I’m really proud to have been selected as a candidate for Hayling East in the May ‘24 Elections.

I’m passionate about Hayling Island having lived there for the past 30+ years. I have 2 school age children and am deputy chair of their school PTA. Over the past 2 years I’ve been involved in a lot of fundraising activities to help enrich the school curriculum.

My career has been mostly in IT and I’ve spent the past 20 years in Telecoms in various sales and marketing roles. The big thing my career has taught me is that relationship building is the key to success in every sphere.

After a period of redundancy, I founded Wildflower Island a project for improving the bio-diversity of Hayling Island and protecting our green spaces. In 2019 our team planted 3500 native spring flowering bulbs outside Mill Rythe school and secured funding for Mengham Infant School’s Community Garden. I am now working with HBC on a community garden project at Avenue Road, North Hayling and am really excited about the possibility of including a wildlife area and community raised beds.

I am very concerned about the housebuilding developments that are taking place on greenfield sites across the Borough. We need affordable housing, but it needs to be built in the right locations – not on areas prone to flooding or whose infrastructure can’t cope.

I think we should restart water quality testing as a matter of urgency, we need to know when raw sewage is going into our harbours and rivers – it’s a matter of public health.

Green councillors work hard and I plan to work hard for the residents of Hayling East.

Richard Lanchester, a Havant resident for nearly 9 years, grew up in Itchenor, has a lifetime knowledge of Chichester Harbour and Solent Coast, Downland areas.

A globetrotting traveller and mountain trekker, he’s explored/ worked in Europe, Asia, and USA. His awareness of climate change and environmental issues worldwide was sharpened by firsthand experience of rural and urban areas facing drought, desertification, urbanisation, wildfires, flooding, habitat loss, and pollution.

First joined the ‘Ecology’ (later Green) Party in 1979, previously stood for Hayling West, Havant, and Chichester wards in local elections.

Founder of Green Gathering in 1980, UK’s largest environmental exhibition an festival event. Worked with various activist groups, Earth First!  in California redwoods, volunteer with radical radio KPFK-FM Pacifica, Climate Camp, Global Justice Now, and attended COP15 (Copenhagen) and COP26 (last year in Glasgow), participating in alternative conferences and protests.

Diverse work experience includes teaching English in Asia, community and welfare activism in London, the California mountainbike industry, youth work, market research, music equipment repairs and trading. For decades has taken variety of roles, technical stage management, production, sitecrew at music festivals, and though officially retired at 74, continues this work with a travelling sustainably powered music stage, Soundscape Solar Stage.

Still an active rockband musician on drums and percussion, keen to support music and arts development and education, and an enthusiast for cycling, kayaking, sailing.