Last November the new Local Democracy Act became law. The act is founded on community empowerment, giving local people more say and influence in local decision-making, service delivery, and local budgets.

This is I believe very good – what people want.

All the same there is in my view still one huge area of local government which is not being addressed and that is the role of councillors.

This is critically important and to that end I would like to see full time professional councillors on salary and their work taken entirely out of politics. Why should political parties dominate and control local government?

Party councillors who often will not work together with opponents are doing huge damage to areas, racking up whole issues for years – from Imax to Branksome Rec to town greens – with colossal civic wastage.

The big issue I believe is local community not being subordinate to local party politics.

Nationally, the parties offer this vision and policies, yet in truth in town halls, year on year whole issues end up party political deadlocked, wrecked, and ruined.

Jeff Williams, Jubilee Road, Parkstone