The seats that will be going to the polls at next month's local elections in Wokingham have been announced.
Residents will be able to have their say on who represents them at the borough council on Thursday May 5.
Seats in 18 wards will be put to the vote, which includes eleven currently held by the Conservatives, four by the Liberal Democrats, one by Labour, one by the Independent Group and one that is currently vacant.
Bulmershe & Whitegates ward is vacant after a former Labour Councillor, Carl Doran, resigned from his position in August of last year over disagreements with the direction of the national party.
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Wokingham Borough has a total of 54 seats on its council, however it operates under a ‘voting by thirds’ system - meaning that a third of councillors are elected every year over a four-year period, with no elections in the fourth year.
This year, borough council elections are scheduled in: Arborfield; Bulmershe and Whitegates; Coronation; Emmbrook; Evendons; Finchampstead North; Finchampstead South; Hawkedon; Hillside; Loddon; Maiden Erlegh; Norreys; Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe; Shinfield South; South Lake; Swallowfield; Winnersh; and Wokingham Without.
There will also be parish council elections for Arborfield & Newland, Swallowfield, Remenham and Wargrave.
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In order to vote, residents must be on the electoral register. The deadline to register is midnight on Thursday April 14, which can be done here.
There are multiple ways to vote - either in person at a polling station, by post or via a proxy vote.
The deadline to apply for a new postal or postal proxy vote is 5pm on Tuesday April 19. The last day to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Tuesday April 26.
The electoral registration officer for Wokingham Borough Council, Andrew Moulton, said: “Time is running out to make sure you can take part in these elections. They are an important opportunity to make your voice heard and have a say on who represents you on issues that directly affect day-to-day life here in Wokingham.”
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Residents can vote from 7am to 10pm on polling day and the count will be conducted at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre in Earley on Friday 6 May.
The Conservatives and Labour are both putting forward 18 candidates, the Liberal Democrats 17 and The Green Party 10.
Conservatives
The Wokingham Conservatives said: “[We] are honoured to have been elected to run the Council for more than 20 years, working with you, local residents, to deliver the success story that is Wokingham Borough.
We are the healthiest area, with some of the best schools, home to many global enterprises and small businesses. We have a strong record of delivering the best for the people of Wokingham Borough. We have an ambitious plan to build back from the pandemic and make our great Borough even better.”
See their 2022 manifesto here.
Liberal Democrats
Wokingham Liberal Democrats council group leader, Clive Jones, said: “Residents will be at the heart of all our actions. We believe that listening to residents is one of the most important aspects of being able to deliver the services they need and want.
In recent years the Council has only paid lip service to consultation, we would do this differently. We would be more inclusive and listen more to what residents were telling us. We will then be better able to control and prioritise our expenditure to better match residents’ needs.”
See their 2022 manifesto here.
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Labour
Wokingham Labour council group leader, Councillor Rachel Burgess, said: "All Labour candidates are standing on a manifesto that ensures that each councillor elected is mandated to put the interests of their local area first, before party considerations. It is vital that councillors are the champions of local residents and not mere tools of their party bosses.
“Good local government requires a strong and effective opposition. [...] I am pleased that Labour candidates are split half and half between women and men. I am dismayed to note that only two out of eighteen Conservative candidates are women.”
See their 2022 manifesto here.
Green Party
The Reading and Wokingham Green Party have said: "Greens work tirelessly, all year round, alongside our local communities. Together we have achieved much, but there is still plenty to do. We want to make our vision for a fairer, healthier and more affordable area a reality."
Their 2022 manifesto had not been released at the time of publication.
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