Local elections are taking place in Newcastle-Under-Lyme on 5th May 2022.

There are 44 seats available across 21 wards, ranging from one to three seats per ward.

In total there are 103 candidates – 44 Conservative, 44 Labour, eight Lib Dems, two Greens, one Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, and four independents (of whom three are representing the Stop The Stink campaign).

These are the candidates standing in the Newchapel and Mow Cop ward:

Jason Owen (Labour)

I am proud to have been born and bred in Kidsgrove.

Our town is my home and I love our community and am proud of the things that we have achieved together, but that doesn't mean that there isn't work to be done and challenges to overcome.  

We need to get the basics right in the city – there are too many potholes, too much antisocial behaviour and too many people struggling to make ends meet.

I know that there is only so much that the borough council can do but, we need people demanding better for our local community.

We need councillors that will speak truth to power and make sure that the people of Newchapel and Mow Cop get their fair share. That Kidsgrove gets what we deserve. 

I want to be your councillor so that we have a local voice fighting for our community. I want to serve you.

Claire Vodrey (Labour)

Newchapel and Mow Cop are special places with a thriving community.

But that doesn't mean that people aren't struggling to pay their bills or get help. Everyone is facing new challenges and needs support.

Our community needs a strong voice, fighting every day for them – to make sure that we and Kidsgrove get our fair share.

And that's what I want to be for you – a strong voice fighting for our community day in, day out.  

This is my community too, I work to help local people access the support they need and I want to use those skills to keep serving our community.

I want to work with local people to make sure that everyone Newchapel and Mow Cop remain places where people want to live.

I want to work with you to make sure that our community gets what it needs when it needs it.

Jill Waring (Conservative)

Jill has lived in Harriseahead for the past 20 years has three daughters and three grandchildren and has been married to Paul for almost 30 years.

Jill was elected as a county councillor in May 2021, and for the past four years, has been a borough and town councillor.

At the borough, Jill is currently cabinet portfolio holder for leisure, culture and heritage and heavily involved in the boroughs parks, museums and leisure facilities.

She is also a member of the Licencing and Public Protection, Allotments and Environmental, Planning, Countryside and Rights of Way, Safeguarding Overview and Scrutiny committees and part of the Destination Staffordshire Group.

She is also a member of 'Go Kidsgrove' board, Kidsgrove Locality Action Partnership, a community speed watch leader and part of the Talke Pits Mining Memorial Group.

Last summer, Jill was instrumental in securing our world-class pump track via the Town Deal fund.

Paul Waring (Conservative)

Paul was a company accountant and later a financial director before setting up his own business in 2005.

A family man, married to Jill with whom he has a daughter, he has been a town council member since 2007, a borough council member since 2011 and chairs the Audit and Standards Committee in addition to being a member of the Finance, Assets and Partnerships Committee.

He is a member of Finance and General Purposes; Planning, Infrastructure and Highways; Allotments and Environmental; and Staffing committees at the town council and vice chair of the Neighbourhood Plan focus group.

He was a founding member of Kidsgrove Town Centre Community Interest Company (Go Kidsgrove) in addition to being the company secretary and has been on the Town Deal Board since it's inception.

As chair of the Shared Services Hub project group he is very much involved in the largest capital project Kidsgrove has seen in decades and plays an active role on the board.

For the past five years Paul has also been a governor at Thursfield School.