Venkhata Priya Varadharajan
Independent Candidate | Borough Councillor | Eastleigh Central By-Election
Venkhata Priya Varadharajan
Independent Candidate | Borough Councillor | Eastleigh Central By-Election
Your Vote Did Matter!
To the 90 residents of Eastleigh Central who placed their trust in me on the 8th of May, I extend my deepest gratitude.
As a first-time Independent candidate, your support means the world.
I'd love to meet you in-person after a largely virtual campaign. Come along to say hello, share your thoughts and build community.
Priya For Eastleigh
I'm Priya, and I'm standing as an Independent Candidate for Borough Councillor because I believe our community deserves fresh perspectives and renewed representation. I live in Eastleigh Central and I work as an engineering leader for a retailer based in Eastleigh.
My career is built on a foundation of tangible results: complex projects delivered on time, within budget. I will bring to the council a proven track record of strategic planning, decisive action and a relentless commitment to root-cause solutions. My leadership experience fosters collaborative environments and builds genuine connections, essential for amplifying every voice in Eastleigh Central.
I promise to serve Eastleigh Central with unwavering integrity and a vision for positive change. My priorities are clear: safeguarding our community, especially women and children; fostering sustainable, long-term growth for our local businesses; and enhancing our shared environment.
Priya's Promises
Immediate Actions
Tackle Crime:
Eastleigh Central is facing high crime rates that demand decisive action. My comprehensive plan includes Neighbourhood Watch initiatives and robust victim support.
Safe Space to Voice Views:
Ensuring every resident, especially women, can safely report concerns. My community program offers confidential channels accessible from home or anywhere safe.
Short Term Actions
Clarity on Council Spending:
I'll deliver clear, bite-sized updates on council budgets and spending, ensuring full transparency and accountability. It is your money, plain and simple.
Greener Borough, Brighter Future:
It is time for real environmental action. I'll deliver clearer recycling info, investigate options for home composting support and community composting sites as well as increase tree planting across Eastleigh.
Long Term Actions
Sustainable Growth, Smart Spending:
I'm committed to fostering a flourishing local economy with quality jobs by championing our businesses. I will implement rigorous strategic planning to eliminate waste and streamline processes, ensuring a sustainable future for Eastleigh.
Immediate Actions
As a woman living in Eastleigh Central, my safety and the safety of my neighbours weigh heavily on my mind.
The statistics paint a clear picture: Eastleigh, Hampshire Crime and Safety Statistics | CrimeRate. Eastleigh Central is flagged as the most dangerous ward for a range of serious offences, from anti-social behaviour and criminal damage to robbery and violence. When these issues are so prevalent, they create an environment of fear and insecurity that impacts everyone.
Addressing this head-on with initiatives like Neighbourhood Watch and strong victim support is crucial to fostering a safer and more secure community for all of us who call Eastleigh Central home.
Each resident holds unique experiences and valid emotions. To truly grasp the concerns, particularly of women, it is essential they feel empowered to share honestly, free from judgment. Societal norms can silence vital perspectives, and I'm committed to dismantling those barriers.
I envision this becoming reality by establishing diverse connection channels, respecting individual communication preferences. This includes private one-on-one meetings in comfortable settings, informal social check-ins, convenient email exchanges and accessible WhatsApp chats. My aim is to meet people where they are, fostering a secure and accessible environment where every voice is heard and valued, strengthening our community as a whole.
Short Term Actions
Delivering clear, bite-sized updates on council budgets and spending is a priority for me because it is your money, plain and simple. Every month, each of us contributes through council tax, and understanding how those funds are being used is paramount. While data on budgeting and potential utilisation exists, it often requires expert knowledge to decipher.
As an example, click here for 2025-26 Budget for Eastleigh Borough Council.
I want to change this. My commitment is to provide regular, easily digestible updates with clarity, ensuring everyone can understand where their money is going. While the amount of council tax is often debated, the crucial aspect of where it is being used deserves equal, if not more, attention, and I'm dedicated to bringing that transparency to you.
I believe a Greener Borough directly leads to a Brighter Future, and this isn't just about environmental responsibility – it's about smart, long-term investment.
