FORMER Mayor Tony Prior is to stand in this month's by-elections for one of three vacancies on Chard Town Council.

Mr Prior, of Druids Walk, Chard, will be looking to return to the town council on Thursday, May 29, when he contests the Holyrood ward seat.

Three positions have become available on the town council in the Holyrood, Avishayes and Crimchard wards following the death of Cllr Jean Smith, and the resignations of Joe Armstrong and Rita Wickenden in March.

Voters will go to the polls on Thursday, May 29, to find their successors.

Mr Prior, an independent candidate, previously served both town and district councils for 27 years before being disqualified from local government in 2006 for nine months after breaking the council's code of conduct on four counts in his dealings with former town clerk Sally Bing.

He is now looking to make a return to the council chamber on May 29, though he will face a tough challenge from Conservative Steve Wright and LibDem Sue Wyatt in a three-way battle.

All three candidates missed out on a town council seat at the last full election of 2007.

Mr Prior came fourth out of five in the Combe Ward behind Conservatives Cllrs Martin Wale and Dave Hill, and LibDem Andy Kenton.

Mr Wright, of Brutton Way, Chard, and Mrs Wyatt, of Tatworth Road, Chard, contested the Holyrood Ward last time, and came fourth and sixth respectively behind elected candidates Cllr Dave Orchard, Joe Armstrong and Cllr Stephen Dowell.

Both Mr Prior and Mr Wright also missed out at last year's South Somerset District Council elections in the respective Combe and Holyrood wards.

The Avishayes ward will be contested by the LibDems' Garry Shortland, of Crewkerne Road, Chard, and the Conservatives' Pete Amey, of High Street, Chard.

Mr Shortland missed out on a town council seat last year when he finished fourth in the Avi-shayes ward behind Cllrs Dave Bulmer, Jenny Kenton and his wife, Cllr Jill Shortland.

Current Chard Mayoress Nanette Wale, of Foxdon Hill, Wadeford, will be looking to take her seat on the town council and join her husband, Cllr Martin Wale, for the Conservatives.

But she will have to overcome the challenge of Julian Dorse, of Fore Street, Chard, who will be standing for the LibDems.

Chard Town by-election candidates: Holyrood - Tony Prior (Independent); Steve Wright (Conservative); Sue Wyatt (Lib-Dem); Avishayes - Peter Amey (Conservative); Garry Shortland (Lib-Dem); Crimchard - Julian Dorse (LibDem); Nanette Wale (Conservative).

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THE Chard & Ilminster News will be carrying full reports in the weeks leading up to election day on May 29.

9:02am Thursday 8th May 2008

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