Councillor Andrew Cook

Councillor Andrew Cook is the portfolio holder for community safety.

Cllr Cook also has responsibilities for licensing, and enforcement.

He was elected to Canterbury City Council in May 2011. Previous to his election he had been an active member of his local community for around 10 years. He is a former chairman of the Herne Bay Beach Hut Owners Association, a treasurer of the Friends of Herne Bay Museum and a membership secretary of the Friends of Herne Bay Memorial Park.

The councillor was born in and grew up in Canterbury and moved to Herne Bay 25 years ago. He is married and has two daughters and a son.

He said: “I began getting involved in local issues many years ago. I was always interested in and active in trying to keep Herne Bay tidy and clean by ensuring standards were raised and I became involved with local groups and organisations. I was keen to get something done and for action to be taken, which is why I wanted to become a councillor.”

Cllr Cook already had some knowledge of community safety prior to becoming a councillor, as he regularly attended Partners and Community Together (PACT) meetings locally.

He said: “The best way to prevent problems in communities is to look at the root causes and to look at how situations could be prevented in the first place.”

Cllr Cook said that different agencies working closely together was the best approach to addressing issues in neighbourhoods.

He said: “The council, the police and others all working together is the most effective way to tackle problems and to find solutions.”

One of his main priorities is the welfare of young people across the district.

He said: “It is now more important than ever that we focus on the needs of young people – who are growing up in a tough world where it can be hard to get a first job and they can become disillusioned. We need to put resources into providing for them.”

Published: January 31 2012