VOTERS across the area are set to go to polls next month for the local council elections which are expected to be keenly contested.
Parish council voting take place on the same day - except in Addingham where there are too few candidates. Just 11 have put their names forward.
Nowhere will the outcome on May 1 be more keenly watched than in Bradford where last year's elections left Labour and the Conservatives holding the same number of seats.
The elections will also produce a crop of new councillors. The Rombalds Ward of Bradford Council, which includes Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston, is one such place.
Long-serving councillor and current Lord Mayor of Bradford, Richard Wightman, is to stand down after 20 years.
Councillor Wightman said: "It's been a lovely year to be Lord Mayor, and I've done a huge number of things.
"I took the decision some time ago that I was going to leave the council. I shall have completed 20 years, I think it's time for new blood to come into the council.
"I've been very proud to be a councillor in Bradford Metropolitan District, and in particular in this ward, which is a lovely ward to serve. I've had nothing but happy times."
Craven ward councillor David Harrison, who lives in Addingham, also reaches the end of his year's term as Deputy Lord Mayor of Bradford.
Candidates, representing the Green Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and Conservative Party will contest Rombalds ward.
In the Ilkley ward Martin Smith will defend his seat against Liberal Democrat James Keeley and Labour's Paul Dutton.
Conservative David Emmott, faces challenges from Labour's Melvyn Harrison and Liberal Democrat Hamish Hay in the Craven ward, The Ilkley area, meanwhile, is to experience its first parish council elections since the introduction of the parish precept.
The council will have a new chairman as its next term begins. Councillor Mike Gibbons, who has held the position for the past two years, is this year standing down, and vice chairman Heathcliffe Bowen - who was originally expected to take over the role if re-elected - has decided not to stand as a parish councillor.
Coun Gibbons is standing once again in Ben Rhydding ward and Councillor Kate Brown is expected to become chairman if she is re-elected.
Coun Gibbons said: "I think there's still a big job to do. I believe the profile of the parish council has been raised in recent times and we've been more involved in the community, which is to be continued.
"We're looking forward to a new parish council with potentially new members and to be active for the protection of our area."
Elections will take place in the Ben Rhydding, Ilkley North, Ilkley South and Ilkley West wards.
No elections will take place in the Burley and Holme wards, where all candidates are standing as independents, as there are too few nominations. A number of the existing parish councillors for these wards are not standing again.
As there are just three nominations for the Menston ward, where long-serving councillor Joyce Galling is stepping down, there will be no election.
Addingham Parish
Michael ALDRIDGE*
Gordon CAMPBELL*
John ELLIS
Stanley FLESHER*
Barbara HAIGH
Sheila HAMILTON*
Alan JEROME*
Penny JEROME
Sheila McLACHLAN
Daniel Palmer*
Timothy TASKER
ARTHINGTON Parish
Shirley Beardsworth
Clive Fox*
Carol Lister,
Ian Lister
Basil Thompson
BRADFORD Council
Baildon Ward
John COLE* (Lib Dem)
David HOBSON (BNP)
Miranda VASEY (Lab)
Edward WARD (Con)
Kevin WARNES (Green)
Craven Ward
David EMMOTT*. (Con)
Melvyn HARRISON (Lab)
Hamish HAY (Lib Dem)
Ilkley Ward
Paul DUTTON. (Lab)
James KEELEY (Lib Dem)
Martin SMITH.* (Con)
