The 86 Chorley and South Ribble candidates standing in Lancashire County Council's 'last ever' elections

The hopefuls looking to represent the boroughs at County Hall will be battling it out across 16 divisions – the county council equivalent of electoral wards – at the poll on 1st May.

The list of nominations shows that the Conservatives, Labour, the Green Party and Reform UK will be contesting all of the available seats.

The Liberal Democrats are fielding 14 candidates, while the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition are standing in seven divisions. One independent candidate – not affiliated to any political party – has also put themselves forward.

The present political make-up at County Hall – after taking into account changes of allegiance over the past four years – sees the ruling Conservative group with 46 seats, Labour on 26, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Reform UK holding two each, while there are five independents and one seat is currently vacant.

A government-ordered shake-up means this is likely to be the final election to Lancashire County Council, 136 years after it was formed.

The authority – and the 14 other councils across Lancashire – are set to be scrapped and replaced with a handful of new ones. On the government’s current timetable, that process is expected to be completed before the point at which the county council would otherwise be due to hold another election in 2029.

The politicians at County Hall are responsible for a raft of services across all parts of Lancashire except Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen – including adults and children’s social care, schools, highways, public health, waste processing and libraries.

Mark Wynn, Lancashire County Council’s electoral returning officer and chief executive, said: “The elections in May are your chance to have your say about who will take decisions on the many vital services which the county council delivers over the next four years.

“If you are not yet registered to vote, or wish to apply for a postal vote, there is still time, but you need to act quickly as the deadline is fast approaching.”

WHAT WILL I NEED TO VOTE?

In order to vote in the Lancashire County Council elections, you must be on the electoral register.

If you have not voted for a while or have changed your name or address, you might not be registered to vote, but you can check by contacting Chroley or South Ribble councils, the electoral registration offices for residents of the boroughs.

You can register online or by obtaining a paper form and returning it to the city council. The deadline for registration for the county council elections is 11th April at 11.59pm.

For the first time at a Lancashire County Council election, you will also need to bring with you suitable photo ID if you are voting in person at a polling station – such as a driving licence, passport or a bus pass for older or disabled people.

If you do not have an accepted form of photo ID, you will need to obtain a voter authority certificate, which can be done online, or with help from the Chorley or South Ribble’s electoral registration office. The deadline for applying for a certificate is 5pm on 23rd April.

HOW DO I VOTE BY POST OR BY PROXY?

To register for a postal vote, you must apply by 5pm on 14th April – you can do so online or by obtaining a paper form from, and returning it to, Chorley Council or South Ribble Borough Council’s election registration office, as appropriate.

If you would like someone else to vote in person on your behalf, you can apply for a proxy vote. The deadline is 5pm on 23rd April.

CANDIDATE LISTS

Below is a breakdown of all the Chorley and South Ribble candidates standing for election to Lancashire County Council on 1st May.

CHORLEY

Chorley Central

Michaela Cmorej – Reform UK

Debbie Brotherton – Green Party

Jennifer Jane Hurley – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Peter Malpas – Conservatives

Chris Snow – Labour

Chorley North

Anne Calderbank – Green Party

Sam Chapman – Conservatives

Moira Crawford – Independent

Hasina Khan – Labour

Aamir Khansaheb – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Martin Topp – Reform UK

Chorley Rural East

Sue Baines – Conservatives

Simon Cash – Green Party

David Golden – Liberal Democrats

Greg Heath – Reform UK

Kim Snape – Labour

Chorley Rural West

Sef Churchill – Green Party

Braeden Irvine – Conservatives

Rowan Patrick Power – Liberal Democrats

Mark Wade – Reform UK

Alan Whittaker – Labour

Chorley South

Julia Louise Berry – Labour

Olga Cash – Green Party

Zoe Anastasia Curtis – Liberal Democrats

Lee Hutchinson – Reform UK

Christine Turner – Conservatives

Clayton with Whittle

Mark Edward Clifford – Labour

Amy Louise Coxley – Green Party

George David Ikin – Reform UK

Greg Morgan – Conservatives

Gail Patricia Ormston – Liberal Democrats

Carole Ann Sasaki – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Euxton, Buckshaw and Astley

Jonathan Close – Reform UK

Mark Frost – Liberal Democrats

Jacob Neal – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Aidy Riggott – Conservatives

Gillian Frances Sharples – Labour

Pauline Margaret Summers – Green Party

Hoghton with Wheelton

John Clemson – Reform UK

Alan Cullens – Conservatives

Penelope Dawber – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Stephen John Fenn – Liberal Democrats

Mike Graham – Labour

Jon Royle – Green Party

SOUTH RIBBLE

Leyland Central

Mary Green – Conservatives

Arif Khansaheb – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Alan Swindells – Liberal Democrats

Matthew Vincent Tomlinson – Labour

Hannah Alice Whalley – Reform UK

Emma Elisabeth Winterleigh – Green Party

Leyland South

Ellie Close – Reform UK

Tahir Khansaheb – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Stephen Philip McHugh – Liberal Democrats

Jayne Louise Rear – Conservatives

Wes Roberts – Labour

Ceri Sian Turner – Green Party

Lostock Hall & Bamber Bridge

Jeff Couperthwaite – Conservatives

Simon Gummer – Reform UK

Clare Hunter – Labour

Samuel Paul Winterleigh – Green Party

Tim Young – Liberal Democrats

Moss Side and Farrington

Andy Blake – Reform UK

Michael Anthony Green – Conservatives

Anthony Sims – Green Party

Graham Michael Smith – Liberal Democrats

Paul Wharton-Hardman – Labour

Penwortham East and Walton-le-Dale

Sue Broady – Green Party

Joan Mary Burrows – Conservatives

Clare Burton-Johnson – Liberal Democrats

Lorenzo More – Reform UK

Elaine Stringfellow – Labour

Penwortham West

Wayne Griffiths – Reform UK

David Howarth – Liberal Democrats

Heike McMurray – Green Party

Ian Danny Watkinson – Labour

Paul Watson – Conservatives

South Ribble East

Fred Cottam – Reform UK

Clare Hales – Green Party

Chris Lomax – Labour

Paul Anthony Valentine – Liberal Democrats

Barrie Yates – Conservatives

James Joseph Gleeson – Labour

Tom Lord – Reform UK

Angela Turner – Liberal Democrats

Gareth Paul Watson – Conservatives

Christine Jane Winter – Green Party