Forthcoming byelections

We know of these local authority byelections:

24 April

• Hinckley Castle ward, Hinckley and Bosworth borough council, after the death of Tom McClure of the Liberal Democrats. The winner serves until 2011.
• Little Stour and Ashstone ward, Dover borough council, caused by the resignation of Conservative Steve Smee. The term will end in 2011.

1 May

This is the normal date at which local elections are due to be held. Double and treble vacancies will be dealt with in a separate post. The following are the byelections taking place in authorities which would not otherwise have any elections:

• Abbey division, Cheshire county council, after the resignation of Shirley Harris (Conservative). The winner will serve only until 2009 when the authority is abolished.
• Abbey ward, Dumfries and Galloway council, following the resignation of Bill Hodgson (Conservative). The winner will serve until 2011.
• Alcombe East ward, West Somerset district council, caused by the resignation of Nick Messara, a Conservative former Mayor. His replacement will serve until 2011.
• Ashington Central ward, Wansbeck district council, following the disqualification of Barry Vasey (Fresh Party). The new councillor serves until 2009 when the authority will be abolished.
• Brompton ward, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, following the resignation of Margot James. Her replacement will serve until 2010.
• Comeytrowe ward, Taunton Deane district council, following the death of Liberal Democrat former Mayor Tony Floyd. The winner will serve until 2011.
• Flitwick East ward, Mid Bedfordshire district council, after the death of John Watton of the Liberal Democrats. The term ends in 2009 when the authority will be abolished.
• Greenford Broadway ward, Ealing borough council, after the resignation of Labour councillor and former group leader Sonika Nirwal. Her replacement will have a seat until 2010.
• Hale ward, Barnet borough council, caused by the resignation of Conservative councillor Jane Ellison. The new councillor will serve until 2010.
• Highgate ward, Camden borough council, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Paul Barton. The new councillor will serve to 2010.
• Kidlington and Yarnton division, Oxfordshire county council, after the resignation of Conservative councillor Maureen Hastings. Her replacement serves until 2009.
• Leftwich and Kingsmead ward, Vale Royal district council, following the resignation of Will Charlton (Conservative). The winner serves until 2009 when the authority will be abolished.
• Mendip North East division, Somerset county council, caused by the disqualification of Conservative councillor Michael St. John. The new councillor serves to 2009.
• Millwall ward, Tower Hamlets borough council, caused by the resignation of Simon Rouse (Conservative). The winner serves to 2010.
• Newcastle Rural division, Staffordshire county council, caused by the resignation of Robert Edwards (Conservative). The new councillor will serve until 2009.
• Queen’s Park ward, Bournemouth borough council, following the resignation of Conservative Alexander Adams. The new councillor will serve until 2011.
• Romsey division, Cambridgeshire county council, following the resignation of Alice Douglas (Liberal Democrat). The new councillor serves until 2009.
• Sands End ward, Hammersmith and Fulham borough council, following the resignation of Jeanette Bentley (Conservative). The new councillor will serve until 2010.
• Sedgefield ward, Sedgefield borough council also has a vacancy caused by the death of Independent councillor Jim Wayman. The winner will serve until 2009 when the authority is abolished.
• Sweeney and Trefonen ward, Oswestry borough council after the death of Richard Burman (Conservative). The winner will serve until 2011.
• Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park ward, Thurrock council, after the resignation of Labour’s Paul Attah. There are elections due in Thurrock this year but this ward was not due to be part of them. The new councillor will serve until 2011.
• Troup ward, Aberdeenshire council, after the death of Mitchell Burnett of the Scottish National Party. The winner will serve until 2011.
• Weavers ward, Tower Hamlets borough council, caused by the resignation of the Liberal Democrat councillor Louise Alexander. Her replacement will serve until 2010.
• Winton East ward, Bournemouth borough council, following the resignation of Conservative Sue Cowley. The new councillor will serve until 2011.

8 May

• Medway council: Rochester South and Horsted ward, following the resignation of John Ward (Conservative) over a controversial post on his blog. His replacement will serve until 2011.

15 May

• Poole borough council: Branksome East ward, following the death of Mary Hillman (Conservative). Her replacement serves to 2011.

29 May

• South Somerset district council: Chard Crimchard ward, following the death of Liberal Democrat Jean Smith. The winner will serve until 2011.

5 June

• Allerdale district council: All Saints ward, caused by the resignation of Stephen Coates (Conservative). His replacement serves until 2011.

Undated

The Conservatives have vacancies on Somerset county council and Mendip district council caused by the death of Stephen Robinson, who represented Shepton Mallet division on the former and Shepton East ward on the latter. The winner of the Mendip byelection will decide control of the council between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. They also have vacancies on East Sussex county council and Rother district council after the death of Ron Dyason, councillor for Bexhill King Offa division on the county council and Bexhill Collington ward on the latter; on Newark and Sherwood district council after the death of former Newark MP Richard Alexander, on North Tyneside borough council after the resignation of Hugh Jackson over his comments on euthenasia, and on South Norfolk district council after the death of Brian Clark-Taylor.

There are Labour seats vacant in Chorley East ward, Chorley borough council, after the death of Mary Wilson, in Eckington division, Derbyshire county council, after the death of Derek Featherstone, in Killamarsh West ward of North East Derbyshire district council, following the death of Colin Robinson, and in Wigan West ward, Wigan borough council, after the death of Michael Baines.

Brockworth division, Gloucestershire county council, is vacant following the resignation of Sean Connors of the Brockworth Residents Group. Unstone ward, North East Derbyshire district council, is vacant following the death of Fred Hopkinson, who was an Independent councillor.

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