Meet the candidate: John Cook

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. John Cook is standing for Labour and Co-operative Party in the Alexandra ward, contesting one of 16 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 John 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 a councillor?

My name is John Cook. I moved to Ipswich 26 years ago after my wife and I both obtained jobs here, in Ipswich town centre. We have lived in Grange Road, within Alexandra ward, throughout those 26 years, and chose to do so because it's great to be able to walk into the town centre.

We have Alexandra Park around the corner, and Clifford Road Primary School, which our daughter attended, just up the road. I served eight years as a school governor there, my final two years as Chair of Governors.

Three years ago, I was honoured to be Mayor of Ipswich, and I currently serve on the Council's Executive with responsibility for Communities and Sport. I became a councillor because I wanted to make a difference to my community, and it seemed a natural progression from the voluntary work I was already undertaking.

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

My ward includes the town centre and, as we all know, town centres across the country are struggling following the demise of the department store and the growth of internet shopping and home delivery. The Borough Council has played its part to address this, including strategic property purchases in the heart of the town centre, where we now have the Botanist, Deichmann Shoes, Jamaica Blue and Lovisa as tenants, paying rent and making a positive contribution. Compare that to the old Debenhams site, which a property speculator is prepared to leave empty, or the former Grimwades building, where the owner would not do a deal until threatened with Compulsory Purchase by the Council.

Alexandra ward probably has the highest number of private sector rented homes in Ipswich. The rents are high, and tenants have no security of tenure beyond the six or twelve-month term of their lease. I'm proud that, back in 2011, when voters chose Labour to run the Council, we started to build new council homes, providing our tenants with secure and affordable homes.

Traffic, congestion and roads are the other big issues. We all know what happens when we have an all too frequent incident on the A14 – usually involving the Orwell Bridge. Traffic grinds to a standstill – Residents and the economy all suffer, and air quality plummets. That's one reason why I'm backing a northern bypass. Longer term, under a new unitary council, I'd like to see highway maintenance brought back in-house. Potholes proliferate at the moment, and it's clear to see privatisation by Suffolk Tories, some of whom are now in Reform, has not worked.

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'm a strong supporter of unitary authorities, and have always felt a unitary Suffolk would be too remote from residents. There is a strong feeling locally that County Tories don't understand Ipswich, and the current system is hard for people to understand.

If I had a pound for every time someone has blamed Ipswich Borough Council for highways problems, I'd probably have enough money to fill most of the potholes in my ward!

In recent decades, we've seen a lot of development in Mid Suffolk, Babergh and East Suffolk right on the edge of Ipswich. Council Tax from these areas has often been spent in places like Sudbury, Stowmarket or Southwold, and the new residents use services paid for by Ipswich residents. An Ipswich and South Suffolk Council will be a more cohesive area to develop services, and residents can choose councillors who live in, understand and care about our area.

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?

During my year as Mayor, I was able to celebrate those who make our town work, many of whom are volunteers. I believe that showing those who go the extra mile for our town need to know that we value them. Yesterday, as I was delivering election leaflets in the town centre, I saw and thanked a volunteer with a litter picker, cleaning the street – something he told me he does every week on his day off.

Beyond that, I'm proud of new homes – council and private developments in my ward, which I've supported. New homes with solar panels fitted as standard and air source pumps – providing people with environmentally sustainable homes and lowering their energy bills. Also, the investment we've put into our parks – two new play areas in Alexandra ward over the last four years – both of which I'd campaigned for. There have also been two road safety schemes I've championed. I'm sorry that that's more than one achievement, but I've been working for my community for a long time!

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?

I've always provided residents with my home address, my mobile phone number and email address – Google John Cook Ipswich if you want to get in touch. I pick up casework straight away and get to work on it. People understand that you can't solve everything, but I always give them honesty and my best effort. Living in my ward, I'm there every day, and regularly get stopped by residents around the ward. Once, I was even co-opted to attend a wedding as a witness, at the old registry office on Grimwade Street, while I was on my way to work!

Want to hear from the other candidates standing in Alexandra ward — 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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