Candidates for Horsham District Council elections announced

Candidates set to contest next month’s Horsham District Council elections have been announced.
Horsham District Council elections are being held on Thursday May 2Horsham District Council elections are being held on Thursday May 2
Horsham District Council elections are being held on Thursday May 2

The authority currently has 44 councillors but will have 48 after polling day on May 2 as a boundary review has been carried out.

This has led to some major changes in ward patterns in a number of areas including in the centre of Horsham town itself.

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Cabinet member Gordon Lindsay, currently one of three Conservative representatives for Billingshurst and Shipley, will stand in the new Southwater South and Shipley ward.

Meanwhile Tory Ben Staines, councillor for Bramber, Upper Beeding and Woodmancote, is seeking election in Roffey South this time around.

Tony Hogben, who represents Denne, is standing in the now two-member ward of Rusper and Colgate alongside fellow Conservative and incumbent Liz Kitchen.

Lib Dem group leader David Skipp, whose Horsham Park ward has been amalgamated into others, is standing in the expanded three-member ward of Forest.

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Roffey North’s Alan Britten, who recently defected from the Tories to the Lib Dems, is this time standing in Roffey South.

One Conservative councillor is guaranteed to be elected in the two-member seat of Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead as only one non-Tory candidate is standing there for Labour,

David Jenkins is standing down after a monumental 43 years on Horsham District Council, having first been elected in 1976.

He is a number of Conservative councillors not standing for re-election.

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The others are: John Bailey (Rudgwick), Josh Murphy (Horsham Park), Jonathan Dancer (Roffey North), Simon Torn (Roffey South), John Chidlow (Southwater) and Michael Willett (Steyning).

Independent councillor for Horsham Park Connor Relleen is not standing again either.

Five former councillors are looking to be elected back on to the council.

Roger Arthur, a former deputy leader who defected from the Tories to UKIP in 2013, is standing in the West Chiltington, Thakeham and Ashington ward.

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Frances Haigh, who was Lib Dem group leader until she lost her Horsham Park seat in 2015, is looking to be elected in Denne.

Conservative Diana Van Der Klugt, who previously represented Chantry from 2013 to 2015, is standing in Pulborough, Coldwaltham and Amberley.

Lib Dems Julie and Peter Stainton, who are both former councillors for Southwater, are standing in Southwater South and Shipley.

The Conservatives are standing 48 candidates, Labour 39, the Liberal Democrats 29, UKIP nine and the Green Party four.

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Mike Morgan, one of two councillors for Henfield, is the only independent candidate standing in these elections.

Jim Duggan is standing for the Peace Party in Forest.

You have until Friday April 12 to register to vote. Visit the Government’s website.

Currently out of 44 councillors there are five Lib Dems, two independents and 37 Conservatives.

For a full list of candidates click here