CANDIDATES have put their names forward for seats on Craven District Council.

The election for the 11 seats will take place on May 4 and the result could change the current make-up of the council, which stands at 18 Conservatives, five Liberal Democrats and 11 Independents.

One familiar face who will not be standing this year is Conservative councillor Ken Luty, of Threshfield, who has represented Upper Wharfedale for the last four years.

Coun Luty, who is a member of Airedale Community Health Council, said: "I was elected for a four year period and it was never my intention to go on longer than that."

And the Herald reported last week that Aire Valley's Independent member Joan Ibbotson would not be seeking re-election.

Meanwhile, Ingleborough ward councillor David Ireton, of Westfields, Chapel-le-Dale, will be standing again - but on an Independent platform instead of Conservative.

Coun Ireton said: "I just feel that there should not be party politics involved in district councils.

"I don't want to go against the group, I'd rather be out of the group - I seem to think different to them. I might be able to deliver more of what the residents want as an Independent.

"It will still be the same people collecting the rates whether I stand as a Conservative or Independent, the difference will be how it's shared out."

Craven District Council nominations are (* denotes sitting councillor):

Aire Valley: Ronald Philip Beale (Ind), Skipton Road, Cononley; Patricia Fairbank (Con), Raines Drive, Bradley.

Bentham: *John Arthur Pilkington (Lib Dem), Springfield, Bentham; Gerald Titterington (Con), Belle Vue Farm, Mewith.

Bolton Abbey: *Robert Geoffrey Heseltine (Ind), White House, Langcliffe; Christopher Anthony Knowles-Fitton (Con), Knowles Lodge, Appletreewick.

Cowling: *Janet Margaret Ackroyd (Con), Lane Ends, Cowling; John Alderson (Ind), Walton Street, Cowling.

Glusburn: Davina Mary Hamer Akrigg (Con), Green Way, Glusburn; *Arthur Dixon (Ind), Baxter Wood, Cross Hills; Mark Andrew Wheeler (Lib Dem), Aireview Terrace, Cross Hills.

Grassington: Tony Crowther (Lib Dem), Roughaw Road, Skipton; Vera Longthorne (Ind) East View, Hebden; *Peter Walbank (Con), Broughton Fold, Grassington.

Ingleborough: Nicholas Robert Bradley (Con), Thorngarth House, Thornton-in-Lonsdale; *David Lloyd Ireton (Ind), Westfields, Chapel-le-Dale.

Settle: *David Heather (Lib Dem), The Green, Settle; Simon Philip Alexander Rushton (Con), Hammerton Hill Farm, Wigglesworth.

Skipton East: Frances Janet Burrows (Ind), North Parade, Skipton; Christopher James Harbron (Con), Long Meadow, Skipton; *Andrew Wood (Lib Dem), Sharphaw View, Gargrave.

Sutton: *Kenneth Hart (Ind), Meadow Lea, Sutton; Margaret Waterhouse (Con), Winston Avenue, Cross Hills.

Upper Wharfedale: Polly English (Lib Dem), Burnside Avenue, Skipton; John Sayer (Con), Low Ryelands, Arncliffe.

Four candidates will be fighting for the Craven ward seat on Bradford Council next month.

The three main political parties have all fielded candidates in the Craven ward which includes Steeton, Eastburn, Addingham and Silsden, along with an independent nomination.

They are: Christopher Michael Anderson (Ind) Oak View, Silsden; *David Keith James Harrison (Con), Main Street, Addingham; Hamish Gordon Hay (Lib Dem), Craven Avenue, Silsden; Benita Eileen Smith (Lab) Brownfield Terrace, Silsden.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.