Nine Somerset battles in the 2022 May elections

Voters will go to the polls on May 5 to elect 110 councillors to serve on the new Somerset Council, which will eventually replace Somerset’s five existing local authorities.

The full list of election candidates for all 55 divisions was published on April 6, with more than 330 individuals throwing their hat into the ring.

But while every part of our beloved county is worth fighting for, there are a handful of places where the result could make a huge difference to the political make-up of Somerset in the years to come.

Here are nine divisions where the result could end up being very close indeed:

Blackdown and Neroche

The Blackdown and Neroche division contains numerous villages in the Blackdown Hills area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), as well as some eastern portions of Wellington (including the Westpark 26 employment site).

Bordered by the M5 and the A358, it is home to many people who commute to Taunton or Wellington, while villages like Corfe and Churchinford still retain a strong sense of identity in their own right.

At the 2019 local elections, Liberal Democrat and Wellington resident Ross Henley unseated then-Taunton Deane Borough Council leader John Williams in what was dubbed ‘the battle of the Blackdowns’.

He will be hoping to hold onto his seat, along with fellow Lib Dem and district councillor Sarah Wakefield, who lives in Pitminster.

But both face strong challenges on several fronts – chiefly from John Thorne, the current Conservative county councillor for the division.

Henley and Thorne clashed at the county council elections in 2017, with Mr Thorne emerging the winner – albeit by just 142 votes.

Since then, Mr Thorne contested the Trull, Pitminster and Corfe by-election 12 months ago – but lost out to Lib Dem candidate Dawn Johnson.

Aside from Mr Thorne (and fellow Conservative candidate Michael Dennis), there are two very strong independent challengers for the seat – Sue Buller (the district councillor for North Curry and Ruishton) and Janet Lloyd (Wellington East).

With five current councillors vying for just two seats, this could end up being a very close race in an area where the Tories cannot afford to lose.

Chard North

While Chard has generally elected Lib Dems at a district level, its representation at county level has varied over the years, with Tories, Lib Dems and even UKIP being elected at one point or another.

The Chard North division covers most of the town north of the A30, along with the villages of Combe St. Nicholas, Buckland St. Mary and others near the A303 on the eastern edge of the Blackdown Hills.

This year’s contest has been thrown wide open after popular local Lib Dem councillor Amanda Broom, who led the fight to save the town’s Cresta swimming pool, resigned in December 2021 to focus on her career.

Two current Lib Dem district councillors are hoping to replace her – Martin Carnell (Chard Crimchard) and Jenny Kenton (Blackdown and Tatworth).

However, they face a strong challenge from long-standing Conservative councillor Martin Wale (who also represents Blackdown and Tatworth) and his running mate Kate Wylie Carrick.

Mr Wale made headlines in February when he called a vote of no confidence in South Somerset District Council leader Val Keitch (who is standing for election in Ilminster) in the aftermath of the Clare Pestell scandal.

This division also faces strong competition from the Greens, in the shape of Jason Hawkes (a Tatworth and Forton parish councillor) and Serena Wootton (a Chard town councillor and the party’s parliamentary candidate for the next general election).

With John Schofield of Labour rounding out the list, which could split the progressive vote three ways, this division will be a real test for Lib Dem dominance in the area.

Dunster

The Dunster division covers a large number of small, characterful villages, stretching from the eastern edge of the Exmoor National Park to the crucial A358 to Taunton – and also contains a large number of the stations served by the West Somerset Railway.

But while its larger neighbour Dulverton & Exmoor is likely to remain a safe Conservative seat, the picture in Dunster is complicated by the Lib Dems’ strong showing at a district level and divisions between the Tory vote on the ground.

This was demonstrated at the Old Cleeve and District by-election in June 2021, where Lib Dem candidate Stephen Griffiths triumphed by six votes after the Conservative vote was split between a current Tory and a former Tory.

Mr Griffiths will be hoping for a more comfortable victory this time around, standing alongside Marcus Kravis, who has been overseeing the Firepool and Coal Orchard regeneration projects in Taunton.

But they face a formidable opponent in Conservative candidate Christine Lawrence, a county council cabinet member who has represented the area continuously since 2001.

Mrs Lawrence and her running mate David Mansfield will be hoping to pitch a shut-out – and will be counting on Katri Hastings (Green) and Shanti Roos (Labour) to take votes away from the Lib Dems.

Frome West

Frome has long seen itself as politically out of step with County Hall in Taunton, as evidenced by the town electing two Green county councillors at the last elections in 2017 (through the Tories did take Frome North).

The Frome West division runs from the small settlements around the Critchill Manor Estate all the way to the majority of the town centre – including the crucial Saxonvale regeneration site.

Saxonvale is likely to be a huge issue for this election, with Green candidates Martin Dimery (the current county councillor for Frome East) and Michael Dunk (district councillor for Frome Market) hoping to make political capital out of the unpopularity of the Acorn redevelopment scheme and the continuing delays in bringing the site forward.

Their main challengers are two members of the Lib Dem cabinet on Mendip District Council – Damon Hooton (Frome Park and chairman of the planning board which twice approved the Acorn scheme) and Richard Pinnock (who represents the same ward and holds the housing portfolio).

Conservatives Mark Ridout and Hilary Thomas, along with Labour candidate Byron Taylor, will be looking to hoover up votes wherever they can find them – and they could make the final race a very close call.

If the Lib Dems end up having to govern Somerset in a minority or as part of a coalition, the Greens could be one of their main partners – making divisions like this all the more of a battleground.

Monkton and North Curry

As with Blackdown and Neroche, the fight for Monkton and North Curry sees numerous existing councillors battling for their political survival.

