Arun Chandran has lived in Newton Aycliffe over 50 years (West Ward over 30 years) active in local politics since 1974 age 16. He was elected at the age of 25 to the Town Council in 1983, and served for over 13 years holding the chairmanship on the Environment, Parks, Recreation and Finance committees and was elected unopposed as Mayor in 1991 at the Age of 32.
He reformed the Council’s finances and procedures, initiated many ideas and has a proven record of experience and achievement, from preventing the Blue Bridge from being demolished in 1992 to having a Tree Presevation order made on the North Agnew Plantation. He also forced British Rail to rebuild Codling Bridge which was a public right of way and led many campaigns including Ambulance Station closure, and saving The Cubby. Arun was first in proposing OAP trips in 1984, got Woodham Community Association its freehold in 1987, proposed Safety surfaces in all our Parks in 1988, persuaded the Town Council to take over the deed of transfer for the Aycliffe Nature Park (working with Syd Howarth of the Rotary Club). He set up the first Crime Prevention Panel in Newton Aycliffe in 1988 to name but a few, and served as a school governor for 10 years at Woodham Burn School.
Arun is currently on the Newton Aycliffe Youth Centre Management Committee, and is Secretary of the Great Aycliffe Residents’ Association which recently led a successful campaign in getting the new Police & Crime Commissioner to commit to rebuilding the new police station in the Town Centre. He attends Pact (Police and Community Together) meetings and Residents Association meetings. He believes that the quality of our Environment and combating anti social behaviour should be a high priority.
