Richard Bates is a former Town and District Councillor for Haywards Heath Ashenground.

Richard served on the Town Council for 16 years and the District for 12 years until 2015.

He has a strong reputation for helping local people with problems and for the time he put into the local community. Richard was instrumental in getting the Pelican crossing in Wivelsfield Road – a result of the local petition which he organised and collected over 900 signatures.

Richard is a keen cyclist. He has lived in the Sussex area nearly all of his life and attended Warden Park School.