UKIP hope to take control of Wisbech Town Council at next month’s local elections.

Cambs Times: Ukip candidates.Dave Patrick.Picture: Steve Williams.Ukip candidates.Dave Patrick.Picture: Steve Williams. (Image: Archant)

The party are fighting 16 of the 18 seats up for grabs leaving just those currently taken by independents Mike and Virginia Bucknor unopposed by UKIP.

Fenland’s first UKIP councillor Dave Patrick said they want to take control of the town council from the Conservatives so they can ‘have an impact and stop the rot’.

Cllr Patrick, who was elected last time around as a Lib-Dem before becoming an independent on the district council, joined UKIP in January and is seeking re-election in the Kirkgate ward.

He said: “We have candidates fighting all the seats except those occupied by the Bucknors in Waterlees. They are independent and we feel they are doing a good job. They are hard working and we don’t have a problem with them.”

However, he was not so complimentary about the town council and said: “We want to win control - which is not unusual I’m sure that’s what every political party wants - but we want to do it so we can make a change, we want to have an impact in Wisbech.

“There has been 30 years of degeneration and it is time for change and time for action.”

Fellow town councillor and Conservative candidate Steve Tierney dismissed Cllr Patrick’s comments and pointed out that the town is represented on Cambridgeshire County Council by UKIP members and claimed they have achieved very little.

He said: “We put out 5,000 surveys last month and got around 20 per cent back. And the issues, pretty much to the man, were all highways such as potholes which is the responsibility of the county council.

“The state of the roads has degenerated in the last two years when we have had UKIP representing us, so they haven’t had much of an impact so far.

“I can’t speak for 30 years ago, I was only a teenager, but in the last few years we have had a lot of progress: the regeneration of Constantine House, the growth of the Christmas market, the Christmas lights, and the fantastic festivals. We hope to continue that hard work, but we will see what happens when the people have their say on May 7.”