Rombalds Ward
Julie COWDER (Green)
Andrew DUNDAS (Lab)
Ambrose MICKLEM (Lib Dem)
Matthew PALMER (Con)
BRAMHOPE & CARLTON
Parish
Roy Dalby
Philip Dawson
Edward Dodman (Lab)
Clive Fox*
Colin Gamble
Khan (Mike) Arshad
Graham Lovis (Lab)
Robin Mairs
Geoffrey Mills*
Jane Rigby
Colin Robertson
Barry Tayler
David Ward
Horsforth Town
Broadfields Ward
Ray AGAR (Lab)
Andrew BARKER* (Lib Dem)
Charles CROSSFIELD (Lib Dem)
Serena GLOVER (Lib Dem)
Kathleen HARDCASTLE (Con)
Paul HELLYER (Con)
Margarita McGOWAN (Lab)
Sylvia WHITLOCK* (Lib Dem)
Brownberrie Ward
Dawn COLLINS (Con)
John DOOLEY (Ind)
Simon ellis (Lab)
Alan GRAY (Ind)
Michael GRUBB* (Ind)
JamieHanley (Lab)
Dora KARZEWSKI* (Con)
Ian SCOTT* (Lib Dem)
Hall Park Ward
Katherine ARBUCKLE* (Lib Dem)
Martin bell (Lab)
Ian coatman (HSTWC)
Dianne hanley (Lab)
John HARDCASTLE (Con)
Douglas Holmes* (IFOHP)
Geoffrey HUDSON* (IFOHP)
Neil hunt (Con)
John ICETON* (Ind)
David READ* (Lib Dem)
Victoria Ward
Caroline ANDERSOn (Con)
Jude ARBUCKLE* (Lib Dem)
Deborah ASHWORTH (HSTWC)
Constance HOOSON (Lab)
Geoffrey KNEESHAW* (Lib Dem)
Peter LodgE (Ind)
Tim Metcalfe (Con)
James reid* (Lib dem)
Maureen rhodes* (Ind)
Doris windsor (Lib Dem)
Valerie wood-robinson (Lab)
Woodside Ward
John BRODWELL* (Ind)
Sheila CHAPMAN (HSTWC)
Shaun GLOVER (Lib Dem)
Sheila JACKSON (Con)
Jacqueline MARSDEN (Lab)
David MARSH (Lab)
ILKLEY Parish
Ben Rhydding Ward
Andrew dundas (Lab)
Michael GIBBONS* (Con)
Anne HAWKESWORTH* (Con)
JaniceHESLOP* (Con)
Burley Ward
Christine HILL (ind)
James richards (Ind)
Anthony THOMPSON (Ind)
Holme Ward
Caroline JONES (Ind)
John SPARSHATT (Ind)
Sylvia TILFORD (Ind)
Menston Ward
Audrey brand* (Con)
Arthur GOLDSBROUGH* (Con)
Malcolm WADDINGTON (Con)
north Ward
Pauline dixon* (Con)
Brian MANN* (Con)
Christopher RAMAGE (Lab)
Lexa ROBINSON* (Con)
James WOLTON (Lab)
South Ward
Kathleen BEST (Lab)
Peter CHENEY (Lab)
David ROBERTS (Con)
Andrew WALBANK* (Con)
wEST Ward
Kathleen BROWN* (con)
Paul dutton (Lab)
Michael LYNES* (Con)
Alan MORRELL (Con)
leeds City
AIREBOROUGH Ward
Andrew JAMES (Con)
Ian HUTTON (Lib Dem)
Mike KING (Lab)
HORSFORTH Ward
Tony ADDISON (Lab)
Andrew BINNS (Green)
Brian CLEASBY* (Lib Dem)
Neil HUNT (Con)
OTLEY & WHARFEDALE Ward
John EVELEIGH (Lab)
Gerard FRANCIS (Con)
Graham KIRKLAND* (Lib Dem)
Paul Marchant (Green)
otLEY Town
Prince Henry Ward
Colin Campbell* (Lib Dem)
Christine CampbelL* (Lib Dem)
Stuart Campbell (Con)
Ray Dunn* (Lab)
Janet Edwards (Con)
Norman Harrison (Con)
Margaret Ross (Lib Dem)
MANOR Ward
Alan Balmforth (Lib Dem
Carol Copsey (Con)
Anne Dean (Con)
Michael Evans (Lab)
Nigel Gill* (Lab)
Jonathan Kirkland (Lib Dem)
Gerald McGowan* (Lab)
Joyce Roper (Con)
Raymond SMITH (Lib Dem)
DANEFIELD Ward
Neville Birch (Lab)
Michael Charnley (Con)
Richard Downes (Lib Dem)
Gerard Francis* (Con)
Nigel Francis* (Ind)
Elisabeth Furze (Lib Dem)
Pamela Gill (Lab)
Lucy Nuttgens (Lab)
Katherine Whelan (Lib Dem)
ASHFIELD Ward
Betty Bevan* (Lab)
Richard Cragg (Con)
John EvelEigh (Lab)
Alan FurzE (Lib Dem)
Jeanne RicHardson (Con)
John RichArdson (Con)
Lawrence Ross * (Lib Dem)
Maurice Sanders (Lab)
Millie Stott (Lib Dem)
west chevin Ward
Kevin Cooney (Lab)
Sean Emmett (Con)
andrew Garnsey (Con)
James Hoskins (Lib Dem)
Graham Kirkland* (Lib Dem)
William McIlwraith (Con)
James Spencer* (Lib Dem)
pool Parish
Pamela Calvert
Lorraine Clemie*
Judith Davey*
Edward Joce*
Gary Pellow*
Patricia Walker*
Peter Whittle*
Key
Con: Conservative
Green: Green Party
HSTWC: Horsforth Stop The War Coalition
IFOHP: Independent Friends of Hall Park
Ind: Independent Lab: Labour
Lib Dem: Liberal Democrat
* Denotes sitting councillor
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