Poll candidates announced
THE names of all the candidates standing in next month’s Derbyshire County Council local elections on have now been announced.
Polling day is Thursday, May 6 and voters in the Ashbourne area will be heading to their local polling stations to choose who they want to represent them at a county level for the next term.
Across the eight key divisions in the News Telegraph’s circulation area there are 32 candidates campaigning for a seat on Derbyshire County Council.
All 64 seats across the county will be contested by 254 candidates as a new county council is elected for the first time in four years.
Voters can find out who is standing in their area and what party they represent by visiting the county council’s website at
Prospective councillors are already busy campaigning for the right to make important decisions on council matters including spending on services like schools, roads, caring for older people and vulnerable people, safeguarding children and waste and recycling.
The election for the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner and referendums are also being held on neighbourhood plans for Ashbourne, Brailsford and Kirk Ireton.
The county council is encouraging people to use their vote next month and not miss the chance to decide who runs the authority for the next four years and represent more than 803,000 local people.
The authority has also said changes will be in place at the polling stations to keep voters and station staff safe and protected, including the use of screens where necessary, hand sanitising stations and in some places marshals who will help with social-distancing should queues form.
Polling stations will be open on Thursday, May 6 from 7am until 10pm.
The votes are being counted on Friday, May 7 and results from all divisions will be published on the Derbyshire Live website as soon as they are announced. The candidates in the Ashbourne area are as follows:
DERBYSHIRE DALES ASHBOURNE:
Steve Bull, of Greenway, Conservative Party
Peter Dobbs, of Windmill
Lane, Liberal Democrats
John Hill, of Mayfield Road, Green Party
Nick Whitehead, of the Derbyshire Dales, Labour Party
DOVEDALE:
Neil Buttle, of the Derbyshire Dales, Green Party
Simon Spencer, of Roston, Conservative Party
WIRKSWORTH:
Richard Bright, of the Derbyshire Dales, Independent
Paul Cruise, of Matlock, Liberal Democrats
Diane Fletcher, of Matlock, Labour Party
Dermot Murphy, of Derbyshire Dales, Conservatives John Ward, of Bakewell, Green Party
EAST STAFFORDSHIRE UTTOXETER RURAL:
Philip Atkins, of Rocester, Conservative Party
Olly Ragg, of East Staffordshire, Green Party
Edward Rodway Bowden, of Abbots Bromley, Independent Paul Walker, of Burton, Labour Party
STAFFORDSHIRE MOORLANDS LEEK RURAL:
Gill Heath, of Leek, Conservative Party
Jonathan Kempster, of the Staffordshire Moorlands, Green Party
Ann Malyon, of Ipstones, Independent
Matt Swindlehurst, of Leek, Labour Party
CHURNET VALLEY:
Bill Cawley, of Leek, Labour Party
Jane Stead, of the Staffordshire Moorlands, Green Party
Mike Worthington, of Cheddleton, Conservative Party
SOUTH DERBYSHIRE HILTON:
Andrew Warwick, of Hilton, Liberal Democrats
Alan Graves, of South Derbyshire, Reform UK
Gillian Lemon, of Etwall, Conservative Party
David Peacock, of South Derbyshire, Labour Party
Peter Smith, of South Derbyshire, Conservative Party Maureen Timmins, of South Derbyshire, Labour Party
AMBER VALLEY ALPORT AND DERWENT:
Ben Bellamy, of Belper, Labour Party
Mary Hatchett, of Belper Lane End, Green Party
Michael Heap, of Amber Valley, Liberal Democrats
David Taylor, of Idridgehay, Conservative Party