Lewes District Councillors

Lucy Agace is a local businesswoman and professional sustainability adviser who lives in the Ringmer area. She is passionate about her community, and is standing for election to Lewes District Council on May 4th after getting involved in campaigns on road safety including HGVs, and the scandal of sewage discharge into local rivers. She wants to work hard to make the area a better place for everyone.

Emily O’Brien works on sustainability in the food system. She has stood alongside residents to fight off unsuitable developments, pressed the council to take action against Southern Water polluting our rivers, and campaigned on road safety including against HGVs using residential roads. Emily’s work on the council has also meant that Lewes District became the first council in the country to link new developments to increased sewage discharge and hold developers to account on this issue.

Roy Clay has served on Lewes District Council from 2019 to 2023 and has worked closely with residents’ groups and youth clubs. Born in Lewes he is now a proud resident of Seaford. Roy lobbied to get the District Council to let land in the Peverills be used for a Seaford community-building project. He has fought for a proper crossing on Exceat Bridge, park improvements, and worked with other District Councillors to get the scaffolding at Talland Parade taken down.

Will has lived in Wivelsfield for many years, where he runs a small local business while bringing up his family. He’s always been someone who gets things done, and when he saw county services such as dealing with potholes neglected, he decided to start taking action himself. He’s been campaigning to improve local road safety, helping residents in the long-running fight against developers wanting to build off Ditchling Road and South Road, and regularly litter picks local roads with his family and volunteers.

Graham is an active media professional living in Lewes, where he would like to see better sustainable transport provision including facilities for walking and biking. He has a strong understanding of how both the press and local governments work gained from many years working on local newspapers. He believes in the importance of talking to local people to find out how they wanted their town or district to be run.

Johnny Denis is a well-known District and County Councillor. Previously, as the Cabinet Member for Communities and Customers he radically improved call answering times and secured investment to start refurbishing the District’s public toilets as well as funds to reopen Ringmer Pool.

Presently the Lead Member for Arts Culture Tourism and Leisure.

As a District Councillor he is Deputy Leader of the Independent Group at South East Councils, a representative on the District Council Network and he represents UK councils at the Congress of the Council of Europe.

Becky Francomb has lived in Seaford for many years, raising her family here and volunteering in the local community. During the pandemic she helped manage the Seaford Volunteer Emergency Team and later was a founding member of the Seaford Environmental Alliance. Becky has spent her whole career working in the NHS. Together with fellow Greens, she is campaigning for upgrades to public amenities.

James was elected as a Green Lewes Town Councillor in 2019 and says he’s had a great time there. He has contributed to the Town Council’s progress by promoting Green environmental, democratic, and inclusive values. Even though the Lewes Town Council does a lot to help the local community (by recognising and giving money to various clubs, societies, groups, and individuals), James wants to see this support ramped up.

Paul is a Senior Research Computing Engineer at The University of Sussex and Dad to his amazing daughter. He has a passionate interest in environmental issues including air and water quality, and has worked hard for his community on Play Streets and School Streets. He has been listening to residents to hear their views on affordable, sustainable public transport in town and rural areas, and cost-of-living issues.

Nick Kortalla-Bird was born, bred and schooled in Lewes. He runs his own local business and lives with his young family on the Landport. He volunteers with the local Residents’ Association, foodbank and helps out at the Repair Café. he’s standing because he wants to make Pells, Wallands and Landport a better place to live and has already helped local residents on issues from road resurfacing to rubbish removal.

Wendy Maples has lived in Lewes for 25 years with popular rescue dog, Bonnie. She is an East Sussex County Councillor where she led action on toxic herbicides and lighting at Lewes station, and is their representative on the Fire Authority. As a Lewes Town Councillor since 2019, she has worked to improve policies on grants, allotments and animal welfare, access-friendly benches and made Lewes the first Town in the UK to sign up for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Charlotte Keenan loves family life in Newick where she has brought up her three children. Frustrated that her local Conservative Councillors were staying quiet as developments were forced through by the Government planning inspector, and county council services such as dealing with potholes were neglected, she began fighting unsuitable development and getting the things that needed doing, done. She is looking forward to making sure Newick has a strong voice on Lewes District council.

James Meek loves Seaford, where he has lived for decades and has brought up his children. He is a volunteer for the Seaford Foodbank, Trees for Seaford, and the Seaford Environmental Alliance.  He was elected as Seaford’s first ever Green Town Councillor in 2019, where he has been highly active, from environmental policies to litter. He has spent a lot of time listening to residents and helping resolve their problems, and looks forward to doing the same as a District Councillor.

Ezra Cohen is an education professional who is bringing up a young family at his home in Seaford. He is passionate about his community and active on everything from litter picking to potholes. Ezra volunteers with Seaford Environmental Alliance and as a school governor. He regularly provides energy poverty advice to residents, as well as directing them to local food banks, community larders and warm spaces, and wants to bring this passion to being a District councillor.

Zoe Nicholson has been both Deputy Leader and Leader of the District Council from 2019-2023. In her four years of co-running the District Council, Zoe is proud of many achievements, including being on track to build 200 council homes, including the first new council homes in Lewes for 25 years at Saxonbury House in Southover. She also led the response to the Covid crisis and an investment programme for playgrounds and green spaces including Bell Lane, Malling, Landport playgrounds.

Joa Saunders runs her own business and is raising her family in Cooksbridge. She has worked with local residents and Hamsey Parish Council to gather evidence and highlight dangerous speeds on the A275, especially near Hamsey school. She would like calmer, safer roads for the area and is passionate about protecting our rural landscape and wild spaces.

Mark Slater is a local businessman who has lived in Hamsey for the last 20 years. He has been a spokesperson for environmental groups on economics, politics and sustainability. He has campaigned against developments in Chailey and Barcombe and for strong legislation against river pollution. Along with local campaigners he has circulated a petition with over 1000 signatures calling on the County Council to take action on road safety.