Telford & Wrekin Council local elections - what you need to know
In May the public of Telford & Wrekin will go to the polls as they elect the borough's councillors for the next four years.
All 54 of Telford & Wrekin Council's seats will be contested in the election, which takes place on Thursday, May 2 – alongside the borough's 67 town and parish council wards, which will also be up for grabs.
For the past four years Telford & Wrekin Council has been run by the Labour administration under leader Councillor Shaun Davies, which has had a majority with 28 seats – the number required for a majority.
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The Conservatives, led by Church Aston & Lilleshall Councillor Andrew Eade, have had 20 seats on the authority, with the Liberal Democrats taking up four, and two being held by independents.
There are a number of large issues facing the authority, and none bigger than the continuing opposition to the Future Fit hospital reorganisation, which would see Telford's Princess Royal Hospital lose its A&E and Women & Children's centre.
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The council has already requested that the decision is reviewed, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock referring the request to an independent panel which is currently assessing the evidence provided by the authority.
Both parties have set the issue front and centre ahead of polling day.
The May 2 poll will see a total of 139 candidates contesting the 54 available seats, with the breakdown including six three-member wards, 12 two-member wards and 12 single-member wards.
Polling day and results timetable
Polls open at 7am and close at 10pm on Thursday, May 2, with counting beginning immediately and the results announced throughout the night.
Counting will be held at Telford College of Arts and Technology in Arleston and borough council Mr Partington will act as returning officer.
Russell Griffin, spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council said: “We will live-stream the results as they happen and tweet them as they happen.
“When we know the final outcome, we will put the results on the council newsroom and Facebook.”
Low candidate numbers have meant that more than a third of town and parish seats will be uncontested.
In 35 out of the 67 town and parish council wards, the number of candidates was less than or equal to the number of seats available, leading to the “uncontested election” of 115 members.
In 12 wards there are fewer candidates than seats available, and in four no-one has thrown their hat into the ring at all, meaning those councils may seek to co-opt a member of the public post-election.
