BLUE has been the colour in St Peter’s for some time now and it is as safe a seat as they come for the Conservatives but change is certainly afoot following the announcement that veteran councillor and parish stalwart Councillor Roger Knight would be leaving the Guildhall after 15 years.

It would be big shoes to fill but not a monumental change for the Conservatives who have put forward a familiar Tory face in former mayor and St Peter’s county councillor Steve Mackay.

Cllr Mackay was dumped from Worcester City Council at the end of his mayoral reign last year when he was defeated in Battenhall by then Green candidate but now controversially Conservative colleague Louise Griffiths.

Cllr Mackay is certainly no stranger to St Peter’s having been elected to County Hall to represent the area in 2017 gaining more than half the vote.

Cllr Knight earned some thumping four figure majorities for the Conservatives – the last of which was a whopping 1,271 margin four years ago – and it would be hard to see anything but another Tory victory.

Cllr Mike Johnson has shared the two-seat ward with his Conservative colleague Cllr Knight for the last eight years having earned a comfortable 428 vote majority in 2014 before extending that to 709 votes last year.

Chris Giles is standing for the Labour Party who usually come in a far behind second place, Linda Murray is standing for UKIP and Alaric Stephen is representing the Greens.

As they have been for years, the many details of the South Worcestershire Development Plan and the ongoing work to dual the Southern Link Road remain key and crucial issues.

Plans for a huge £500 million ‘super village’ between St Peter’s and Kempsey which includes 2,204 homes and a primary school were backed in early 2018 and the ongoing work to add an extra lane to the A4440 means congestion and pollution and all the rest of the associated highway issues remains a hot topic.

CHRIS GILES (LABOUR)

Tory austerity has taken a heavy toll.

We find ourselves needing houses that we can afford; jobs that enable us to meet the bills, but also let us enjoy our lives without getting into debt; education that enables us to fulfil our potential; air that doesn’t poison us; a local hospital that isn’t constantly in the headlines for all the wrong reasons; amenities - like post offices - that are nearby; buses so that we can get around freely.

Like many in St Peter’s, I want to feel optimistic again. I believe Labour offers the best chance of rebuilding Worcester and rebuilding the country for the benefit of ordinary people, of creating a society that works for everyone.

There are some issues that I would campaign to resolve as your councillor, specifically making St Peter’s Drive safer, improving air quality and reducing noise pollution from traffic, keeping our Post Office open and improving bus services.

STEVE MACKAY (CONSERVATIVE)

While out visiting residents of St Peter’s nearly all tell me of how much they enjoy living there.

I believe the responsibility of a councillor is to maintain and improve services in their wards, to ensure that people continue to want to reside there.

Now retired from the police service, being married and with grandchildren I am fully aware of the everyday problems faced by individuals and understand how many just want to get on with their lives and not have to put up with an untidy environment or anti-social behaviour.

Despite occasional issues of vandalism and theft, St Peter’s is a low crime area and I want to keep it that way.

So looking to the future I will ensure that I engage with council officers, Safer Neighbourhood Police team and the parish council to bring about an area of Worcester where everyone can take pride in living.

LINDA MURRAY (UKIP)

I’ve lived in St Peter's for 36 years.

For years I worked with our Armed Forces and SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

I believe St Peter's finally needs a proper village hall. I’ll fight to ensure it’s top of the council agenda, rather than carry on renting the current site from Tesco.

I hate to see building on our greenbelt when there are brownfield sites all over the city. If elected, I’ll fight to encourage consideration of brownfield options for every development.

I won’t allow lip-service to be paid to residents who oppose top-down targets like this.

I’ll be a mouthpiece for St Peter's to ensure local opinion is heard, demand a new youth club for our youngsters, make sure street lighting issues near the supermarket are addressed and create a highways and byways team to highlight road issues.

Vote how you want us to vote - we have no party whip.

ALARIC STEPHEN (GREEN)

I have lived in Worcester most of my life and attended local schools. I teach A-level maths at a school in Hereford.

I am keen to see Worcester become a more attractive place to live in and to visit.

I favour enhancement of the riverside and promotion of and support for the arts and entertainment. Both residents and tourists need to be able to move around the city easily. I would focus on improving facilities for walking and cycling and improving public transport.

Local government can be difficult to understand and seem remote from everyday life. The Green Party wants power to be devolved to local level and more resources placed under the control of local government, thus giving people more say in the issues that matter.

People should be seen as citizens, not consumers. The Green Party is committed to openness and freedom of information in all aspects of government.