Of the five candidates standing in this division, only one – Lib Dem candidate Nick O’Donnell – is not currently either a county or district councillor.

The eastern half of the division, currently represented by county council leader David Fothergill, is predominantly rural, comprising North Curry, Burrowbridge and other villages on the Somerset Levels.

The western half is a different kettle of fish, containing much of the Monkton Heathfield urban extension and several key commuter villages on the outskirts of Taunton, such as Creech St. Michael and Ruishton.

Mr Fothergill and district councillor Norman Cavill (West Monkton and Cheddon Fitzpaine) will be hoping to see off a strong challenge from the Lib Dems in the form of O’Donnell and district councillor Ray Tully.

The Lib Dems will be confident of picking up votes at the western end, having won the North Curry & Ruishton by-election in June 2021.

However, the picture is further complicated by the presence of Green candidate Andy Pritchard – who represents the same district ward as Messrs. Cavill and Tully.

Mr Fothergill will be hoping the Greens can hoover up enough Lib Dem votes to ensure he can retain his seat – while defeat here would be a huge blow for the Tories’ chances.

North Petherton

Lying just to the north of Mr Fothergill’s seat, the North Petherton division could be the most contentious battleground in the entire Sedgemoor area.

The division covers a huge geographical area, stretching from the southern tip of the Quantock Hills AONB across the M5 and A38 arterial roads and skirting around the edge of Bridgwater.

Housing is likely to be a huge issue, given that the area has seen considerable large developments approved in the last few years – including the Wilstock Village and the Bridgwater Gateway site.

The division is currently represented by Lib Dem group leader Bill Revans, who has lived in or near the area all his life. In addition to representing North Petherton at a county and district level, he also stood for parliament in the Bridgwater and West Somerset constituency back in 2019.

He and fellow district councillor Gary Wong will be facing a tough battle against two Conservative district councillors – Alan Bradford (North Petherton) and Anthony Betty (King’s Isle).

Labour is also fielding two candidates, in the shape of John Falkingham and Genevieve Wark – making it a tight-knit fight for the two seats.

If the Lib Dems achieve a clean sweep, picking up enough votes in the more rural parts of the division, it will put the Tories under serious pressure – especially if Labour can see off any challenge to its dominance in Bridgwater.

Taunton North

While it has not yet been confirmed that the new unitary authority will be based in Taunton, capturing Somerset’s county town will be a goal of each of the main parties – and nowhere will that fight prove more fraught than in Taunton North.

The division lies to the north of the town’s railway station and the A358 Toneway, and includes the site of the North Taunton Woolaway regeneration programme, where the district council is spending millions to replace “defective” post-war housing.

Given the large amount of council housing in the division, it’s an area where Labour might traditionally expect to do well – and Brenda Weston (district councillor for Priorswood) will be hoping for a good showing for her and fellow candidate Rowan Thorne.

However, the division also includes the future Maidenbrook Country Park, secured by the Conservative-led Taunton Deane administration back in 2018 as a green buffer between Taunton and Monkton Heathfield.

Tory county councillor Giuseppe Fraschini and his running mate Jason Woollacott will be hoping to lure voters away from both Labour and the Lib Dems, whose candidates are both existing district councillors – Lee Baker (Priorswood) and Tom Deakin, winner of the recent Wilton & Sherford by-election held after the death of Alan Wedderkopp.

While the Firepool site doesn’t lie in this division, it will still prove to be a hot topic, with the competing visions for the site serving as a debate in miniature on Taunton’s future place in the south west.

Upper Tone

The Upper Tone division covers an enormous area, stretching from the south-eastern edge of Exmoor around Wellington and briefly crossing the M5 near the Devon border.

Being predominantly a collection of small rural villages, such as Langford Budville and Nynehead, you would expect this to be a shoe-in for Conservative candidates Roger Habgood (district councillor for Monument) and James Hunt (the current county councillor).

But things are not quite so straightforward upon closer inspection, with Lib Dem candidate John Hassall (district councillor for Cotford St. Luke & Oake) and Green candidate Dave Mansell (Wiveliscombe a& District) hoping to extend their existing pockets of support.

In addition to the Labour candidate Michael McGuffie, there are also two strong independent candidates in Philip Thorne and Gwilym Wren (Milverton & District) – the latter of whom has made a name for himself in holding the Lib Dems’ feet to the fire at chair of one of the scrutiny committees on Somerset West and Taunton Council.

For the Tories, anything less than a clean sweep would be a sure sign that rural support for the party is on the wane – and with it, their chances of governing Somerset with a majority.

Wellington

While many of the conflicts on this list will see political rivals squaring off, the battle for Wellington will see two local families go head to head.

The Wellington division contains most of the town (including the Tonedale Mill regeneration site) along with the nearby village of Rockwell Green; however, it omits the new Jurston Fields development on the A38 and the possible site of the town’s new railway station, which could open by 2026.

Labour has traditionally polled well here, with county councillor Andrew Govier (who has represented the town since 1997) joining forces with his daughter Catherine in the hope of winning both seats.

But in the blue corner they face opposition from Marcus and Zoe Barr – the former being the current district councillor for Rockwell Green, who rejoined the Tories in March 2021 having originally sat as an independent.

Rounding out the list are John Ainsworth for the Greens and Mark Lithgow for the Lib Dems – who, as the current district councillor for Wellington North, may eat into Labour’s votes in that part of the town.

Any dent in Labour’s fortunes in Wellington will benefit the other parties – and could be seen as an ominous barometer for how the party will fare in the next general election, due in 2024.

The polls will be open on May 5 between 7am and 10pm, with the results being announced over the course of the following day.