Former St Keverne shopkeeper is newest Cornwall Councillor
7:20am Wednesday 26th September 2012 in News By Emma Ferguson, News Editor
Walter Sanger and his wife Christine in a parade as chairman of Kerrier District Council in 2009.
A former St Keverne shop owner has become the area's new Cornwall Councillor after winning a convincing victory.
Walter Sanger, who ran the Londis store in the village square with his wife Christine for 22 years, took more than half the votes cast in the by-election, to fill the position on the St Keverne and Meneage electoral division made vacant by the death of Pam Lyne back in June.
Mr Sanger, who represents the Conservative Party, received 585 votes - almost double his closest rival, Liberal Democrat Nicholas Driver on 279.
Sandy Martin, of the UK Independence Party, came in third with 141 votes, with Labour Party candidate Steven Richards polling just 52.
Turnout last Thursday was 28.76 per cent, which Mr Sanger believed was to be expected for a by-election so close to the main council election next May.
Describing it as “a good result”, boosted by a good number of postal votes, Mr Sanger told the Packet : “I'm very pleased with the majority and I am delighted to have the seat. My main concern is representation of people in this area. That's the number one thing.”
As a former parish councillor for 25 years and the last chairman of Kerrier District Council before it disbanded, Mr Sanger believed he had the experience to make a good contribution to the unitary council.
Among the local issues he hopes to influence are transport - which he described as “reasonable” at the moment - road maintenance and moving the travellers currently living on one of Coverack's car parks onto a proper site.
“One the whole I don't think we have to many issues in this rural area,” he said. “Work would be nice to get, and local needs housing to retain youngsters - but we need jobs to go with it.”
Mr Sanger described himself as “very much a local person,” who had lived in the St Keverne area for 29 years, currently at Laddenvean.
However, he stressed he was there for the whole of his electoral division, which also includes the Meneage parishes such as St Martin and Manaccan, adding that as he was retired he had plenty of time to give.
“I hope I will approachable; accessible. I want people to get in touch with me if they have got any issues at all,” he said.
“I'm really grateful and humbled for all those people that actually voted for me. For everybody I will just do my best.”
