Background

Ben Hanson, 31, lives in Hedon (on Leaf Sail Farm) with his young family, dog and a cat with a bad attitude problem. Ben, his family and friends are local to the area and most live in the town. Ben currently works for Hull City Council’s Housing Service, and has previously worked in Children’s Services and for the NHS as well.

Experience

Ben’s work experience will stand him in good stead as a Councillor. He is also a Parent Governor at Inman’s Primary School. And Ben’s relative youthfulness will bring a vital fresh view to the Council’s work as the average age of the existing Councillors is over 60.

Ben says:

“Having lived here all my life, I’m well placed to represent others who live here in the Town Hall. Listening to friends and observing how the town has changed (or hasn’t) over the years there are plenty of areas I would champion”

Sense of Community

“We do have a number of town events like HedFest, Penny Throwing, Christmas Lights which add to our collective sense of place and community. However they do come round too infrequently and I feel we could do more. Use the assets and businesses we have to create a food festival, more sporting events, a summer fair perhaps? These are not just nice to have, they are the lifeblood of small towns like ours.”

Development in the Area

“Often a divisive issue in the town, I would propose we develop a Neighbourhood Plan. This a tool which allows residents to develop a long term plan for the next 10 or 20 years rather than reacting piecemeal to individual projects. These plans require a high level of consultation, empowering the community to have a bigger say in how the town develops”.

I’m keen to be a Town Councillor in order to listen to residents and represent their views as best I can. My only ambition is to ensure people feel listened to and know their views inform what happens in the town in the future”