On May 5, councillor positions will be contested in district, town and parish councils.

Ahead of the election, which will see competition over 22 of 58 district council wards in Epping Forest, the Guardian has interviewed representatives of several parties with candidates standing.

UKIP, the Loughton Residents Association (LRA), Labour, the Green party, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats responded to questions about key issues in the district.

  • How well do you think the current district council has performed?

UKIP: We have a council in Epping that is under pressure from the government to build more and more houses. Finding a good balance is difficult for any council.

LRA: Performance has been mixed – pressure from LRA’s independent councillors has been essential.

Lab: With the scale of Conservative domination of the current council it is inevitable that Labour party candidates will find much to disagree with in the policies pursued. However we can acknowledge that there are many capable and dedicated people in the current administration and it is difficult not to have some sympathy for people who are working hard to deliver what they believe to be in the best interests of the district, whilst being repeatedly undermined by a national government that claims to be from their own side of the political divide. 

Green: Given central funding cuts the council has done well to maintain the services it has but we've seen some misguided planning decisions and we seriously doubt the resolve to recycle materials. There is an opportunity to collect an enormous amount of green material from gardens in the Epping Forest area. There are many large gardens that can easily overfill the green bin provided by the council. There should a move to use this material as a heat source for local housing.

Con: Conservative run Epping Forest District Council has consistently delivered on its promises to local residents. For instance, district council tax has been frozen for a sixth successive year, whilst still protecting front line services, and we are building the first new council houses in 30 years, alongside the introduction of a five year residency rule to give local people priority when applying for a council property.

Lib Dem: The council employs many hard-working and dedicated staff but under the Conservatives takes far too long to complete many of its projects. The Second World War was fought and won in less time than it has taken to sort out the future of the former junior school site in St John’s Road, Epping. The council has had 12 years to produce a new local plan and now faces the government making key decisions and the loss of up to £1 million in grant income because of its slow progress. The council can be proud of many of the services it provides, such as Countrycare, but problems such as those we experienced with rubbish collection this time last year show some services are fragile.

  • Why do your candidates deserve to be elected?

UKIP: UKIP Councillors serve the people. We are not elected to continue being pushed and driven by whips to make decisions that are not in the interests of the local community.

LRA: Because a strong, independent and dedicated LRA councillor team is needed to look after the town.

 Lab: We represent a wealth of experience across the public and private sectors and a range of talents and interests. We stand for a fairer and more equal society and will endeavour to represent the best interests of the community as a whole and not just a section of it.

Green: Our track record in Epping Forest and across Britain shows that we get results. We don't have a party whip so we can genuinely represent our local communities while adhering to Green Party principles. Many of our candidates are already active campaigners in their communities, demonstrating their commitment.

Con: Local Conservatives are hard-working, passionate about their communities and committed to being a strong voice for their residents. They have the ability and the influence to ensure things get done, and will join a Conservative group on the council that has a record of success in improving our district. 

Lib Dem: All Liberal Democrat candidates are committed to putting the areas they represent first and listening to local residents. It’s also important the Conservative majority on the district council faces an effective opposition that can hold it to account for the decisions it made. Currently only the Liberal Democrats do this.

  • The district council has agreed to house up to 24 Syrian refugees in the next four years, should the district take more than this?

UKIP: I personally believe that housing people who have been on the housing waiting list for years takes priority over anyone else. Our old and infirm deserve to benefit from the council that they have supported during their own working life. It is an unfortunate fact that the EU has created an environment and encouraged refugees and economic migrants to come to Europe, and the EU should now take responsibility for their actions. We will never have enough houses for all local needs and refugees.

LRA: The numbers need to be carefully balanced in the light of the need for more housing for local families too.

Lab: The people of Epping Forest should do all that we can to help alleviate the humanitarian disaster in Syria and elsewhere. The scale of the crisis can only be truly addressed at a European level. The situation is constantly developing and we should re-assess our reaction to it constantly. Ultimately we think it inevitable that we will need to make a further contribution.

Green: Yes is the obvious answer. The idea of large numbers of people arriving with differing cultural practices is alarming to some but this can be mitigated. Firstly by including any and all refugees in the local community. We must engage with them and break down any wary feelings they may have as well as mistrust from the locals. If any residents feel side lined or passed over then we need to address those needs. The two things must be treated equally and together.

Con: Like councils around the country, we have had to balance our desire to help refugees fleeing appalling conditions with the needs of local people. Accordingly, we were delighted to be able to take 24 refugees but are unable to offer places to more. 

Lib Dem: We can clearly help more than just six refugees a year if we look beyond council housing (which is in short supply in Epping Forest) and make use of some of the many offers of help that have been made.

  • Should local councils have more power to make local decisions?

UKIP: Yes, and more local referendums on important local issues as well.

LRA: Yes – local people should as far as possible govern their own surroundings. In EFDC area, this means giving much more power to town and parish councils, who embody localism.

Lab: This is a hugely complicated question. There is a need to re-assess the structure of local government across our country including how it is financed. The very much oversimplified answer is yes.

Green: Yes. Of course local councils should have more power to change the local provisions. These must include flexibility on rates for businesses and homes, more control over highways, transport and parking and ethical investment. More powers must come with the funds to carry them out.

Con: Yes. Under Conservative control, Epping Forest District Council has successfully delivered services for our residents and there are a number of additional areas where we could provide services more effectively than the county council.

Lib Dem: We live in one of the most centralised countries in Europe where even some relatively minor decisions about road improvements, planning applications and use of land require approval from government ministers who don’t know our area. This is set to get worse as the Conservative government takes more control over schools by forcing them to convert to academies under the supervision of government-appointed regional commissioners. Local decisions should be taken locally and residents should be able to hold elected councillors to account for the standard of local services, rather than Whitehall ministers and officials.

You can read the first part of the interviews here.