New faces guaranteed after Shropshire Council elections

Some are retiring, some are moving away and others have been deselected by their party to be replaced with new candidates.

A total of 16 councillors will not stand for re-election on May 6, while there is also one vacant seat to be filled and another in which two serving members will go head-to-head for one seat.

It means that, for the first time, less than half of the 74 seats on Shropshire Council will be occupied by members who have continually served since the council was formed in 2009.

Among those bowing out of local politics are veteran independent councillors Pauline Dee, who represents Wem, and Madge Shineton in Cleobury Mortimer, as well as Conservative member and former council leader Malcolm Pate in Albrighton.

All three have clocked up more than 40 years representing their communities.

Wem will have two new councillors next month, as Councillor Dee’s counterpart, Lib Dem councillor Chris Mellings, is also stepping down after 32 years.

Meanwhile Conservative members Michael Wood in Worfield, Tina Woodward in Alveley and Claverley, William Parr, Bridgnorth East and Astley Abbotts, and council chairman Ann Harley, who represents Ellesmere, will also not be bidding for re-election next month having all served for more than 20 years.

Cabinet member Lee Chapman has also announced his departure, having represented Church Stretton and Craven Arms for the Conservatives since a by-election in 2012.

Three former mayors of Shrewsbury will step down from both Shropshire Council and the town council.

They are Conservative Keith Roberts in Radbrook and independents Jane Mackenzie in Bayston Hill, Column and Sutton, and Ioan Jones in Harlescott, who were both initially elected as Labour members.

Councillor Jones had planned to stand again but decided to withdraw after saying it was “totally irresponsible” for elections to be held in the middle of a pandemic.

Also stepping down from both Shrewsbury Town Council and the unitary authority are Conservative Peter Adams in Bowbrook, who has served 19 years, and Lib Dem Hannah Fraser, who was first elected in a 2012 by-election.

Alex Phillips, who has represented Bagley for the Conservatives since the last local elections in 2017, will step down from Shropshire Council but is hoping to retain his town council seat.

Conservative councillor Matt Lee has not been selected to run for re-election in Llanymynech, having not attended meetings for over a year while still claiming his allowance of almost £1,000 a month.

And independent member Clare Aspinall, a former Conservative, has already stepped down leaving a vacant seat in Oswestry East, after she came under fire for doing the same.

Another serving member will also bid farewell when the results are in for Bishop’s Castle division – either incumbent Liberal Democrat councillor Ruth Houghton or her challenger, the current Much Wenlock Conservative councillor David Turner.