Residents to vote for their new county councillors in four local wards

There are four local divisions for Leicestershire County Council – Melton West, Melton East, Belvoir and Melton Wolds – with voting to take place on Thursday May 1.

Votes will then be counted the following day at St Mary’s Church, in Melton Mowbray, with the results to be announced around lunchtime.

Three of the four candidates who triumphed at the last poll in 2021 are standing again – Pam Posnett (Melton East), Joe Orson (Melton Wolds) and Bryan Lovegrove (Belvoir).

Candidates in all four divisions are as follows:

Melton West – Roma Frisby (Con), Sharon Brown (Ind), Marilyn Gordon (Ind), Nick Flatt (Lab), Victor Kaufman (Lib Dem), Kerry Knight (Ref), Jack Walker (Green).

Melton East – Pam Posnett (Con), Helen Cliff (Lab), Allen Thwaites (Ind), Andrew Innes (Ref), Alastair McQuillan (Green), Ian Ridley (Lib Dem).

Melton Wolds – Joe Orson (Con), Steve Carter (Ind), Jim Clarke (Lab), James Donovan (Ref), Martyn Gower (Green), Alan Rodenby (Lib Dem), Malcolm Smith (Alliance for Democracy and Freedom).

Belvoir – Bryan Lovegrove (Con), Jim Mason (Lab), Richard Bartfield (Lib Dem), David Cannon (Green), Dennis Pengelly (Ref), Sam Seaward (Ind).

This is likely to be the last county council elections with the government committed to eradicating the current two-tier structure of local government.

Voting will also take place for the vacant Croxton Kerrial seat on Melton Borough Council – candidates are Elaine Holmes (Con) and Max Clift (Ind). Alan Hewson stepped down from the role.