Shifnal Town Council election: Who is standing and what are key issues?

It is a town that has been the focus of major development – and plans for more – and the issue is key to the up-coming local elections.

Serving town councillors will be hoping to defend their seats against a new challenger in the Shifnal Town Council election next month.

Only Manor ward will have an election, with seven candidates battling it out for just six seats.

In the Idsall ward, just three candidates – who are all serving councillors – have come forward for seven available seats and as a result all will be automatically elected.

Meanwhile there are no candidates at all for the two seats representing Rural ward.

The six vacancies will need to be filled through by-elections or co-option – where councillors can agree to appoint new councillors without a public vote – at a later date.

Standing in Manor are current councillors Ellen Moore, Gordon Tonkinson, Fern Potter and Paul Williamson, as well as councillors Ed Bird and Roger Cox who currently represent Idsall.

The incumbents will be up against new candidate John Moore, from campaign group Shifnal Matters.

If elected, he would be the second member of the group to join the town council, after Zoe Turner who was co-opted on last year and is re-elected unopposed in Isdall ward.

The group has increasingly grown in profile as it has publicly campaigned against Shropshire Council's proposals for the town in the local development plan, as well as a controversial scheme for around 3,000 homes north of Shifnal and the other side of the M54 at Tong.

Five town councillors will step down at next month's election, including mayor Robert Harrop and Tim Day in Manor ward.

Kevin Turley, who is also the unitary councillor for Shifnal North, will step aside in Idsall ward, as will councillors Leslie Hipkiss and Mark Shelton in Rural ward.

Mr Moore and Councillor Bird will also face off in the Shropshire Council election, as they are both in the running for the Shifnal South and Cosford seat.

Councillor Bird has represented the division for the Conservatives since a by-election in 2018, and is challenged this year by Mr Moore, an independent, as well as Labour candidate Jan Coulson.

Voters go to the polls on May 6.

Full list of Shifnal Town Council candidates for 2021

• Manor (six seats): Ed Bird, Roger Cox, Ellen Moore, John Moore, Fern Potter, Gordon Tonkinson, Paul Williamson

• Idsall (seven seats): John Horne, Trevor Tarran, Zoe Turner

• Rural (two seats): No candidates