As if voters did not already have enough to worry about with both borough elections and the general election falling on the same day, some parish councils are also going to the polls on May 7.

In the borough of Maidstone, 18 parishes are due elections, but most will be uncontested, with too few candidates coming forward to fill all the vacancies. Voters will be asked to chose only in Bearsted, Harrietsham and Yalding.

The mostly hotly contested election is likely to be in Bearsted where 25 villagers are scrapping over 15 seats.

In an unusual move, some villagers have banded together into a political grouping, called Best For Bearsted, hoping to replace past members of the council.

The group is putting out its own election leaflet, with the message: “Our joint aim is to make Bearsted Parish Council really work for you.”

Their intentions include ensuring greater communication with villagers, spending parish money wisely, preserving green spaces, and ensuring the provision of community events such as Music on the Green.

The group has 14 candidates. Four have previously been parish councillors.

In Harrietsham there is also a strong groundswell of disapproval for the past council, based mainly on the perception that former members had been too ready to back housing expansion of the village.

Some villagers are standing together under the banner Harrietsham Against Reckless Development. Eighteen candidates there are fighting over 11 seats.

Glenda Dean of Pilgrims Lakes explained why villagers in Harrietsham were standing together under the Harrietsham Against Reckless Development banner.

She said: “We’re very dissatisfied with the former council. They have just not listened to villagers.

“In the draft Neighbourhood Plan they put forward, there were two development sites in particular where there widespread objections - Court Lodge Road and Tongs Meadow. But the parish decided to stick to their decision anyway.

“For too long, the parish has been run by the same few people, many of them have never been elected - just co-opted.

“Some of them don’t even come to the meetings. It’s time for a change.”

Yalding has 11 people fighting for nine seats.

*The full list of candidates in Bearsted is Richard Ash, Geoff Bennett, Richard Camp, Suzanne Camp, Daniel Conner, Kenneth Cox, Helen Cuming, Michael Cuming, Leslie Ethridge, Graham Farrow, Helen Farrow, Helena Goodwin, Tony Grieve, Ernest Hill, Fabienne Hughes, Jonathan Hughes, Tony Kettle, Geoff Licence, Patricia Marshall, Peter Powell, Fiona Redman, Tony Ryan, Dennis Spooner, Michael Stark and Paul Young.

*The full list of candidates in Harrietsham is: Trevor Allwood, Janet Bilke, Amanda Chinnery, Dennis Clifton, Glenda Dean, Susie Jack, Kenneth Kay, Paul Milton, Jackie Moore, Stephen Morris, David Oversby, Colin Przystupa, Janetta Sams, Tom Sams, Jasper Song, Tony Taylor, Gary Trussler and Michael Williams.

*The full list in Yalding is: Bill Bird, Geraldine Brown, Jason Bryant, Sophie Cooper, Ken Gough, Trish Oyler, Patricia Robbins, Andy Saunders, Michael Stewart, Nick Thomson and Mike Tilyard.