Forthcoming byelections

Here are the vacancies and forthcoming byelections:

8 January 2009

• Enfield borough council: Bush Hill Park ward, after the death of veteran Conservative councillor John Jackson. Term ends 2010.
• Kingston-upon-Hull city council: Drypool ward, after the resignation of Andy Sloan who had been elected as a Liberal Democrat but earlier this year joined the Conservatives. Term ends 2010.

15 January

• Forest of Dean district council: Newent Central ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Sue Adams. Term ends 2011.
• Haringey borough council: Seven Sisters ward, after the death of veteran Labour councillor Fred Knight. Term ends 2010.

22 January

• Bexley borough council: East Wickham ward, after the death of Alf Catterall (Conservative). Term ends 2010.
• Mid Sussex district council: Bentswood ward, after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Trevor Fisher. Term ends 2011.
• Northampton borough council: New Duston ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Liz Tavener. Term ends 2011.

29 January

• Hackney borough council: Stoke Newington Central ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor and Deputy Mayor Jamie Carswell who is taking a politically restricted post with Tower Hamlets Homes. Term ends 2010.
• Manchester city council: Didsbury West ward, after the sitting Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Trafford was killed in a car crash. Term ends 2011.
• Newcastle-on-Tyne city council: Fenham ward, after the death of Labour councillor Terry Cooney, who was Lord Mayor in 1989-90. Term ends 2011.
• Redbridge borough council: Valentines ward, after the resignation of Labour councillor Nadia Sharif. Term ends 2010.

5 February

• Chichester district council: Plaistow ward, after the resignation of Dr Paul Mackey (Conservative). Term ends 2011.
• Tameside borough council: Hyde Newton ward, after the death of Labour councillor Margaret Oldham. Term ends 2010.
• Wolverhampton city council: Heath Town ward, after the death of Labour councillor Les Turner. Term ends 2011.
• Wrexham county borough council: Rossett ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Robert Shepherd. Term ends 2012.

Undated

• Broxtowe borough council: Greasley (Giltbrook and Newthorpe) ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Martin Wright. Term ends 2011. Polling day is likely to be 26 February.
• Croydon borough council: Waddon ward, after the sudden death of the Mayor of Croydon Jonathan Driver, who was elected as a Conservative councillor. Term ends 2010.
• East Devon district council: Honiton St Michaels ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Chris Tratt. Term ends 2011.
• Enfield borough council: Jubilee ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Chris Andrew. Term ends 2010.
• Harrogate borough council: Bilton ward, after the disqualification of Independent (elected as Liberal Democrat) councillor Morris Lightfoot who was given an eight month jail sentence. Term ends 2010.
• Lewisham borough council: Downham ward, a double vacancy after the resignations of two Liberal Democrat councillors. Simon Carter is moving to the Netherlands, and Mark Morris has taken a politically restricted post at the Greater London Authority. Terms end 2010.
• North Tyneside borough council: Tynemouth ward, after the resignation of Diane Page of the Conservatives. Term ends 2012.
• North Warwickshire borough council: Atherstone Central ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Barry Beeson. Term ends 2011.
• Reigate and Banstead borough council: Tadworth and Walton ward, after the death of Conservative former Mayor and Deputy Leader Michael Buttery. Term ends 2011.
• St Helens borough council: Parr ward, after the death of Labour councillor Ken Pinder. Term ends 2012.
• St Helens borough council: Rainhill ward, after the death of Mike Doyle, a former Labour group and council leader. Term ends 2012.
• South Northamptonshire district council: Grange Park ward, after the resignation of Peter O’Leary (Conservative). Term ends 2011.
• Torridge district council: Hartland and Bradworthy ward, after the death of Bill Pillman who was an Independent councillor. Term ends 2011.
• Walsall borough council: Rushall-Shelfield ward, after the death of the Deputy Mayor, Cath Micklewright, who was a Conservative councillor. Term ends 2012.
• Waltham Forest borough council: Larkswood ward, after the death of Conservative councillor John Walter. Term ends 2010.

Vacancies which will not be filled

The Local Elections (Ordinary Day of Elections in 2009) Order 2008 (SI 2008 No. 2857) provides that any vacancy notified after 7 November 2008 in a council due to have elections in 2009, or to be abolished will not be filled. These council vacancies will therefore not see a byelection.

• Bedford borough council: Queen’s Park ward, after the death of Labour councillor Muhammad Khan.
• Crewe and Nantwich borough council: Wellington ward, after the death of Conservative councillor Keith Healey. This vacancy means that the Conservatives lose their overall majority on the council in its last few months.
• Isle of Wight council: Bembridge South ward, after the disqualification of Win McRobert. Elected as a Conservative, she had left the group and was sitting as a ‘Democratic Conservative’; her disqualification is controversial because her absence was due to caring for her seriously ill husband.
• Kent county council: Maidstone Rural East division, after the death of former council and Local Government Association leader Sandy Bruce-Lockhart (Conservative).
• North Cornwall district council: Bodmin St Petroc’s ward, after the resignation of Arwen Folkes of the Liberal Democrats.
• North Yorkshire county council: Bilton and Nidd Gorge division, after the disqualification of Independent (elected as Liberal Democrat) councillor Morris Lightfoot who was given an eight month jail sentence.
• Northamptonshire county council: New Duston division, after the death of Conservative councillor Liz Tavener.
• Restormel borough council: Bethel ward, after the death of Roy Gill of the Liberal Democrats.
• Salisbury district council: St Martin and Milford ward, after the death of Labour councillor Simon Howarth.
• Sedgefield district council: Sedgefield ward, after the death of Independent councillor Jim Wayman.
• Shewsbury and Atcham borough council: Condover ward, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Tom Hendry.
• Staffordshire county council: Wombourne division, after the death of Peter Timms who was a Conservative councillor.
• Suffolk county council: Felixstowe Coastal division, after the death of the Council Chairman, Ann Rodwell. She was serving as a Conservative councillor.
• Surrey county council: Camberley East division, after the death of Maurice Neighbour (Conservative).

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