Andy is the District Councillor for Newmarket West ward, County Council Candidate for Newmarket and Red Lodge Division and Cabinet Member for Planning on West Suffolk Council. He is chairman of Newmarket Conservatives, Deputy Chairman (Political) of West Suffolk Conservative Association and a Newmarket Town Councillor
Andy's Biography
I am a science graduate and managing director of Lettergold which is an engineering company employing twenty staff. We specialise in domestic water treatment products and solutions. The company is in Hammond Close so I am in town every day and have a good understanding of how the town functions.
I’m married to Belinda and we have two daughters who are in their twenties.
I’ve been a councillor since 2003 sitting on both the town and district council. I’m currently the portfolio holder for leisure and culture on the district and chairman of finance and policy on the town council.
On the town council, while mayor I completely restructured it to save £100,000 per annum in staff costs. This allowed the council to contract out some of the services it struggled with to FHDC such as the cemetery management and the horticultural contract. This has allowed us to make a significant investment into the Memorial Gardens to create a facility that every youngster in town is going to really enjoy.
My portfolio covers the leisure provision within the district and I also manage the contract with our preferred suppliers – Abbeycroft who run the leisure centres including Newmarket.
I was the driving force on the town council to bring the market back to the High Street – this is going very well despite some parking issues that risk its permanency.
I have also championed a PCSO – we should get the officer by April.
As portfolio holder I have chaired the Project Executive Board (PEB) that’s the committee that has delivered the asset that’s the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art (aka Palace House) which is a world class museum that puts Newmarket on the destination map to bring prosperity into the town.
In terms of interests, I enjoy eventing (as a spectator) and racing, especially Newmarket Nights at the July Racecourse. I’ve been running the Great Run Local on Sundays since it started in April 2018 and my PB is 23:20 assisted by my Doberman ‘Romy’ and I also go to Pilates class to keep active.
Getting to Know Andy
Aside from politics, we asked Andy to answer a few questions about himself, and these are his answers;
- If you could witness any event, what would it be? The dinosaurs. Although over 200 million years old they weren’t really discovered until the late 1700s and not categorized as such until 1842
- If you could have an experience of your choice, what would it be? To have flown on Concorde
- Favorite fictional character? James Bond
- What is something you are really bad at? Playing a musical instrument
- If you could have any super power, which one would you choose? Mind bullets
- What is your favourite country? England
- If you were a Star Wars character, which one would you be? Hans Solo
- What do you want people to know about you? That I will help anybody – just ask!
- How would you like to be remembered? As a great dad
- What’s your favorite TV show? Breaking Bad
- Who would you choose to play you in a film of your life? Hugh Grant (distant relative on my dad’s side)
- What’s your favourite quote? It doesn’t pass the smell test.
- Famous person living or dead you’d like to meet Winston Churchill
- What is your favourite biscuit? Bahlsen Choco Leibniz (milk)
- What is your favourite food? Chinese
- If you could hang one painting in your living room, what would it be? Any David Hockney pool painting
- What song would be the soundtrack to your life? Get out of your lazy bed by Matt Bianco