Candidates Announced for Ribble Valley Local Elections

Byelections will take place in three Ribble Valley borough wards: Billington and Langho, West Bradford and Grindleton, and Mellor. There will also be an election for Bolton-by-Bowland parish council.

Borough councillors make important decisions on running boroughwide services, such as planning, recycling and refuse collection and sport and leisure.

The candidates:

• Billington and Langho – Steve Farmer (Conservative), Anthony McNamara (Labour), Anne Elizabeth Peplow (Green);
• West Bradford and Grindleton – Paul Anthony Atkinson (Labour), Kevin Horkin (Conservative), Murray Michael Drew O’Rourke (Liberal Democrat);
• Mellor – John Hymas (Liberal Democrat), Lee Cedric Jameson (Labour and Cooperative), Malcolm Charles Peplow (Green), Robin Eric Walsh (Conservative).
• Bolton-by-Bowland parish council  - Nigel Paul Bunyan and John Joseph Gradwell.

Elections will also take place for Lancashire County Council’s four Ribble Valley divisions – Clitheroe, Ribble Valley North East, Ribble Valley South West and Longridge with Bowland.

County councillors make decisions on countywide services, such as education, social care, museums and libraries, and roads.

The candidates:

• Clitheroe – Ian Frank Brown (Independent), Michael St John Graveston (Labour), Sue Hind (Conservative), Simon Michael O’Rourke (Liberal Democrat), Malcolm Charles Peplow (Green);
• Ribble Valley North East – David Birtwhistle (Independent), Gaye Tomasine McCrum (Green), Anthony McNamara (Labour), Ged Mirfin (Conservative), Mary Robinson (Liberal Democrat);
• Ribble Valley South West – John Hymas (Liberal Democrat), Lee Cedric Jameson (Labour and Cooperative), Anne Elizabeth Peplow (Green), Alan Schofield (Conservative);
• Longridge with Bowland – Karl Peter Barnsley (Labour and Cooperative), Donna O’Rourke (Liberal Democrat), Rupert Swarbrick (Conservative), Paul Yates (Green).

Elections will also take place for the Lancashire police and crime commissioner, who has responsibility for governing Lancashire Constabulary and holding its chief constable to account.

The candidates: Mark James Barker (Reform UK), Neil Darby (Liberal Democrat), Clive Grunshaw (Labour and Cooperative), Andrew James Snowden (Conservative).

The deadline for registering to vote at the forthcoming elections is midnight on Monday, 19 April.

The deadline to apply for a new postal vote or to change an existing postal or proxy vote is 5pm on Tuesday, 20 April, and the deadline to apply for a new proxy vote is 5pm on Tuesday, 27 April.

You can register to vote at gov.uk/register-to-vote, phone Ribble Valley Borough Council’s elections team on 01200 414411 or visit our Elections page.