TWO seats in Palace ward will be up for grabs when voters in Royston go to the polls in district council elections. The election takes place on May 6, and residents of Palace Ward will be chosing two candidates to represent them on North Herts District Co

TWO seats in Palace ward will be up for grabs when voters in Royston go to the polls in district council elections.

The election takes place on May 6, and residents of Palace Ward will be chosing two candidates to represent them on North Herts District Council following the resignation of Cllr Liz Beardwell.

As reported in The Crow earlier this month, Liberal Democrat Cllr Beardwell tendered her resignation for family reasons.

Her replacement as Lib Dem candidate is John Ledden, while the ward's other retiring councillor, Robert Inwood, is standing for re-election.

Labour is represented by Les Baker and Vaughan West, while the Conservatives have put forward Robert Smith and Paul Grimes. The Green party also have two candidates, Peter Groves and Matt King.

Royston Meridian ward will also have a brand new councillor, with long serving Conservative representative F John Smith having announced his retirement. Bill Davidson will be standing for the Tories in his place, with Carlo Zambonini (Labour), Lisa Thompson (Liberal Democrat), and Karen Harmel (Green) also in the running.

Outgoing Royston area committee chairman Fiona Hill (Conservative) is standing for re-election in Heath ward, and is up against Robin King (Labour), David May (Lib Dem), and Phil Oddy (Green).

District council elections are also being held in South Cambridgeshire. In Bassingbourn, five candidates are in the running - Gabriele Falcini (Labour), Peter Fane (Lib Dem), David McCraith (Conservative), Peter James Robinson (Independent), and Simon Saggers (Green).

Melbourn ward's voters can choose between Jose Hales (Lib Dem), Colin Jaffray (Conservative), Samuel Morris (Green), Angela Patrick (Labour), and Graham Wilkinson (UKIP).

Meanwhile, in Meldreth, the candidates are Duncan Richard Bullivant (Conservative), Hywel Jackson (Labour), David Kendrick (UKIP), Colin Reynolds (Green), and Surinder Soond (Lib Dem).