Parish and Borough Council elections in May

Details of elections, on Thursday 4^th May, for councillors to Swindon Borough Council and South Swindon Parish Council have been announced. This year voters will need photo id to be able to vote at a polling station. Anyone without one of the accepted types of id can, until 5 pm on Tuesday 25^th April, apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. Photo id is not needed for those with a postal vote.

East Wichel

For East Wichel, which is in the Old Town ward of Swindon Borough Council, there are four candidates standing for election to one seat.

• Ellen Heavens – Conservative Party
• Bill Hughes – Green Party
• Chris Watts – Labour Party
• Martin Wiltshire – Liberal Democrats

Current borough councillor, Nick Burns-Howell, is not standing for re-election.

East Wichel is also in the Old Town ward of South Swindon Parish Council, formally known as Central Swindon South Parish Council. There are six candidates standing for election to four seats

• David Griffiths – Labour Party
• Ellen Heavens – Conservative Party
• Neil Hopkins – Labour Party
• Bill Hughes – Green Party
• Linda Kasmaty – Labour Party
• Nadine Watts – Labour Party

Neil Hopkins, Linda Kasmaty and Nadine Watts are current parish councillors for the ward standing for re-election. Jane Milner-Barry is not standing for re-election to the parish council. Ellen Heavens is currently a parish councillor for the Lawn & Badbury Park ward of the parish and David Griffiths is currently a parish councillor for the Eastcott ward of the parish.

The polling station for East Wichel is the StoweAway Community Centre, at the end of the car park by East Wichel Primary School. The polling station will be open from 7 am to 10 pm on Thursday 4^th May for both parish and borough elections.

Canalside

The rest of Wichelstowe is in the Wroughton & Wichelstowe ward of Swindon Borough Council. There are four candidates standing for election to one seat.

• Saleh Ahmed – Labour Party
• Gayle Cook – Conservative Party
• Pippa Fairbourn – Green Party
• Adam Poole – Liberal Democrats

The seat is currently vacant as the then councillor, Cathy Martyn, resigned suddenly in January.

There are no elections to Wroughton Parish Council this year, as all fifteen candidates were elected unopposed.

The polling station for Middle and West Wichel is the Community Room at The Deanery Academy. The polling station will be open from 7 am to 10 pm on Thursday 4^th May.