Candidates declared for next month's local election battles

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