SHAUN LOWTHORPE Grassroots democracy is not drying up at the parish pump level, despite only a few contest-ed elections being held last week, it was claimed yesterday.
SHAUN LOWTHORPE
Grassroots democracy is not drying up at the parish pump level, despite only a few contest-ed elections being held last week, it was claimed yesterday.
As well as voting for district councillors, some people went to the polls to elect town and parish representatives across the region, but with too few willing to stand, only a small number of seats were contested.
Today, the EDP is carrying some of the main parish and town results from the region.
Stuart Chaplin, executive director of the Norfolk County Association of Parish and Town Councils, said that while it was harder to stage elections, there was still a high degree of enthusiasm to get involved.
“I think there is a degree of fear of failure and that's understandable,” he said. “If my target is every single council having a contested election, then, yes, I am disappointed.
“But there are councils where elections have been held which haven't had one before.”
He said there had been improvements in South Norfolk where officials had worked closely to improve the situation, including one election where turnout was at 58pc.
“We have got to raise the profile - I think that's a national issue as well. I'm firmly of the view that if you want to make a contribution to your own community, you have to stand up and be counted.”
And he said interest would increase if ministers delivered on proposals set out in the local government white paper to devolve more power to parishes.
“If they did get the extra powers that are promised, that would give people greater enthusiasm for the work of a parish council,” he added. “The glass is ¾ full - it's more than half way.”
BROADLAND
Frettenham
R Fisher; R Goodson; P Hunter;
P Norton; P Stokes; D Traxler;
D Yaxley
Hellesdon North West
D Britcher; A Burrows; V Burrows; M Clarke; J Elliott; D Jones-Blackett; A Lewis; K Petch
South Walsham
M Church; J Debbage; R Jones; A Lawn; H Mann; W Russell; K Turner
Sprowston Central
S Bussey; R Knowles; B Lashley;
C Mayhew; A Wright
Sprowston North East
K Tyers
Sprowston West
M Callam; N Steane
Thorpe St Andrew North West
O Campbell; J Fisher; R James;
I Mackie; E Newberry; N Shaw;
D Spooner; J Ward
Thorpe St Andrew South East
A Barber; D Eley; E Laming;
L Lawn; G Rowe; B Simpson;
J Tilbury; Y Utting
Breckland
Attleborough Town Council
Queens Ward: J Burton; J Farrow; D Francis; A Free; R Lawrence;
S Middlebrook; L Shepherd;
J Sparke; B Waters
Dereham Town Council
Toftwood Ward: L Turner;
P Duigan; S May; T Birt
Neatherd Ward: L Monument;
M Griffin; A Bowyer
Central Ward: R Goreham;
M Fanthorpe; R Hambidge
Humbletoft Ward: D Irving,
J Gretton
Swaffham Town Council
D Butters; P Darby; C Gunner;
D Harman; T Jennison; S Lister;
S Matthews; F Sharpe; I Sherwood;
J Skinner; J Stockdale; P Wade;
D Wickerson.
Thetford Town Council
Abbey Ward: P Quadling;
M Spencer; T Paines; A Paines
Castle Ward: T Lamb; R Brame
Guildhall Ward: P Pearson;
R Kybird; P Spencer; D Mortimer;
J Harding.
Saxon Ward: M Chapman-Allen;
S Chapman-Allen; S Wright;
P Balaam; G Pickering
Forest Heath
Brandon West
E Ashley; D Bimson; S Edwards;
L Jacobs; S Jureko; T Simmons
North Norfolk
North Walsham West
J Belson; M Birch; P Ford; C Hall;
A Rose
Cromer Suffield Park
D Abel; S Abel; A Edwards;
B Edwards; L Hawkes; J Lee;
Y Nolan; M Northway; V Woodcock
Wells
G Anthony; R Crafer; L Dew;
A Frary; M Frary; A Gates; M Gates; R Hewitt; C Mac; J Platten;
J Richter; J Trett; M Ward
South Norfolk
Diss Town Council
M Aukland; B Clark-Taylor;
B Dewhurst; R Kitchen; J Maskell;
G Minshull; S Olander; R Oxley;
T Palmer; J Talbot; J Trippett-Jones; G Walden; T Wenman
Hingham Parish Council
R Bendle; D Burt; R Chan; J Dore;
P Dore; B Flaxman; D Hall;
R Heptinstall; J Mackie; R Marston; S Riley; C Rogers; R Stickland
Loddon Parish Council
J Bissett; B Corke; P Floyd; J Gray;
J Hale; D Jones; S Morris; C Stubbs; M Wallace; L Wilson; S Wilson
Wymondham Town Council
Abbey Ward: S Dumbrell; D Fletcher; A Howell
Cromwells Ward: L Daws; C Kent; N Ward
Northfields Ward: L Elston;
M Gibbins; J Mooney
Waveney
Bungay
M Bedingfield; J Blowers O'Neill;
T Cloke; M Evans; A Fisher;
J Groom; D Jermy; J Jervis;
D O'Neill; J Palin; D Shepherd;
S Thompson; D Ward; J Warnes;
S Woods
Halesworth
J Clayton; A Dunning; P Flegg;
A Holzer; I Kerrison; E Leverett;
S Leverett; W Ryder-Davies;
D Thomas; Jacqueline Wagner; James Wagner; J Wright
West Norfolk
South Creake
G Allen; M Connell; E Cox;
C Gardner; T Harrison; V Harvey;
A May; L Ringwood; A Shackcloth;
P Wakeman.
Sedgeford
W Barber; B Clark; S Crump;
C Curry; P Dawson; M Frost;
R Hipkin
Outwell
D Boyce; P Brenchley; D Cuckow;
P Cutting; J Gooch; S Lawrence;
R Robinson; C Spicer; M Spicer;
J Wake; J Watts
Marshland St James
S Askew; J Bantoft; J Didwell;
D Gathercole; E Griib; J Smalley;
C Thompson; G Webb; S Woolner
Harpley
K Beckham; A Case; P Mortlock;
A Mountain; J Pocklington; A Reid; M Rendle; T Richards
Grimston
C Coe; H Fredericks; W Howard;
R Mason; C Moore; P O'Brien;
E Packer; P Smalley; R Taylor;
M Whitmore; R Woods
Brancaster
Brancaster Ward: M Billing;
N Linge; J Petchey; J Sands;
A Townshend.
Upwell
D Barnard; C Crofts; J Gooch;
A Harrison; K Harrison; F Humm;
P Lester; I Morgan; R Mungham;
D Pope; C Robinson; S Short;
R Shorting
Yarmouth
Burgh Castle
S Banham; E Foster; T Greenacre; P Liffen; A Norton; R Russell; D Webb
Repps
D Burrage; C Gander; A McTaggart; J Mitchell; F Sharman; A Wright; Thomas Wright
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