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