POLLS open tomorrow (May 1) for parish, town and district council elections.

Of the 14 Eden District Council seats in the Westmorland Messenger area, only three are being contested and the council will remain Independent, reports KAREN MORLEY.

In Appleby, mayor Lance Thwaytes is standing against fellow Appleby Town Councillor Keith Morgan. Both men are standing as Independents for the Appleby ward. The mayor says he is standing for the post because he believes Eden District Council does not "do enough for Appleby".

In other parts of the Messenger area, the Liberal Democrats are putting up candidates against current Independents. In the Orton with Tebay ward, Mark Alan Saunders John is standing on the Liberal Democrat's platform against sitting councillor Bernard Thronborrow. And in Shap, LibDem Neil Hughes is to stand against current councillor Maurice Weightman.

In Kirkby Stephen only one candidate is standing, Councillor Trevor Charles Ladhams, though there are two seats up for election.

Parish Council elections will also be held tomorrow in Culgaith

ward, Dufton, Great Strickland, Kirkoswald ward, Milburn, Mungrisdale, Murton, Orton, Ousby ward, Melmerby and

Tebay.

Standing parish election are:

Culgaith ward: John Findlay, Jill Elizabeth Hay, John Simpson Hindson, William John Lancaster, Gerard Gill Soulsby and Marylynne Winder.

Dufton: Gillian Mary Bryan, Cecil Coxon, Margaret Hannah Davis, Stephen Colin Hill, Michael Parkin, Alison Dorne Richardson, John Henry Rudd and Raymond Walker.

Milburn: Roger John Armstrong, Audrey Elizabeth Clarke, Christopher Thomson Dargue, Raymond David Healey, Guy Edawrd Thompson Heelis, Dennis Richardson and Alan Keith Wood.

Murton: Jean Allinson, Terence Lionel Armitage, Robert Chappelhow, Richard William Jackson, Patrick Rowland Laverty, Eileen Margaret Ormrod, Adrian Neal Palmer, Michael John Schug and John Norman Stafford Sibson.

Orton: Kyle Kiloran Campbell Blue, Malcom Coates, Stephen James Crook, Paul Reginald Dunford, Stephen Willis Dunning, Keith Liddiard Golding, Menna Ifor Lewis, Ernest Christopher Potter and Mark Alan Saunders.

Tebay: Catherine Frances Allen, Sarah Jane Blundell, Norman Dixon Lowis, Edward Lund, David John Morland, Gary Murphy, Michael William Parsley, Stephen Robert Pittock, John Bernard Thornborrow and John Adrian Todd.

In all the remaining Eden parishes there will be no voting as the number of nominations is either equal to or less than the number of council seats available. Candidates therefore automatically become councillors.

Those standing in the Messenger area for Eden District Council are:

Appleby (one seat): Alan Keith Morgan (existing councillor), Independent, Henry Lancelot Thwaytes, Independent.

Appleby Bongate (one seat): Ella Langan (existing councillor), Independent.

Brough (one seat): John Malcolm Smith, (existing councillor), Independent.

Crosby Ravensworth (one seat): Paul Timothy Evans (existing councillor), Independent.

Dacre (one seat): Brian Huddleston, Independent

Kirkby Stephen (two seats): Trevor Charles Ladhams (existing councillor), Independent.

Kirkby Thore (one seat): John Henry Crackanthorpe Sawrey-Cookson (existing councillor), Independent.

Long Marton (one seat): Mary Jane Herbert (existing councillor), Independent.

Morland (one seat): David Ian Addison Mattrass (existing councillor), Independent.

Orton with Tebay (one seat): Mark Alan Saunders, Liberal Democrat, John Bernard Thornborrow (existing councillor), Independent.

Ravenstonedale (one seat): John James Moffat, Independent.

Shap (one seat): Neil Hughes, Liberal Democrat, Maurice Weightman (existing councillor).

Warcop (one seat): William Patterson (existing councillor), Independent.

April 30, 2003 10:00