In last week's local elections, local resident and Conservative candidate Joseph Baum was elected to represent the Townsend ward in Chesham Town Council.

Mr Baum received 449 votes, over 200 more than Liberal Democrats candidate Ruth Juett who received 231.

Gill Walker from the Green Party recieved 157 votes, with Labour candidate Pat Easton receiving 136.

Speaking to the Bucks Free Press, Joseph Baum spoke of his pride in being elected to serve his local ward.

“I am absolutely delighted to have been given the chance to represent the area where I live on the town council.

"After more than a year spent knocking on doors and talking to residents, seeing so many people come up to me on polling day to wish me luck was a really special feeling and I can’t wait to start the important work of repaying their trust.

"And for those that didn’t vote for me this time, I look forward to working just as hard for them too.”

“I want to say a big 'thank you' to anyone who put their trust in me at this election. Despite the clear challenges facing our area, many of which won’t be fixed overnight, residents deserve people in their communities who will listen, work hard and do their best to make things better.

"That is exactly what I will do for Chesham and I can’t wait to start.”

Mr Baum highlighted areas that he will be looking to focus on influencing policy in during his first stint on the council, suggesting that parking is the main area of focus, with the state of local roads and crime also key issues for him.

“Speak to any resident in Townsend and they will probably bring up the issue of parking. It’s a huge problem on many roads, including my own, and addressing this will be a key priority for me on the Council.

“Beyond that, the concerns raised by residents over the last 12 months have tended to vary from road to road. On Botley Road, for example, residents regularly complain about the 30-speed limit being breached and are concerned about possible development on nearby green belt land.

"Others closer to the town centre bring up the state of the roads, some of which are in desperate need of repair.

“And then there’s the broader issue of restoring a sense of pride in our town. Crime and anti-social behaviour appears to be on the rise and our High Street is facing real challenges when it comes to attracting new business to the town.

“Whilst some of these issues may go beyond the scope and power of the Town Council, Town Councillors are quite rightly the first port of call for any concerns that residents may have. Depending on the issue, it is then up to us to take these up with colleagues on the District and County Councils and I will certainly be doing that.”

Joseph also hopes that being elected at the comparatively young age of 25 will motivate other young people across the town to get involved in local politics and influence change.

“At the age of 25, I also hope that my election to the Council will encourage others of a similar age to speak up and get involved in the town. One of the best things about our town is that it offers something for everyone and the success of Chesham’s Youth Council, which I hope to continue to run, shows just how much of a difference young people can make if they are given the opportunity.

“With so much happening in our area - the emerging Chesham Masterplan, the restructuring of local government in Buckinghamshire, not to mention what is going on nationally - this is a really important time for Chesham, and we need to make sure that our town’s voice is heard loud and clear.

“By working closely with my fellow Councillors and with my residents’ priorities in mind, I hope to make a valuable contribution to the conversation."