As we draw closer to the local elections on Thursday 6 May, Frodsham Nub News will be interviewing those standing as Frodsham ward and town councillors, hearing more about their key priorities and what they would hope to achieve if elected.

Today we spoke to Conservative candidate, Chris Basey, who is standing both for Cheshire West and Chester Council and Frodsham Town Council's Waterside ward.

Chris, who has lived in the town for 20 years, enjoyed a long career in Sainsbury's management, embarking on his own business consultancy venture three years ago. Since the first lockdown began last year, he has worked with local test centres as well as helping to manage a Covid-related charity in Frodsham.

If elected, Chris's priorities would range from local pothole repairs to bus route improvements, from enhancing the town's Princeway site to resolving issues with the Recycling Centre.

"I don't think my job here is to be a politician," Chris said. "My job is to represent a group of people from all points on the political spectrum and all walks of life, and do it as best I can."

Frodsham Nub News: Why did you decide to stand for election to Cheshire West and Chester Council and what do you think you can bring to the role?

Chris Basey: "When first lockdown began, I suddenly found myself at a loose end. I was told about the Frodsham and District Open Hands charity that was being set up by the Town Council and run by volunteers. I was asked to take charge of the group organisation and management and one thing I really enjoyed doing was the 'check-up calls' for the people we'd helped. I loved talking to and getting to know the 80 and 90-year-olds who have lived in Frodsham all their lives. It made me want to get more involved with the local community.

"In September, a friend contacted me to say that a Covid testing centre was about to open in Frodsham and asking if I fancied running it. I jumped at the opportunity but for various reasons it got delayed and delayed. While this was going on, I helped out with opening up the centres in Heswall, Ellesmere Port, on the Wirral and in Chester. I really loved building up and working with those teams, and that was the other thing that gave me the bug for work in the community.

"I love Frodsham; I'm going to live here for the rest of my life," he said. "When I moved here, I remember seeing the 'Best Kept Village' plaques on the railway bridge and thinking how great it was to live in a place which won awards like that. Not because of the award itself but because of what it said about Frodsham's community spirit. I want to bring us back to that and make sure that people think: "Wow!" when they visit.

"When we first moved here, one of the things we loved was its 'old-fashioned town' feel. You can buy bits and pieces from Cowards, Hales, Whitmore and White, the Devonshire Bakery and more, and I just love that you can walk round and get everything you need. So I want to help support this variety of shops because they give Frodsham its character."

FNN: You are also standing in the Frodsham Town Council by-election for Waterside ward. Why did you decide to run for both Councils?

CB: "Friends and neighbours have been telling me to get involved with the Town Council for years and now that I have more time on my hands I'm ready to do it!

"Frodsham Town Council has had its issues, but I'm a great believer in getting stuck in if you don't like the way that something is being done. I want to be a town councillor as well as a borough councillor so that I can act as a link between the two. I live right in Waterside ward, so I'd like to represent that area, but I would also like to represent the whole of Frodsham on Cheshire West and Chester Council."

FNN: One of the key areas of Waterside ward is Saltworks Farm Playing Fields. How do you think this area can be developed as a safe and inclusive community space?

CB: "I've been down to Saltworks a number of times in the past few weeks, along with some other residents and Cllr Lynn Riley, to talk with the young people there. I also run down there and I've been down a couple of times on my motorbike to show the BMX riders. Things are definitely improving but I would like to give a shout out to a local lady called Helen who has been brilliant at getting involved with the kids and winning them over.

"Saltworks is actually a surprisingly inclusive place at the moment. When I go down, I chat to a group of mums whose children are aged between four and nine and who go there in the afternoon. They have been saying that their children really look up to the older BMXers and skateboarders, who are very happy to teach the little ones some tricks.

"I think that a lot of the older teenagers that use it are just bored, and while I don't want to defend any of the nasty things that have happened down there, I remember that even though I was a very well-behaved child, I would still do stupid things when I had nothing else to do.

"I think we should be finding out what these young people want. We should be offering more activities for kids to do. There will be a tiny percentage of them who will always cause trouble, but 99 per cent of those who are given the right outlet and opportunities won't get involved with any antisocial behaviour. I disagree that we need more police patrols down there because it doesn't solve the problem. The young people will just get scared and scarper as soon as officers turn up.

"No kid is born bad; it's got a lot to do with their surroundings. Could they benefit from the local Youth Club? Is there a garage where they could go to tinker with the cars? Ultimately, we will solve the issues with Saltworks by giving children of all ages the right facilities. In the short term we need to get the lights switched on, but I know there are lots of people working on that behind the scenes."

FNN: In your campaign video you mention Frodsham Recycling Centre: how can we solve the problem of cars queuing up the road to get there?

"Before I even thought about being a councillor Frodsham Recycling Centre bugged me because it's not open seven days a week and when it is open, there is a queue of cars down past my favourite pub the Helter Skelter!

"The main issue is the opening hours: I can't understand why Cheshire West can't keep it open all week as long as people need it. Secondly, it is too small and impractical. The staff are brilliant and always help those who can't get up and down all the steps, but they shouldn't have to. I know the site is on a rolling contract so doesn't have to be a permanent thing. Frodsham Town Council or Cheshire West or the two together should be looking for an alternative. As an example, next door to Robert Gleave Garden Centre there is a completely empty and derelict car park space we could use. It might not turn out to be suitable, but we should be thinking of practical solutions like this.

"This goes back to what I said about the 'Best Kept Village' plaques: everything from bins to litter picking and weed clearing to a better recycling centre and bin collection process will add up to make Frodsham a town that people drive through and admire."

FNN: What would you like to see happen at Frodsham Leisure Centre to ensure that local people have access to the sports and leisure facilities they need?

"I think Cheshire West seem to think Frodsham is very affluent and not needing investment. So the leisure centre has got to where it is now because it has been allowed to. I would like to see decent investment in the facility. The Council are spending £500,000 to prop up Dee House in Chester, and so they can allocate a decent amount of money to Frodsham.

"I think it's great to have a proper cente to a town. If you travel to Europe there is always a town square that acts as a real focal point. At the Princeway site you've got the doctor's surgery, the library and the leisure centre, three very important parts of the town. I think that whole area could become a hive of activity where people come together. There is quite a lot of open space there and we could have a little play and seating area for young children and families.

"Also, if we had a coffee shop as part of the leisure centre I'm sure people would sit there and socialise. Frodsham is big enough that we should be able to walk to local facilities, and I strongly disagree with the idea that anyone should have to travel to Northwich or Runcorn to access certain services."

FNN: On the subject of travel, how would you work to improve Frodsham's public transport links to make it a more accessible place for residents and visitors?

CB: "Chatting to our senior citizens through Frodsham Open Hands has also shown me that our local bus routes are lacking. It's amazing that you can get the train to Manchester, Liverpool and Chester from Frodsham, but if I wanted to get a bus from here to Helsby, Weaverham or Northwich it would be really difficult. I'd like to try and make a difference to that: it would be good to have a bus service running three or four times a day to meet people's needs."

You can watch a video in which Chris sets out his key priorities on the Weaver Vale Conservatives Facebook page.