ELECTIONS: Northampton Borough Council

This year's elections at Northampton Borough Council are set to be among the most interesting in the region.
Currently the Liberal Democrats control the borough, but the Conservatives are confident of making up ground this time round.
Notably the Labour pary has failed to put up a candidate in 14 of the borough council's 45 seats - prompting some to call the election a two horse race. This has huge implications in the wards in The Hunsbury Herald region as East Hunsbury, West Hunsbury and Nene Valley, as well as nearby Upton, will all hold elections without Labour candidates.
Another factor making this year's elections different from those that have preceeded it are the changes to the ward boundaries introduced by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.
The Commission's review has reduced the number of councillors for Northampton from 47 to 45 and increased the number of electoral wards from 23 to 33.
The wards of importance to Hunsbury Herald readers are East Hunsbury, West Hunsbury and Nene Valley, which covers Collingtree and Wootton - and these areas are not without change either.
In East Hunsbury current incumbent Phil Larratt will be standing again, but his Conservative colleague Judith Lill is stepping down.
There is a similar story in Nene Valley where Conservative Michael Hill will again contest the seat, but Colin Lill is standing down.
And it will be all change in West Hunsbury, where current councillor and cabinet member Paul Varnsverry has been forced to switch to the Delapre & Briar Hill ward due to the boundary changes and his Liberal Democrat colleague Richard Matthews will instead by standing in Upton.
Mr Matthews' move makes way for former councillor Jill Hope who represented West Hunsbury for eight years between 1999 and 2007 before stepping down to unsuccessfully contest the Milton Keynes North seat at the 2010 General Election.
She will take on Conservative Brian Oldham and Christian People's Alliance candidate Phillip Buchan in a ward where a new councillor is guaranteed.

The full list of candidates in our wards is below:

EAST HUNSBURY

Brandon Reginald Edward Eldred - Conservative
Phil Larratt - Conservative
Jill Denise Panebianco - Liberal Democrat
Martin Price - Liberal Democrat

NENE VALLEY (covers Wootton and Collingtree regions)

Liam James Costello - Independent
John Kenneth Crake - Liberal Democrat
Cerri Jacqueline Glynane - Liberal Democrat
Michael John Hill - Conservative
Jonathan Nunn - Conservative

UPTON

Richard Matthews Liberal Democrat
Scott Collins Liberal Democrat
Brian Sargeant Conservative
Alan Bottwood Conservative

WEST HUNSBURY

Phillip Andrew Buchan - Christian Peoples Alliance
Jill Susan Hope - Liberal Democrat
Brian Oldham - Conservative

For details of all the wards and candidates at the borough council elections click here.
To view a map of the all the wards click here.

Polling stations for the wards will be at the following address:

EAST HUNSBURY

Abbey Centre Baptist Church
Abbey Centre Baptist Church
10 Overslade Close
East Hunsbury
Northampton
NN4 0RZ

NENE VALLEY

Wootton Memorial Hall
High Street
Wootton
Northampton
NN4 6LW

UPTON

St Crispin Retirement Village
St Thomas Street
Duston
Northampton
NN5 4RB

WEST HUNSBURY

Parsons Mead Community Room
Parsons Mead
West Hunsbury
Northampton
NN4 9PS