Voters in Great Hollands will be able to choose a new councillor at Bracknell Forest after a by-election has been announced.

Former Councillor Naheed Ejaz resigned Bracknell Forest Council as well as Bracknell Town Council last month, prompting the new race.

The former Labour member served as ward member for Great Hollands since 2023, when she was also elected Mayor.

Ms Ejaz made history as the borough’s first female Muslim Mayor. No details have been given over the reasons for her stepping down.

A by-election for her replacement will take place on Thursday, November 7.

Five candidates have been announced, including former parliamentary candidates for Bracknell and Wokingham in July’s general election.

The Labour party are putting forward Donna Louise Pressland.

MP for Bracknell Peter Swallow said Ms Pressland would be a ‘strong local voice’ for Great Hollands.

The Conservative Party candidate is Sue Housego.

Ms Housego is a long-term resident of Great Hollands, which she describes as an ‘excellent place to live’ which she wants to ‘improve further’.

Independent candidate Michael Gbadebo has thrown his hat into the race, as well as Jason Peter Reardon from the Heritage Party.

Micheal Gbadebo is a former conservative councillor, having served at Bracknell Forest between 2011-2015 and again in 2019-2023.

He is now standing as an independent claiming to be 'disillusioned' from the main political parties.

Mr Reardon ran in July’s general election as his party’s candidate, and received a total of 196 votes.

He has lived and worked in Bracknell for more than 25 years and previously stood as a council member for Harmans Water and Crown Wood in 2023.

Also standing for Reform UK is Colin Wright, who stood as the party’s candidate for MP in Wokingham this July.

Mr Wright has lived in Crowthorne and Sandhurst since 1979 and his parents worked in Broadmoor.

He works as in IT software and has set up European operations across many countries.

The candidate came third in the race for Wokingham’s MP in July, behind the Conservative’s Lucy Demery and winner Clive Jones from the Liberal Democrats.

A poll will also be held on November 7 for Bracknell Town Council, the secondary authority which Ms Ejaz also sat on.

The same candidates are sitting for this election.

Whoever is elected will join Labour members Councillor Mary Temperton and Councillor Gerry Webb.

Councillor Mary Temperton is also leader of the council, after her party won a landslide number of seats in the council in 2023.

The polling station will be open in Great Hollands Community centre, The Square, Wordsworth between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, November 7.