THE Green Party candidate for Glengormley DEA says she wants to build a greener, cleaner, fairer Glengormley focused on community needs, putting residents first and opposing damaging environmental proposals.

Lesley Veronica is the party's Deputy Leader and is hoping to secure a seat in the Glengormley Urban DEA on Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in May.

The lecturer in Belfast Metropolitan College stood unsuccessfully for election for Belfast City Council in 2019, and for the Northern Ireland Assembly in South Antrim in 2022.

Her husband Paul is also involved in the party and ran for a seat on Antrim and Newtownabbey Council in the last local government election in 2019.

Speaking about the issues that are being raised during this election campaign, Lesley expressed her outrage at the “environmentally damaging” proposals to expand a quarry on the Upper Hightown Road. 

“I will be campaigning to ensure the rigorous application of planning requirements for new developments, to seek new and innovative ways to gather public responses to large planning projects and to work to uphold the ruling stopping ARC21”.

Lesley is also aiming to create “green spaces” and to “meet climate targets” and went on to outline her policies outside of environmentalism.

“We want accessible, functioning public services," she added.

"We want the pressure on the NHS, Antrim Area Hospital and local GP practices in particular eased by the implementation of multi-year budgets.

"We want more powers devolved to councils in the event of Stormont failing to operate for a longer period of time, particularly in control of roads and transport.

“I will be campaigning to put notifications of imminent road closures into GP practices, local shops and cafes so that residents have ample notice.”

Lesley, who described herself as a “serious candidate”, stressed the importance of a Green councillor.

“More than ever we need green voices,” she said.