Bridport Town Council urges residents to vote in elections

Local elections are taking place on Thursday, May 2.

For Bridport residents this means the town council, Dorset Council, and the Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner.

The recent expansion of the Bridport Town Council boundary to take in some nearby communities means that electors in the former parish areas of Allington, Bothenhampton & Walditch, and Bradpole, along with some whose homes now come under Bridport rather than Symondsbury, will get a vote in one of five new town council wards.

There are no records of previous elections at this level of government in these areas and the town council is keen to make sure people have their say.

The two old Bridport wards are outlined in red, with the new wards and boundaries outlined in blue (Image: Bridport Town Council)

Town Clerk Will Austin said: “Town and parish councils have a statutory right to raise taxes from their residents and affect their lives in many other ways, so it’s important for Bridport’s future that people have their say in choosing who to represent them.

"Across the five wards of the town council, people will be able to vote for up to five candidates in Bradpole, Bridport Central, and West Bridport & Allington, up to three in Bothenhampton & Walditch, and two in West Bay."

The full list of town council candidates are –

Bothenhampton & Walditch (3 seats) – Bridget Bolwell, Lib Dem; Isabel Bourne, Green; Elisabeth Brigden, Labour; Andrew Holdridge, Lib Dem; Anne Rickard, Lib Dem.

Bradpole (5) – Nigel Amor, Lib Dem; Ian Bark, Lib Dem; Robert Casey, Green; Neil Chilcott, no designation; Anna Killick, Labour; Paddy Mooney, Lib Dem.

Central (5) – Steve Chapman, Labour; Kelvin Clayton, Green; Alani Cook, Independent Young Person; Josef Davies-Coates, Independent United Diversity Bridport; David Hart, Labour; Nigel Rawlings, Lib Dem; Dave Rickard, Lib Dem; Sarah Williams, Lib Dem; David Worthington, Lib Dem.

West and Allington (5) – Jonathan Bourbon, Lib Dem; Sarah Carney, Independent; Michael Dommett, Lib Dem; Neil Hammond, Labour; Julian Jones, Green; Richard Nicholls, Labour; Bev Thornton, Lib Dem; Steve Williams, Lib Dem.

West Bay (2) – Dave Bolwell, Lib Dem; Richard Edwards, Green; Ann Langridge, Lib Dem.

Elections for Dorset Council also take place on May 2, with voters able to select up to three candidates from a total of ten, and for the Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner (one candidate from four).

For the first time in Bridport, voters will need to provide identification at the polling station before being allowed to vote.

A full list of acceptable forms of identification can be found on the Electoral Commission website.