FORMER Clonakilty town councillor Humphrey Deegan will run as an independent candidate in June’s local elections.

The former Fine Gael town councillor was unsuccessful in being added to the ticket at his former party’s selection convention last September.

Speaking to  The Southern Star,  Humphrey said Clonakilty hasn’t had a resident councillor in the town since spring 2020.

‘I feel Clonakilty has been neglected during this time and the town needs a strong, local, and vocal representative,’ he said.

‘We need to rejuvenate our towns by supporting local businesses and work with the authorities to deliver vibrant and sustainable town centres. We need to reduce the costs of doing business and streamline processes to encourage and facilitate young entrepreneurs to live and invest in West Cork.

‘We also need to improve our local infrastructure including roads, water, sanitation, housing supply, and broadband.’

He called for a more inclusive consultation process between the public and local authorities. ‘I can be a conduit for better communications and delivery,’ he said.