Never miss Bristol news again - sign up to receive our newsletter straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

The countdown to the Metro Mayor elections has come to an end and today people will flock to the polling stations.

On Friday to newly formed authority which includes Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath & North East Somerset, will begin the process of devolving powers from central government and the Metro Mayor will have an annual budget of £31 million.

Last week the Bristol Post caught up with the candidates one final time for its first Facebook Live husting.

And here are seven things we learnt about the candidates:

1. Labour candidate Lesley Mansell suggested sinking the M32 underground -

She said: “You could potentially put the M32 underground and then reuse the space on top.

“It might seem like a wild idea, but sometimes those off-the-wall ideas can have some positive outcomes.

“It would be much better if you have got the traffic underground, as we wouldn’t have the carbon going into the atmosphere.”

2. Stephen Williams says he has financially viable plans to build four new train stations in and around Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) –

He said: “I want to open four new railway stations in the area. In Bristol there would be a park and ride on the Portway next to the Severn Beach line, one in Charfield just by Thornbury, another one on Ashley Down between Parkway and Temple Meads and then finally in Saltford, in between Bristol and Bath.

“What we are getting [funding from central government] we will have discretion on how to spend it and I have talked to the chair of Network Rail and the regional director and made sure that my manifesto pledges on transport are achievable."

3. John Savage would like to bring a "super tram" network to Bristol and Bath, but doesn’t know how much it will cost –

He said: “MetroBus is part of the solution, but it is only a partial part. Public transport doesn’t really exist in this country and we have to make it publicly accessible - if you do it will pay for itself.

“Trams are expensive, they cost ten times the amount of a bus route, but they have longevity and they bring credibility.

“Twenty years ago it would have cost us £200million to run a tram from the centre of Bristol up to the North [of the city].

“It is expensive, but I don’t think that money is the problem. Come up with the things which brings solutions and we will find the money.”

4. Aaron Foot says the UK Independence Party (UKIP) is still relevant in this election and is campaigning on a e-democracy ticket –

He said: “I am championing a new era of democracy by giving power back to the people through e-democracy.

“It is the 21st century and we have the technology - most of us have phones now, so why not put the ideas to people? I will be the voice for the people.

"People say what is the point in voting for different parties, you are all the same? Well let’s actually think about this for a minute and turn it.

“I will be making decisions on behalf of the people, but they will be telling me what to make.”

5. Darren Hall would like to see clean air zones for Bristol and Bath -

He said: “I would like to see a clean air zone where polluting vehicles are required to pay. One of the things we need to do to make that happen is more buses.

“It is directed at polluting vehicles, it is not a tax on anyone who happens to have a vehicle and that is a very important distinction."

6. Tim Bowles he would not be afraid to stand up to the Conservative party if he were elected as Metro Mayor -

He said: “The strategic decisions we have to make have got to be for the best interests of the entire region and therefore it is as important that I am working with Marvin [Rees] constructively as it is that I am working with both Tim [Warren] and Matthew [Riddle].

“It won’t be about sitting down and deciding how things are going to be carved up, it is not a case that we will be working out how to work in that little sub-team, it is about working together because those strategic decisions have to be made in the best interests of the region."

7. All of the candidates are undecided as to where they would like to see the new authority based –

The West of England Combined authority (Weca) will control key decisions in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES).

The location for the combined authority has not yet been set, and each of the six hopefuls have differing views as to where they would base its headquarters.

John Savage said he would put the office in Bristol, Darren Hall promised to keep it in the city initially and Stephen Williams said he would like a physical office in Bristol but also a “presence” in Bath.

Lesley Mansell said she would like to see a base in each of the three local authority areas and would also work from her “front room”, Tim Bowles said he hasn’t decided where he would put the office and Aaron Foot said he would like to base the new authority out of the current local council offices across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and B&NES.

More than 68,000 people are registered to vote in the election next Thursday.

Once elected, the Metro Mayor will control a £31million annual budget which they will split between four main portfolios – transport, planning, adult education and skill and business infrastructure.

They will work with the three local council leaders across Weca including Bristol’s Marvin Rees, South Gloucestershire’s Matthew Riddle and B&NES' Tim Warren.

North Somerset voted against devolution last June and will not be directly involved in the newly formed combined authority.

However, Weca will work with the council on key decisions such as housing and transport plans.