Wealden residents head to the polls for local elections

More than 100 district authorities across England are holding whole council elections this year, with all councillors standing to be elected for four years.

Wealden District Council has 45 council seats being contested in this year’s election. The council is currently controlled by the Conservatives, who have 28 elected councillors.

The Tory's are hoping to maintain their stronghold on the district, with a spokesperson for the party saying: “Wealden is a great place to live, work and enjoy life. That’s the heading on our leaflet and sums up what our aim is if, as we hope, the Conservatives are re-elected to lead Wealden District Council.

“The Conservatives are the only party able to provide a stable administration in Wealden and avoid a Coalition of Chaos.”

The Green Party, who currently have four elected councillors, is hoping to double that number this time around.

A Green Party spokesperson said: “We are hoping to at least double the number of councillors we have on the council (we currently have four councillors) and we hope to see the Conservatives lose their overall majority.

"We are expecting a huge protest vote against the Conservatives - we have spoken to around a third of the residents in the wards we are campaigning in.

"Again and again people are saying they have always voted Conservative and now they are voting Green, as they are sick of the way nature and wellbeing is being depleted by Conservative policies that are pushing over-development and building houses only 5% of the population can afford.”

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The make-up of the rest of the District Council is – 6 Liberal Democrats, 4 Independent Democrats and 3 Independent Group councillors.

Residents who are intending to vote will need to show photographic ID to vote at this year’s local elections for the first time ever.

Voters are being urged to check they have an accepted form of ID before they arrive at the polling station.

Accepted forms of ID include – a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK, EEA or Commonwealth drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card.