Labour have held onto their Great Hollands ward seat in Bracknell Forest Council following yesterday’s by-election results.
Candidate for the Labour Party, Donna Pressland, won the borough council election with 681 votes, as well as the town council election with 286 votes.
She will replace former councillor Naheed Ejaz who resigned last month.
Ms Ejaz had served as Labour ward member for Great Hollands since 2023 as well as borough mayor. She made history as the borough’s first female Muslim Mayor.
Ms Pressland will join two other Labour ward members for Great Hollands, including leader of the council Mary Temperton and Councillor Gerry Webb.
Ms Pressland said: “Thank you to residents of Great Hollands for putting their trust in me.
“I am committed to supporting Mary and Gerry in their incredible hard work for our community.”
She beats Conservative candidate Sue Housego, who won 411 votes, followed by Reform UK’s Colin Wright, with 258 votes.
Other candidates including independent Michael Gbadebo took 158 votes, while Jason Peter Reardon from the Heritage Party won 20 votes.
If elected councillor, Ms Pressland said she would improve street lighting, clamp down on fly tipping and deal with ‘large trees overshadowing houses’.
Turnout to vote in the by-election was low, at just 23 per cent.
Reacting to the result, the MP for Bracknell Peter Swallow said he had seen 'first-hand the passion and commitment' to the community.
The Labour Party took control of Bracknell Forest Council in 2023 after 26 years of conservative rule.
The Tory party lost 27 seats in May 2023’s local elections, with giving Labour 22 seats.
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