In this week's column, councillor Paul Bettison OBE, the leader of Bracknell Forest Council, looks to the local elections in May, where all current councillors are up for election. Ahead of that, he has urged everyone to make sure they have voter ID ready. Councillor Bettison writes:

Hello everyone and welcome to my last edition of the column, at least for a while.

Next week, Wednesday, March 22, marks the beginning of the pre-election period. During that time the council must remain impartial, as all your borough and parish councillors are up for election. We’ll be focussing on campaigning during this time.

Still, there is a lot to uncover before then, so let’s get started.

You will, almost certainly, have received at least one piece of literature through your letterbox about these elections, especially about the impact of voter ID. This is a significant change, but it is important to not allow misinformation to spread.

There are multiple options available for you if you don’t currently have ID in place. So many in fact, that I will direct you to the council’s elections webpages to see them all in detail. What is not true, as I have seen mentioned online, is that not having an accepted ID now means it is too late to get it before May 4.

What I’d urge everyone to do first is check if you are registered to vote and get registered if needed. Anyone not registered will be unable to vote on May 4. You must register to vote at a polling station by April 17. It does not take long; you only need five minutes and your national insurance number.

You can also email the council’s electoral services team at: elections@bracknell-forest.gov.uk if you’re not sure if you’ve registered. Once registered, check if you have the correct ID in place to vote, if not, look at the alternative options available on our website above.

Another deadline coming up is the opportunity to apply for local financial support if you need it. The Household Support Fund is provided by the Department of Work and Pensions and is dedicated to supporting low-income households that do not automatically qualify for other cost of living support schemes. In Bracknell Forest this funding is available to apply for through the current Local Welfare Scheme. Applications need to be submitted by Friday, March 24. Please check the council’s Local Welfare Scheme webpage for more information on eligibility and how to apply.

So, with all that out of the way, I wish everyone a wonderful springtime ahead. Let’s hope the weather warms up a bit! Don’t forget to register and don’t forget to vote on 4 May.