Potholes and parking are at the top of many people’s concerns ahead of local elections in Bracknell next week.

Every councillor in Bracknell Forest Council is up for election when residents go to the polls on Thursday 4 May. And although the Conservatives control the council overwhelmingly—with 37 of 42 seats—Labour and the Liberal Democrats both hope for gains.

Residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service what changes they want to see. One, who didn’t want to be identified, said: “The council here should do the holes in the roads mainly. And better parking for disabled people.

“All they’ve got is three disabled parking spaces up by the police station, which is free. Everything else is payable—it’s all charge, charge, charge. They only think of money, money, money.”

But, he added, he didn’t think he would vote for any party as, “They’re a waste of money—a waste of time. They sell you everything and do nothing. All of them, they’re just parasites off people that work. They’re only out for themselves.”

Another Bracknell resident, Julia Hale, 74, had similar feelings. She said: “I’m asthmatic, I live in a bungalow, and there’s days that I’ve got to walk maybe two or three roads up before I get to my bungalow.

“When I moved in there 11 years ago I asked for disabled parking for my husband because he had a hip replacement. I was told there’s one around the corner, we can’t put disabled parking there. What a load of nonsense.

“And the roads are shocking. If you turn into Cottesmore where I live, the roads are atrocious, and they do absolutely nothing. And they want you to consider voting for them. Please.”

Julia also didn’t think she would vote for anyone. “This is the third country I’ve lived in and they’re all the same. They promise you this and they promise you that and nothing gets done,” she said.

Joe and Alison Gale both said they would vote for the Conservatives. Joe, 69, said: “We want to try and keep the place blue, because the council hasn’t done bad. I did give my local councillor a bit of a dogging the other day about the damn potholes, but he said everyone else has as well.”

And Alison, also 69, said: “They’re still in credit. Not like Slough, which is in debt.”

But Anna, 81, said she thought Bracknell needed a change. She said: “They’re spending so much money on flats. And they’ve done nothing about The Deck. That’s getting to be an eyesore now.”

Nishant Panglia, 40, said he hadn’t decided who to vote for. He said: “I still have to look at their promises.” But, he added: “It doesn’t matter who you pick, it seems everyone is doing their own thing. It seems more like a political game now than doing things for people.”