Chorley Council elections 2024: who should I vote for?

The majority of the contests will be three-way battles between candidates representing the ruling Labour group, the Conservative opposition - the only two parties currently sitting at the town hall - and the borough’s Green Party.

However, in four of the seats, voters will also have the choice of a Liberal Democrat candidate and, in four different wards, they will find a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition representative on their ballot paper.

With postal voting packs starting to come through letterboxes, we offered each of the parties the chance to make their pitch to Chorley voters by setting out a mini-manifesto. This is what they had to say:

LABOUR

(contesting all wards)

“Labour-controlled Chorley Council provides great value for money as the area with the second-lowest council tax rate in Lancashire.

“As a high-performing council, we provide residents with great local services by listening to what local people want to see delivered.

“Chorley Labour have:

***helped attract hundreds of jobs to the borough and supported local businesses, including £400k of investment in rural firms;

***supported improved healthcare, having built two GP surgeries in Whittle and Chorley East;

***cared for our elderly with two supported accommodation units and the continued hot meals on wheels service;

***supported town and village centres - investing over £200,000 in local neighbourhoods and improving play areas in Euxton, Clayton-le-Woods, Adlington and many other communities;

***supplied great opportunities for young people through the Youth Zone and its outreach work in the villages.

***committed over £2m to affordable housing and adaptions to help people stay in their own homes and avoid being stuck in hospital;

***opposed the Tory government’s crazy demands to build yet more houses in our communities.

“Labour remains committed to continuing to improve our local communities, investing over £500,000 in our environment, planting over 125,000 trees, wildlife meadows and providing more electric charging points.

“Despite huge cuts in government funding since 2012, the Labour administration has delivered all of this whilst keeping council tax cheaper for residents. This contrasts with the Conservative-controlled county council who fail to maintain and repair our roads, despite the fact that 75 percent of your hard-earned council tax money goes to County Hall.

“Chorley Labour want to continue to work hard on your behalf and ensure Chorley is a great place to live, work and visit. Please support your Labour Candidate on 2nd May.”

CONSERVATIVES

(contesting all wards)

“A vote for the Conservatives in Chorley is a vote for common sense.

“Whilst we are under no illusions that, at this election, we can win the council, we have a good record of holding Labour to account, ensuring decisions made are properly and are scrutinised and transparent. For the sake of good democracy, it is essential that there is good opposition.

“We have exposed levels of waste and exposed the mountain of debt and excessive interest that will take decades to pay off.

“We have called for a thorough review of events to ensure that they are either run at a profit or are at least cost-neutral - unlike the flower show which has lost tens of thousands of pounds since its inception.

“Whilst we believe these events should go ahead, the costs must be looked at. Not all residents’ taxes should pay for just a few.

“We exposed the spending of tens of thousands of pounds on bee-friendly bus shelters.

“By voting Conservative in turn, we will:

***protect our green spaces by ensuring the Local Plan is completed on time;

***by realising some of the property the council owns, reduce the level of debt and massive interest repayments;

***improve services across the borough, especially ensuring our out-of-town areas and villages get a better share of spend;

***work with, not against, the county council to improve road safety across Chorley.

“You can help us deliver our plan and ensure that your council delivers value for money.”

GREEN PARTY

(contesting all wards)

“For the past four years, Chorley Green Party have been listening, understanding and acting on the issues residents tell us they care most about.

“We have been tackling the issues - from fly-tipping, overgrown bushes, potholes, broken streetlights and anti-social behaviour, to longstanding and ongoing issues such as unadopted roads, speeding hotspots, dog waste and motorbike nuisance hotspots.

“We think this is how democracy should work and are here to represent residents.

“We trust this election will see Chorley elect its first Green councillor, who can bring an independent voice to its council. We will hold a Labour-run council to account and make sure complacency doesn’t set in.

“We will stand up for the proper maintenance and protection of our green spaces, make sure the council’s local plan takes serious action on climate change and support our public services, and in particular, our A&E.

“We need a new direction and to ensure the council and national government work together to rethink the developments planned in Chorley and deliver the homes people need and can afford to rent and buy, where people need them.

“Across the nation, Greens do politics differently. We listen to residents and work hardest on the things they care most about. When you vote Green on Thursday 2nd May, you will help to elect hardworking councillors committed to making Chorley a better place to live.”

TRADE UNIONIST AND SOCIALIST COALITION

(contesting the Chorley East; Chorley North West; Chorley North and Astley; and Chorley South East and Heath Charnock wards only)

Our policy pledges are to:

***fight against all cuts to services and against privatisation that sees local budget sent for corporate profit. Instead, we pledge to invest in our community and the people of Chorley on these ‘rainy days’ we can no longer say we’re saving for.

***hold an anti-war stance at every level of elected representative. To call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an immediate ban on arms sales to Israel.

***stop the implementation of the Integrated Care System (ICS) model - that is the privatised US system - during the development of the new hospital build in Preston that plans to cut services and beds and will affect everyone in Chorley. Being a continuing public voice with the local ICS & NHS England, with already direct access to both parties.

***actively develop pathways in social care sectors to benefit local people and stop the overflow pressures on healthcare the current inadequacies cause.

