THE Conservative candidate for Cradley Heath and Old Hill Alan Bowler has explained why he’s thrown his hat in the council ring.

If Alan wins he will join his wife Councillor Elizabeth Bowler in representing the ward at Sandwell Council.

He said: “I have lived in Barrs Road, Cradley Heath for 25 years, have two grown up children and I have been running my own small engineering company for the last 15 years with my wife Liz.

“We are both members of the Old Hill Holy Trinity Church Repair and Regeneration Committee and I also help to organise regular local fundraising events.” “I feel I can be a strong voice for Cradley Heath and Old Hill and this is what has driven me to stand for election in local government.

“Sandwell Council has been run by Labour Councillors for 30 years and they have become complacent and I believe our local services are suffering as a result.

“I feel we need change in Sandwell. Cradley Heath and Old Hill town centres are suffering and Sandwell Council should be helping the traders in more positive ways by re-generating our towns, not by wasting tax payer’s money on costly projects such as the Public in West Bromwich and the re-development of Birchley Island.

He added: “As an experienced businessman I feel I would bring a sound commercial experience to the council. I take a keen interest in local matters that affect residents and businesses alike and I regularly attend the Neighbourhood Forum and Cradley Heath and Old Hill Trader’ Association meetings.”

Mr Bowler has also pinpointed rubbish collection as a burning issue.

He said: “I cannot understand why Sandwell seem to be the only council in the West Midlands that can’t successfully organize rubbish collections in bad weather.”

“In December and January, Sidaway Street, Dingle Avenue and many other roads in Cradley Heath & Old Hill had no rubbish collection for over three weeks. Why are we paying our taxes for such poor management and bad organisation?”

He added: “We need to create a cleaner local environment. Dog fouling is a serious un-healthy problem; we need more dog litter bins and better street cleaning. Some of our parks and open spaces are a mess.

“If it wasn’t for voluntary groups doing litter picks across the borough, Sandwell would look like a rubbish tip.”

“Crime and anti-social behaviour is a growing problem concerning many local residents. I’m very pleased we have Old Hill Police Station open permanently now.

“We are fortunate to have an excellent police team based there who are passionate about Cradley Heath and Old Hill and they keep our local residents regularly updated on crime hot spots at the Cradley Heath Neighbourhood Forum.

“It’s important that we all work closely with and support our local police and PCSO’s in trying to combat crime and anti-social behaviour in our area.”