RESIDENTS’ views on the issues they face are being used to help shape reforms to local public transport services and dentistry.

Marie Tidball MP, who represents Penistone and Stocksbridge, recently wrote to more 1,250 households across Silkstone and Silkstone Common to share her priorities for the community, and to ask local residents to add their weight to her campaigns.

The letters follow Marie’s ‘Pride in Silkstone and Silkstone Common’ meeting, which she held in January.

Following the meeting, Marie collated all the feedback that was shared with her on the night, as well as views contributed by email by constituents.

Using this feedback, she has identified two key priorities that she will be pushing local and national government to improve life in Silkstone and Silkstone Common.

The first is the need to stagger bus and train times from Silkstone Common’s station, after they revealed that buses and trains currently run at similar times, along much of the same route and that the services are unreliable.

People felt the services would be more useful if their timings were staggered, giving residents more consistent travel options throughout the day.

Marie has written an open letter to Stagecoach to ask them to stagger the bus times, so they run just as regularly but not at the same time as the train from the train station.

The second priority identified is the need to improve access to NHS dentistry.

Following the meeting, Marie has already raised it in Parliament the issue of poor access to NHS dentistry in Silkstone and Silkstone Common.

To share experiences of dentistry in the local area, Marie vowed to use the experiences that constituents shared to work with health ministers to improve access to NHS dentistry services locally.

She said: “Thanks to all the attendees at my ‘Pride in Silkstone and Silkstone Common’ meeting, as well as those who couldn’t attend and emailed in with their views.

“Using your feedback, I’ve identified two major things that I can help with bringing to your community.

“I’m on your side and I’m working to deliver on the changes that you have told me that you want to see in your community.

“The strongest way for me to be able to make change in our communities is by collecting your experiences and ideas for change on local public transport and NHS dentistry services.

“I can then use your input to make the case for change with ministers and public service providers.”