***invest in council housing run directly by the local council and not underperforming housing associations, as part of long-term building and redevelopment plans, ensuring green builds and homes truly affordable to the people of Chorley.

***push for publicly-owned affordable public transport to increase accessibility for the least mobile and most vulnerable and also works to protect the environment.

***bring local services back in house, not for profits, to improve services for the people of Chorley and staff wages, giving stability to workers and keeping money in the local economy, benefiting Chorley businesses.

***bring one of our candidates’ current day job initiatives as a sustainable procurement officer to integrate bold environmental sustainability plans into housing, social care and procurement processes and policies; to be the alternative voice ensuring increased services, fair working conditions and green alternatives above cuts and profit.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

(contesting the Clayton East, Brindle and Hoghton; Clayton West and Cuerden; Croston, Mawdesley and Euxton South; and Eccleston, Heskin and Charnock Richard wards only)

Chorley Liberal Democrats were unable to supply a borough-specific manifesto before the Post’s deadline for publication. However, national party leader Ed Davey said at the launch of the Lib Dem local election campaign last month:

“Time’s running out for Rishi Sunak. He might have bottled a May General Election - he might hope the tide will turn, squatting in Downing Street for a few more months.

“But even the Prime Minister can’t deny people across England the chance to have their say in local elections on 2nd May.

“Rishi Sunak’s government is running out of road because people know it is time for change - and people are voting for us because it is time for the Liberal Democrats.”

A statement on the party’s website regarding the local elections added: “More and more people are turning to the Liberal Democrats. They know we work hard for our communities, we hear your concerns, and we never take you for granted.

“People who have voted Conservative all their lives are saying ‘never again’ - and backing Liberal Democrat candidates instead. People who usually vote Labour, but feel let down and taken for granted by Labour locally, are backing Liberal Democrat candidates instead.

It’s why the Liberal Democrats gained more seats than any other party at last year’s local elections.

“It’s not just about seeing more of the map coloured gold. It’s not just about beating the Conservatives and Labour.

“It’s about getting strong local champions elected to fight for their communities. Strong Liberal Democrat councils elected to deliver a fair deal - and building a strong base to get more Liberal Democrats elected to Parliament next year.”

WHO CAN I VOTE FOR?

These are the candidates in each of Chorley Council’s 14 wards, along with the parties they represent (an asterisk denotes an incumbent councillor in the ward):

Adlington and Anderton

NEIL BAGLOW - Conservative Party

SALLY FELTON - Green Party

KIM SNAPE* - Labour and Co-operative Party

Buckshaw and Whittle

RUSSELL GREEN - Labour Party

AIDY RIGGOTT* - Conservative Party

RACHEL SMITH - Green Party

Chorley East

MARK GRANDI - Conservative Party

CATHERINE HUNTER-ROSSALL - Green Party

HASINA KHAN* - Labour Party

AAMIR KHANSAHEB - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Chorley North and Astley

RYAN GROGAN - Conservative Party

TAHIR KHANSAHEB - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

ADRIAN LOWE* - Labour Party

JON ROYLE - Green Party

Chorley North East

SIMON CASH - Green Party

MARGARET FRANCE* - Labour Party

GREGORY MORGAN - Conservative Party

Chorley North West

AARON BEAVER* - Labour and Co-operative Party

ARIF KHANSAHEB - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

PETER MALPAS - Conservative Party

MARK TEBBUTT - Green Party

Chorley South East and Heath Charnock

ALISTAIR BRADLEY* - Labour and Co-operative Party

JENNY HURLEY - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

SANDRA MERCER - Conservative Party

JANE WESTON - Green Party

Chorley South West

OLGA CASH - Green Party

PETER DAVENPORT - Conservative Party

KATIE WILKIE - Labour Party

Clayton East, Brindle and Hoghton

IRENE AMAHWE - Labour Party

ALAN CULLENS* - Conservative Party

GAIL ORMSTON - Liberal Democrat

PAULINE SUMMERS - Green Party

Clayton West and Cuerden

SAM CHAPMAN - Conservative Party

MARK CLIFFORD* - Labour Party

STEPHEN FENN - Liberal Democrat

CLARE HALES - Green Party

Coppull

ANNE CALDERBANK - Green Party

CONOR DAWSON - Conservative Party

ALEX HILTON* - Labour Party

Croston, Mawdesley and Euxton South

JOHN CLARE - Green Party

MARK FROST - Liberal Democrat

DEBRA PLATT* - Conservative Party

CAROLINE TURNER - Labour and Co-operative Party

Eccleston, Heskin and Charnock Richard

STEVE BLAND - Conservative Party

SEF CHURCHILL - Green Party

ROWAN POWER - Liberal Democrat

ALAN WHITTAKER* - Labour Party

Euxton

DANNY GEE* - Labour and Co-operative Party

MADELEINE HOUGHTON - Green Party

CHRISTINE TURNER - Conservative Party

CAN'T MAKE IT TO POLLING STATION?

The deadline for applying for a postal vote has passed. However, proxy votes can also be obtained in some circumstances - meaning someone else can vote on your behalf if you cannot make it to a polling station for a limited number of reasons. Applications for a proxy vote can be made online and must be received by 24th April.

CURRENT CHORLEY COUNCIL MAKE-UP

Labour 37 seats

Conservatives – 5 seats