Just 41 elections in Shropshire areas
There will be just 41 elections across Shropshire's 153 town and parish councils when voters go to the polls this week.
A total of 242 wards will go uncontested on Thursday.
In four seats there are no candidates at all, meaning the area they represent will have no town or parish councillor.
The figures, released today, come after the revelation earlier this month that 22,000 people would be denied the chance to vote in the Shropshire Council unitary authority elections with six divisions uncontested.
There will be no town council elections at all for seats in Bridgnorth, Whitchurch, Wem, Bishop's Castle, Ellesmere or Much Wenlock and only one of seven wards on Ludlow Town Council will be contested.
Scores of parish council seats will also not be contested. When nominations closed, there were no valid candidates for two parish councils or for wards on two others.
In Whitchurch, which has a population of 9,000, there will be no elections for either the unitary authority or the town council.
Seven town councillors are standing down including mayor Peggy Mullock, who plans to concentrate on her Shropshire Council role. Only six people have stepped forward meaning there is still one vacancy.
Deputy mayor Rob Hewson said: "The council has come in for a lot of criticism over the past few years but when it comes to it people are not willing to put their name forward and stand."
Bridgnorth Town Council will be reduced from 16 members to just 11 after 10 councillors decided to step down and not enough people put their names forward for vacant seats. Anne Wilson, town council clerk, said it is hoped five new members could be co-opted onto the council in the future.
The Shropshire Association of Local Councils insisted today people were still interesting sitting on their parish council.
Karen Roper said: "Sometimes people don't want to put themselves through the election process, so rather than going through that they wait until after the elections and put themselves forward for co-option. At our level that is a fact of life."
Special report: Hundreds of seats not contested at elections - See today's Shropshire Star
