Councils in Dover, Deal and Sandwich prepare for local election battle
Published: 15:25, 04 April 2019
Updated: 16:04, 05 April 2019
The chance to select new district, town and parish representatives is nearing and time is running out to ensure you can have your say.
Residents wishing to vote in local elections have until 11.59pm on Friday, April 12 to register via online via gov.uk/register-to-vote, and until 5pm on Monday, April 15 to register to vote by post.
Voting will take place at polling stations around the district on Thursday, May 2 and will be counted from 10am on Friday, May 3 inside Dover Town Hall, with results announced throughout the afternoon.
Details of the approved candidates for each party have now been made public by Dover District Council.
Following a number of boundary changes there will be a reduction of 13 seats available on Dover District Council from 45 to 32.
There are 15 seats up for grabs on Deal Town Council where Labour currently hold the majority.
A notable member choosing not to stand for re-election is mayor Nick Tomaszewski after he has resigned from the Labour Party due to “internal wranglings”.
Cllr Bob Frost, who has hit headlines a number of times for his controversial tweets and social media activity, has also told KentOnline he will not be standing.
A total of 16 seats will need to be filled on Sandwich Town Council, currently led by the Conservative Party.
Councillors Paul Graeme, Paul Carter, Dan Friend and David Wood are among those standing for re-election while a number of new faces are expected to be put forward.
Dover Town Council, led by the Labour Party, has 18 seats to fill.
Peter Wallace is leaving both Dover district and town councils to spend more time on family life.
He revealed that his daughter, Poppy, eight, persuaded him to quit.
He said: "I was only seeing her two hours a day in between council meetings and casework sessions.
"She asked me last year not to stand again and I promised."
Cllr Wallace, of Labour, has been on the town council since May 2015 and the district tier since 2013.
He had until 2012 lived in Folkestone where he was an active member of Folkestone and Hythe Labour Party.
Local elections in this area are held every four years.
To find out more go to dover.gov.uk/Council--Democracy/Elections
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Eleanor Perkins