Dom Eiben is a local parent with a seven-year-old son and spends much of his weekends at soft plays and adventure parks, he says. Born in Australia, he came to England nearly 17 years ago and works as a finance manager. And despite being an Aussie, he is now learning to surf in Tynemouth. We asked him to tell us a little bit more about himself, what he thinks needs fixing in Jesmond and why voters should consider putting an X against his name on Thursday 5th May.

Why run for local election?

“My political interests have grown over the last four years. I think since entering parenthood, I started thinking more about the world my son will be growing up in. This last year I decided I want a different approach to tackling issues in Jesmond.”

What are the main issues you would tackle in Jesmond?

“The environment is impacted by the density of Jesmond. There’s a lot of commuting in the area and I would like to see more children in Jesmond, attending their closest school. If more children lived in the area, then I think that would reduce the amount of traffic. And more people are switching to electric cars too, which means we need more electric car charging points.”

What is your opinion of the the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme?

“I want to see an increase in walking and cycling to work and school. Jesmond needs to be more accessible to this.”

How would you combat anti-social behaviour?

“I think a big part of it is the density of developments over the last few years. We have little housing space with a surplus of new residents each year.  Investment is also needed in the streets at the end of the academic year when students move out of their temporary properties. I know there are also ideas around skips to reduce this litter issue. I also want to improve the Operation Oak helpline.”

How would you bridge the gap between local and student residents?

“I don’t think the divide is too bad. Other than rubbish and a few parties, we get on amicably. The economy and the personality of Jesmond relies on the relationship between student and permanent residents.”

What would you do to improve the environment in Jesmond?

“I want to improve the cycle lanes for those who work in the city centre. Osborne Road should have clearer markings and a cycle lane. I would like to try implementing a scheme similar to one in Westminster, where street lights double as electric car charging points. And I also want to introduce more solar energy usage in Jesmond.”

JesmondLocal will be hosting its local election hustings on Tuesday 3rd of May at Jesmond Library from 7:45pm-9:45pm. Submit your questions for the candidates via the event Facebook page. The event is open to all, so come along to find out more about the candidates, their priorities, policies and plans – and get a chance to have your say.