Meet the candidate: Edward Phillips

On Thursday, 7 May, Ipswich residents will head to the polls for two local elections on the same day — one for Ipswich Borough Council, the other for Suffolk County Council. Edward Phillips is standing for the Conservative Party in the Bixley ward, contesting one of 18 borough council seats up for election across Ipswich.

As an apolitical publication, we sent every candidate standing in the town the same five questions, and we're publishing every response in full, without editing, so that residents can hear directly from the people asking for their vote. No candidate receives more or less prominence than any other. This is what Edward told us.

Tell us a bit about yourself — who are you, what's your connection to your ward/division, and why do you want to become/remain a councillor?

I am Edward Phillips and I have been one of the 4 Conservative Councillors for Bixley since 2014. I grew up in Jupiter Road in the north west part of the ward. In my teenage years, I helped organise local events, assisted with running a residents' association, campaigned against a housing development and organised an annual garden competition. I wrote a local newsletter and also wrote freelance for the as-was Evening Star as a neighbourhood correspondent,

It was this local interest that developed further once I became involved in political campaigning, and I was honoured to be elected for the 1st time in 2014. I wish to be re-elected to help continue the hard work our team has done in the local area. And at the Borough Council, I am the Conservative spokesman for finances and resources, so it is essential that we, as the Conservative opposition, analyse and scrutinise what the Labour administration are doing with taxpayers money.

What are the three biggest issues facing your ward/division right now, and what would you do about them if elected?

There was a proposal to develop a new bike lane scheme from Woodbridge Road East out towards Kesgrave. I am a very keen cyclist but I do not agree with schemes that cause disruption to legitimate motorists, especially one which would have caused 3 months of utter chaos during construction alone. Thankfully my colleague Councillor Paul West, has put a stop to this.

At the other end of the ward, the bus company wants a bus lane from Sainsbury's to St Augustine's Church. This is entirely inappropriate due to lack of a need for a bus lane here. We have seem how schemes have been implemented elsewhere in the town such as in West End Road, which has caused 3 years of unnecessary delays on an excessively long bus lane for what was mean to be a 6 month trial. We cannot allow Felixstowe Road to become the next experiment. The previous government gave funding for the Felixstowe Road improvements / widening a few years ago, and this extra capacity for all road users must be preserved.

There is a housing development potentially on the cards along Foxhall Road beyond the stadium. The proposals would create far too many homes on a narrow road and cause a lot more congestion into east Ipswich, and cause chaos on Bixley Road and Heath Road. Those roads are already heavily congested much of the time, so adding large numbers of new vehicles to the new estate would make this a lot worse.

Suffolk is in the middle of significant change — from the local government reorganisation creating new unitary authorities to ongoing pressures on housing, transport and public services. What's your view on how these changes should be handled, and what role do you see a local councillor playing?

I have been on the cross-party and cross-council working team, helping to put proposals together. As an experienced councillor, I would wish to carry on with these duties if I am fortunate to be re-elected as it is critical that councillors help shape this, given that we know the local area and local challenges.

What do you consider your most significant personal, professional or community achievement — and what does it tell voters about how you'd approach the role?

That's a very difficult one to answer as I have been involved in so many projects over the years in my councillor role, I can't really pick any one individual situation. However helping residents with local problems or just giving advice on a local matter gives me a sense of pride and achievement. Councillors are not miracle workers so cannot solve every problem residents face, but my view is that if I have done my very best, then I am serving the residents which I what I am there for.

If elected, how will you make yourself accessible to residents in your ward/division? How can people contact you now, and how do you plan to keep in touch if you win?

People can contact me by phone or email or letter. I must admit I don't think I have had many letters in the post for some years, however my details are readily available and will continue to support residents and assist promptly with their queries wherever possible.

Want to hear from the other candidates standing in Bixley — and across the rest of Ipswich? We're publishing every response we receive in full.

Polling stations open at 07:00 and close at 22:00 on Thursday, 7 May, with results expected on Friday, 8 May. To vote in person you will need a valid form of photo ID — if you don't have one, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate at gov.uk before 17:00 on Tuesday, 28 April. The last day to register to vote is Monday, 20 April. For a full breakdown of every candidate standing across Ipswich and all the key deadlines, read our complete guide to the May elections.

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