Parking
There are no simple solutions to our parking challenges, but I’m committed to doing all I can to find one that works for everyone.
My decision to stand for election is borne of my love for our village and everyone who lives here – people have always been so kind and supportive, and I would like to be a positive voice for the interests of everyone, hopefully bringing a reinvigorated energy to a newly-elected council.
It’s great to see a strong field of candidates – every one of us cares deeply about our village life, bring a variety of valuable skills and experiences, and could work together with kindness and respect for one another. Please use all seven of your votes to help build a strong and balanced council that will provide both stability and vision for the next four years.
SARAH DOW Gingells Cottage, 47 Martins Road, Keevil BA14 6NA
Published on the Keevil Village website with the kind permission of its Oversight Group https://keevilvillage.com/information/about/
KEEVIL VILLAGE 