Andy Burton is one of four candidates running in the upcoming Barleythorpe by-election on Thursday 24th July. 

Andy is joining Andrew William Nixon Dinsmore (Conservative), Declan McCarthy (Reform UK), and Jonathan David Nichols (Lib Dem) in the election, following the departure of Green Party councillor Hans Zollinger-Ball. 

 Already serving as a parish councillor in Barleythorpe, Andy has lived in the area for the last six years. He has also previously served on Oakham Town Council and as a town councillor in East Riding before he moved to Rutland.  

During his time in various local councils, he has gathered more than 20 years of experience, including as portfolio holder for Community Engagement, Adult Education, Economic Development and Planning. 

He has worked in Agriculture his whole working life, mainly focussing on the technical aspects of crop production, soil sciences, crop nutrients, and the use of bio-stimulants. He also gained a masters' degree in Politics as a mature student, focussing on how local councils engage with residents. 

In his election campaign, Andy said: "I live in Barleythorpe and have the same issues and concerns that you have. I, like you, wonder when we will ever get the roads and infrastructure adopted by Rutland County Council on the Oakham Heights development. 

"We live in a very safe community here in Barleythorpe but it would be nice to see more police presence in the village, I can't remember when I last saw the police in Barleythorpe. 

"I'm very concerned about the flooding issues affecting properties along the Brook running through the estate. When I joined the parish council last year I formed a flood resilience group to highlight the problems caused by the flooding that brought such distress to residents affected by the floods and as chair of that group I have had many discussions with our MP, the Chief Executive of Rutland County Council, Highways, Planning, the Environment Agency and developers to try to broker a solution to the flooding problems in Barleythorpe." 

To find out more information about the election, visit Rutland County Councils elections website.