In the short term, clearer recycling information, while having some initial communication costs, will lead to higher quality recycling. This reduces contamination, which currently costs the council more to process and can even lead to rejected loads. By getting it right from the start, we save money in the long run on waste management. Investigating home and community composting options involves initial research, but these initiatives empower residents to reduce their waste significantly. Less waste going to landfill translates to lower disposal fees for the council – a direct financial benefit.
Looking at the long term, increased tree planting is an investment in our borough's health and resilience. Trees improve air quality, which reduces healthcare costs associated with respiratory illnesses. They also enhance our green spaces, making Eastleigh a more attractive place to live, work, and invest, potentially boosting our local economy. Furthermore, trees contribute to natural flood management, a crucial consideration in the face of climate change, potentially saving significant costs associated with flood damage in the future.
These aren't just feel-good measures; they are practical steps that will lead to a cleaner, healthier, and more financially sustainable Eastleigh for all of us. By being proactive now, we avoid larger environmental and financial burdens down the line.
Long Term Actions
You deserve a local economy that thrives, offering quality jobs right here at home. That's why I will be a champion for our local businesses, creating an environment where they can flourish and create those opportunities. But growth must be sustainable.
That's why I'm committed to smart spending. I will implement rigorous strategic planning across all council functions. We need to eliminate waste, streamline our processes and ensure that every penny of your money is used effectively and efficiently. I want to build a sustainable future for Eastleigh, where resources are managed responsibly for the benefit of all residents.
Not quite! Having reviewed the 2025-26 Budget, I have the following observations:
- Significant Swings in Portfolio Budgets: There are some notable shifts between the Outturn for 2023/24 and the Original and Revised Budgets for 2024/25, as well as the Budget for 2025/26.
- Consistent Pressure on Transport: The Transport Portfolio consistently shows a negative budget across all periods, and this deficit appears to be increasing in the 2025/26 budget. This might warrant closer examination.
- Increasing Net General Fund Requirement: The Net General Fund Requirement is steadily increasing from £12.97 million in the 2023/24 Outturn to a projected £15.61 million in the 2025/26 Budget. This suggests a growing need for funding.
- Volatility in Transfers to/from Earmarked Reserves: The Transfers to/from Earmarked Reserves line shows significant variation, particularly the large outflow in the Revised 2024/25 budget. Understanding the reasons behind these fluctuations is important.
- Interest Payable Remains High: Interest payable is a substantial expenditure, although it is projected to decrease in the 2025/26 budget. The impact of interest rates on the budget is evident.
- Reliance on Council Tax: Council Tax consistently provides a significant portion of the funding, although the budgeted amount slightly decreases in 2025/26.
Areas of potential improvements include:
- Planning & Property Portfolio Variance: The large swing from a positive outturn to a significant negative budget in the Planning & Property Portfolio needs a thorough explanation. What projects or changes in accounting are driving this? Are these planned investments, increased costs, or a change in how income is recorded?
- Transport Portfolio Deficit: Given the persistent and growing deficit in the Transport Portfolio, a detailed review of its expenditures and potential income streams is crucial. Are there opportunities for efficiency savings, increased fees (if applicable), or alternative funding sources?
- Skills & Business Portfolio Instability: The fluctuating budget for the Skills & Business Portfolio could indicate uncertainty in this area. Understanding the drivers behind these changes and exploring ways to achieve more budget stability might be beneficial.
- Earmarked Reserves Activity: The large transfer to Earmarked Reserves in the Revised 2024/25 budget needs clarification. What are these reserves for, and is this level of transfer sustainable or necessary? Conversely, the significant inflow in the 2023/24 outturn and the smaller outflow in the 2025/26 budget should also be understood.
- Strategies for Increasing Revenue: With the increasing Net General Fund Requirement and a slight decrease in budgeted Council Tax, exploring strategies to increase other revenue sources (e.g., grants, fees, commercial activities) might be necessary.
- Interest Payable Management: While projected to decrease, the high level of interest payable warrants ongoing monitoring and exploration of strategies to potentially reduce borrowing costs in the long term.
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