Ward profile: Withdean

Candidates (Three seats)

*Ann Norman (Conservative) - @AnnNorman1

*Ken Norman (Conservative) - @kennorman

Nick Taylor (Conservative) - @EnBeeTee

Steve Griffiths (Green)

Jamie Lloyd (Green)

*Sue Shanks (Green) - @ShanksSue

Leo Barraclough (Labour) - @leobarraclough

Juliet McCaffery (Labour) - @McCafferyJuliet

Mike Middleton (Labour)

Hyder Khalil (Liberal Democrats)

Beth Granter (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) - @bethgranter

Poll watch

You need only to look in the window of any local estate agent to understand why Withdean is a Conservative stronghold.

Million-pound homes abound in the leafy lanes of a ward where nearly one in five is employed in higher-managerial occupations.

It was remarkable that Sue Shanks grabbed top spot for the Green Party in the last city council elections, squeezing out fourth-placed Robert Nemeth, who should have been a shoo-in along with fellow Conservatives, Ann and Ken Norman. (What is it about Brighton and Hove City Council that seems to attract married couples? Surely some voters must at least suspect there is the risk that Mr and Mrs Councillor will treat their double election as a job-share rather than a dual responsibility.)

Back to Ms Shanks, whose hugely-impressive campaign in 2011 - certainly in terms of energy, ground covered, and doors knocked on - got its just desserts.

Can the current chair of the children and young people's committee do it again this time around? Possibly not.

For Labour, all three are seasoned candidates, albeit not always in Withdean. In particular, Juliet McCaffery, a former councillor in Preston Park, has been a distinctive voice in the Labour ranks.

It is, however, difficult to bet against a Conservative hat-trick.

The newcomer for the Conservative Party is Brighton-born Nick Taylor, a young man with a keen personal interest in education and parental choice. He must have a chance of making up a trio of Tories, but he is definitely not a shoo-in.

2011 election results

Candidates                                    Votes (%)    

Sue Shanks (Green - elected) 2,184 (14%)

Ann Norman (Conservative - elected) 2,105 (13%)

Ken Norman (Conservative - elected) 1,992 (13%)

Robert Nemeth (Conservative) 1,891 (12%)

Paul Philo (Green) 1,810 (11%)

Jacqui Cuff (Green) 1,672 (11%)

Caraline Sarah Brown (Labour) 1,222 (8%)

Susan Elizabeth Darby (Labour) 1,164 (7%)

Fraser Gregory Kemp (Labour) 983 (6%)

John Lovatt (Liberal Democrats) 309 (2%)

Robert Stockman (Liberal Democrats) 218 (1%)

Hyder Kemal Khalil (Liberal Democrats) 213 (1%)

Factfile (Source: Census 2011)

Households: 6,308

Density (people per hectare): 53

Women: 51%

Men: 49% (7,097)

Average age: 40

Higher managerial occupations: 18.7% (2,181)

Unemployed: 4.5% (358)

White: 90.7% (13,110)

Black/African/Caribbean/Black British: 1.1% (164)

Asian/Asian British: 3.3% (478)

Number who cannot speak English well: 68

Dependent children in household (% of all households): 29.4%

Christians: 46%

No religion: 39%

Number of same-sex civil partnerships: 114

Divorced: 9%

Living as co-habiting couple: 14.9%

Married: 44.7%

One family - all aged 65 and over: 7.4%

Lone parent - with dependent children: 6%

No adults in employment - with dependent children: 1.8%

Long-term unemployed: 1%

Activities limited a lot by poor health: 5.8%

No cars or vans in household: 19%

No qualifications: 11.9%

Full-time students aged 18 and over: 4.3%

One person in household with long-term health problem/disability - with dependent children: 3.4%