In May 2018, we urged residents of Histon, Impington and Orchard Park to choose a full slate of three Liberal Democrat candidates standing for District Council in order to help overturn the Conservative majority and enable us to have real influence for change for local people. This did indeed happen! Voters gave Lib Dems the opportunity to take over control of the Council from the Conservatives – and all three HI&OP Lib Dem candidates were elected. And through a lot of hardwork and vision, the Council has changed as a result of this new leadership. We have received not one but two national awards for transformation of the Council with our Green to the Core approach. This has meant that your local Councillors have not only been able to be key members on influential Committees but also help transform the Council to improve services to residents and protect the environment.

We are asking you to make that same choice this May to continue this local teamwork and keep Lib Dem control of the Council so that we can serve you better. Read on to find out about your candidates: Martin Cahn, Sunita Hansraj and Pippa Heylings. You can also read more on each of the candidates here:

Sunita Hansraj has lived locally since 2017, having moved to Orchard Park after dedicating her professional career working for the NHS. Sunita returned to work again at the Royal Free Hospital during the first pandemic wave to help manage overwhelming demand. Sunita will bring much-needed experience and skills to her role as District Councillor and as part of our Lib Dem team. Sunita will be able to give a voice to Orchard Park residents as well as serving Histon and Impington. In her words:
“If elected I will prioritise improving the environment and consider the economical and environmental benefits of development. I will push for activities for young people and encourage healthy living. I support the community’s aspiration for a pump track. I will identify social activities for the elderly and improve accessibility to them. Boris Johnson’s Conservatives have let this country down, a Liberal Democrat team will work hard together for a fairer, greener society”.

Pippa Heylings moved with her family to the village in 2012 and immediately fell in love with its community spirit, joining in many of the local clubs. Pippa has shown herself to be a key community champion working alongside local residents, co-chairing the HI COVID core coordination team and chairing the original meetings to help save Abbey Fields, treasured local green space for the village. Pippa is currently one of the team of three local Lib Dem Distirct Councillors. By overturning the Tory majority in 2018, the Lib Dems have been running the Council and this has led to real change such as first-ever sanctioning of Highways England for the A14 noise and destruction of the trees at the gateway to the village, as well as improving services such as planning and waste and recycling. Pippa has worked hard with the Council leadership, together with Martin Cahn and Steve Hunt, to help shape the vision and ground-breaking standards of the new draft Local Plan. The Lib Dem administration has already put a stop to the rampant, speculative development that was happening between 2016-2018. If re-elected, Pippa will help drive environmentally sensitive standards in the new Local Plan as well as pushing for truly affordable housing in the right places for our young people and key workers who are being priced out of the district. In her words: “Actions speak louder than words. Not one but two national awards this year for our groundbreaking work in the green transformation of the Council. There is still much to be done. Only through majority control of the Council can we continue this change that is so needed to address the climate and Nature emergencies.”