There have been several big housing developments which threaten to change the character of our communities, overwhelm traffic, and damage important green space. I will campaign in Parliament for a change to planning laws to stop developers riding roughshod over local communities.

I want a serious social house building programme to stop the thousands of people from the area trapped in unsuitable temporary accommodation. It is completely unacceptable that this council and many other nearby councils in Kent cannot house those in need and, instead, send them far out of the district when they are in the vulnerable position of waiting for a council house – away from family, friends, doctors and support networks just when they may need them most.

I want to see proper rental controls, so rogue landlords can’t hike up rents beyond inflation. I also want to see national legislation make it illegal for estate agents and private landlords to discriminate against those in receipt of housing benefit or those with children. If people want to rent out a home, then everyone who can pay by whatever means, must have an equal chance of being the tenant. This will mean that references and other record checks will become the main means by which agents and landlords choose who rents.