The future of Farnham town centre, Woking’s debt, and public mistrust in politics were among the topics for discussion at a local election hustings in South Farnham on Thursday evening.

The event, held at St Thomas-on-the-Bourne Church in front of a decent-sized audience, brought together candidates from across the political spectrum ahead of the vote for the new West Surrey authority on May 7.

Moderated by Revd Sandy Clarke, the debate was generally genial as the candidates set out their priorities before answering questions from the audience.

George Murray, standing for the Farnham Residents Group (FRG), started proceedings by arguing local government should focus on residents rather than party politics.

“Too often, party tribalism ruins local councils,” he said. “Decisions should be made on what is right for residents, not what suits political parties.”

Fellow FRG candidate Michaela Martin said she was standing to ensure decisions were made locally. She said she wanted to protect community services, tackle traffic, invest in young people and support the local economy.

Liberal Democrat candidate Ben Bristow said road safety was a key concern raised by residents.

“It’s like a Grand Prix track around Farnham,” he said. “I hear it every day - it’s people’s biggest concern. We also need to sort out road conditions with a serious infrastructure plan for South Farnham.”

His fellow Lib-Dem candidate, Sally Shorthose, said her experience as an international lawyer would help her deal with the complexities of a new authority.

“I want to protect our extraordinary rural and historic town for the next generation,” she said. “Our children deserve excellent schools, modern facilities and safe roads.”

Conservative candidate Tam Traynor said many young people were disengaged from local government but relied heavily on its services.

“The majority of young people like me might not have an idea of what councils do, nor do they have any interest, but the reality is that everyone here, every day, relies on the services the future West Surrey council will provide,” he said.

He backed measures including free first-hour parking in Farnham car parks to support town centre businesses and more affordable housing to help young people onto the property ladder.

Green Party candidate David Baines called for investment in walking and cycling routes, more reliable and accessible public transport and council-run buses with £1 fares. He also backed bringing highways maintenance back in-house and expanding 20mph zones.

Reform UK candidate Dean Boyce said the scale of local government debt had not been addressed during the debate.

“I’ve noticed nobody’s talked about the £4.5bn debt from Woking, as well as around £2bn at county level,” he said. “You can have great local ideas, but unless that’s fixed it will have an impact here.”

Independent candidate Mark Westcott criticised how Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding had been used, saying councils had spent interest rather than the funds themselves, which had damaged trust.

“If you want engagement, get that sorted out,” he said. “When you consult, act on it — don’t just treat it as a tick-box exercise.”

Whether any minds were changed on the night remains unclear, but voters will have the final say when they head to the polls on May 7.