Cost of living and town
ENERGY bills, town centres and fly-tipping are among hot topic issues on the lips of the candidates vying for your vote as control of Rossendale is up for grabs.
All the runners and riders have been given the opportunity by the Free Press to set out their case for support in next week’s local elections.
Twelve seats on Rossendale Borough Council will be elected on May 5. There are no elections this year in Cribden or Facit & Shawforth - due to the annual rotation.
Seven of the contests will be three-way fights between largest party Labour, the Conservatives and the Greens, who are contesting 10, 12 and 11 wards respectively.
Incumbent independent Jimmy Eaton seeks to defend Greensclough ward against Alexander Vijatov, of the Greens, and Conservative Stuart Haughan in one of two wards Labour is not contesting. In the other, Community First’s Alan Neal seeks to retain his Healey & Whitworth seat in a straight two-way fight with Conservative Michael Whitworth.
Former councillors Dave Stansfield and Val Roberts are also standing as independents in Helmshore and Greenfield wards respectively. The other Helmshore candidates are Thomas Belli (Lab), Katrina Brockbank (Green), and Conservative Caroline Snowden - seeking to hold on to the seat vacated by retiring Brian Essex.
Labour’s Neil Looker, Green Geoff Blow and Tory incumbent Granville Morris complete the ballot paper in Greenfield.
Council leader Alyson Barnes will be bidding to hold her Goodshaw seat for Labour against Green candidate Ingrid Falat and Jonathan Foxcroft of the Conservatives.
The council - which went from Labour control to hung after last May’s local elections - currently sees Labour on 17 seats, Conservative 13, Independent 3, Community First 2, and Greens 1.
Seats being defended are currently held as follows: Labour 5, Conservative 5, Community First 1, Independent 1. That leaves Labour needing to take seven of the 10 seats they are contesting to regain control of the council, while the Tories would need to sweep 11 of the total 12 wards.
Elections will also take place to Bury Council - including our local Ramsbottom and North Manor wards - with the Liberal Democrats joining the Tories, Greens and Labour on ballot papers vying for three council spots per ward. ●●POLLING will take place between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, May 5.