Richard Burrett was born in 1969, and has represented Pound Hill North ward on Crawley Borough Council for the past 17 years.

Richard says "I served as Leader of the Council’s Opposition Conservative Group between 1996 and 2005, and since the Conservatives gained control of the Borough Council in 2006, I have been the Cabinet Member for Continuous Improvement and Development, with responsibility for performance issues, staffing, information technology, customer services and procurement. I represent Crawley at South-East Employers, the regional local government employers’ organisation, where I am a leading member of the Executive and Management Committees.

I have a special interest in education, and have served for many years as a school governor, currently serving as Chairman of Governors at a local primary school and Vice-Chairman at a local secondary school. I am also a trustee of a local homelessness charity, and was previously a Non-Executive Director of the former Crawley Primary Care Trust.

I have been a very active ward councillor in Pound Hill North, and enjoy working with local residents on a variety of campaigns to protect their interests and to improve the quality of life and the residential environment of Pound Hill. I am now seeking to represent Pound Hill and Worth at County level, and see many advantages in representing the same area on both the Borough and County Councils. I am particularly concerned about highway issues in Pound Hill and Worth, and want to ensure that the voice of local residents is always heard on these matters. I have been active in pressing the County Council for safety improvements to residential roads in Pound Hill, and am keen to build on this work in order to mitigate the effects of new developments on the local highway infrastructure for the benefit of current and future residents of the area.''

Henry Smith has been a Maidenbower resident since 1994 when he moved here after marrying his wife Jennifer. They have a young daughter and son.

Henry says "I was first elected to represent the Maidenbower and Pound Hill South area on West Sussex County Council in 1997. In 2003 I became Leader of the Council and in 2007 Chairman of the South East Counties. In 2005 I co-authored “Direct Democracy: An Agenda for a New Model Party” which argues for far greater devolution of real decision-making power to people, locally elected bodies and Parliament.

Henry list his interests as enjoying what free time he has with family. He says “I have chosen to raise my family here because Maidenbower and Pound Hill are great neighbourhoods to live in and I am positive about the future of our local community.

We face many challenges, however, not just with the current recession, which threatens so many resident's well-being, but also the on-going under funding of local services by the Labour government and constant increases in the tax burden. As Crawley people we pay thousands of pounds more in taxation than we receive back. That means increased pressure on our local police numbers, health service and highways.

We need to cut out public sector waste and re-deploy efficiency savings to improving services and reducing taxation.”

As County Council Leader and a local resident, I have been proud to open Oriel High School and the new library for Crawley in recent years.

I was the Crawley Conservative Parliamentary Candidate at the last General Election when I received the highest national swing from Labour to Conservative (over 8.5%), reducing the Labour majority from 6,770 to just 37 – making Crawley the most marginal constituency in the country. I promise to turn that round next time!

Click here for my personal website http://www.henrysmith.info/ ''

Duncan Crow was elected as County Councillor for Tilgate and Furnace Green in 2005.

Duncan says "I am very active in standing up for the community and seeking to ensure that Tilgate and Furnace Green continue to be nice neighbourhoods in which to live is a priority.

I serve on the Strategic Environmental Services Select Committee, the Standard Advisory Council for Religious Education, the East Crawley County Local Committee and am a School Governor at St Andrews Primary. I am also working with West Sussex Ahead of the Game, which is aiming to maximise the benefits of the 2012 Olympics for West Sussex residents and businesses.

I have been a Crawley Borough Councillor for Furnace Green since 2003 and in 2006 I became the Deputy Leader of the Council. I have my own blog which has been featured on former US Vice-President Al Gore's website.

You can follow my popular blog at http://www.duncancrow.blogspot.com/

Alan was born in Croydon and moved to Broadfield when he married a Newcastle girl, Ann, in 1979. Our two children were born in Crawley and now work here. He has seen many changes since that time.

Alan says "I have always had a keen interest in all sports, football, cricket, and other ball games, but now watch rather than play.

Local Broadfield matters are a priority to me, and I serve as a School Governor at Broadfield East School.

I was first elected to Crawley Borough Council in 2004 to represent the Broadfield South Ward, and was re-elected in 2006. I am a Cabinet member with responsibilities for Community Engagement. I also sit on several other Committees including Development Control, Grants, and Police Liaison etc.

Since 2004 I believe that I have had a positive impact and successfully shaken things up for the benefit of our neighbourhood.

The years have been kind, and I still have targets and objectives I wish to achieve. Currently I feel that the needs and requirements of Broadfield residents have not been given the airing and priority at County Hall that they deserve. I would wish to become your representative on West Sussex County Council and perhaps shake them up too.''

Keith Blake is an aviation electronics engineer and has lived & worked in Crawley since 1974 after serving for fourteen years in the Royal Air Force.

Keith says "Originally working for Rediffusion Flight Simulation in Gatwick Road, I moved to British Caledonian Flight Training Centre at Fleming Way in 1989 and have been employed there until my retirement in March of this year. I married Sally in 1977 and we live in Ifield. I have been Governor of primary schools in Southgate & Bewbush and of Ifield Community College from 1988 to 1998 and was Chairman of Governors at ICC in 1993.

I was first elected as Crawley Borough Councillor for Gossops Green in 2004 and re-elected in 2007. In 2006 I became Cabinet Member for Environment Affairs.

I am Chairman of the Crawley District Scouts Executive. My recreational & leisure interests are sailing, walking and travelling. I also enjoy music & reading.''

Bob Burgess moved to Crawley in 1969 to take up a teaching post. Until taking retirement from teaching in 2002, he worked in schools, both locally and in London.

Bob says "I am still involved in education as an examiner for one of the examination boards. I am also a Local Education Authority appointed governor at one of the local secondary schools. My wife Brenda and I have two children, both of whom are adults and making their way in the world.

Actively involved in Crawley festival, I have responsibility for organising and assisting with a variety of concerts and events involving school children from around the town of Crawley. These include the ever popular ‘Music in the Square’ and the Senior Citizens’ Concert.

I was elected in 2007 to serve as a ward member for Three Bridges on Crawley Borough Council, where I currently Chair the Overview and Scrutiny Commission.

As a ward Councillor I have helped my fellow Three Bridges member set up a Neighbourhood Forum to address the concerns of local residents.

I am an avid follower of sport and I regularly attend matches, both home and away, involving Crawley Town FC.''

Howard Bloom was born in Merthyr Tydfil South Wales and after attending Grammar School went St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College to study medicine qualifying in 1976.

Howard says "I trained as a GP after working as a junior doctor in Crawley Hospital going into practice in Gossops Green Crawley for 10 years. I then joined the Civil Service as a Senior Medical Officer and remained with the Department of Health and then the Department of Work and Pensions until taking early retirement in 2004. I was first elected to the Borough Council in 1984 and again in 1988 and was deputy Conservative group leader for a period of years. I was re-elected in 2006 to represent the Southgate ward, which is now a County Seat under the new reorganised boundaries. I am currently Mayor of Crawley and have also been the Chairman of the Development Control Committee.

I am still working as a part time GP in my old practice in Crawley. I am married to Sue who is the Medical Education and GP Appraisal Lead for the West Sussex PCT. I have worked with St John Ambulance for 30 years and am Assistant Chief Commander for England and an Officer of the Order of St John, a Freeman of the City of London and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. I am a member of the Council of the Royal College of General Practitioners and represent GPs in the South West Thames faculty area.''