County council seats across Herts and Cambs are up for election today with polling stations open until 10pm.

Royston Crow: Polling stations close at 10pm this evening.Polling stations close at 10pm this evening. (Image: Archant)

The seats for county councillors representing the two Royston divisions, are being contested as part of Herts County Council’s four-yearly cycle of polls.

These local elections have been somewhat overshadowed since Theresa May announced the snap General Election a fortnight ago but it’s an important chance to decide who represents you at county level.

County councils deal with everything from education, social services, and social care to our major roads and public transport systems.

Also in Royston there are by-elections for two seats, on the town council, and North Herts District Council.

The district council vote comes after long-standing Heath Ward councillor Peter Burt sadly died earlier this year.

Across the border, the Cambs County council seats for some of our South Cambs villages have been affected by the boundary changes brought about by the Local Government Boundary Commission last year.

Foxton, Shepreth, Heydon and Great and Little Chishill will join with Fowlmere, Thriplow, Duxford, Pampisford, Whittlesford, Ickleton and Hinxton to form the new Duxford Division.

Meldreth, Melbourn, Whaddon and Bassingbourn are to form the new Melbourn and Bassingbourn Division.

There is also be a mayoral election for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority on the same day.

You should have been sent a polling card with the details of your nearest polling station, but if not, you can find more information on the individual council websites.

The full list of candidates is below:

• Royston East and Ermine Division

Karen Harmel (Green); Fiona Hill (Con); Mark Hughes (Ind); Hugh David Parker (Lib Dem); John Ivor Rees (Lab).

• Royston West and Rural Division

Christoper Arquati (UKIP); Dean Lee Cartwright (Green); Kenneth Garland (Lab); Tony Hunter (Con); Steve Jarvis (Lib Dem).

• Royston Town Council – Royston Town Heath

Christoper Arquati (Ind); Ruth Gillian Brown (Lib Dems); Robin Anthony King (Lab); Marguerite Phillips (Con).

• North Herts District Council – Royston Heath

Christopher Arquati (UKIP); Sarah Anne Dingley (Con); Katherine Marie Shann (Green); Carol Ann Stanier (Lib Dems); Vaughan West (Lab).

Cambridgeshire County Council:

• Duxford Division

Matthew James Barton (Green); Peter John McDonald (Lib Dems); Jackie Scott (Lab); Peter Topping (Con).

• Melbourn and Bassingbourn Division

Chris Coleridge (Lab); Adrian Dent (UKIP); Joshua Charles Huntingfield (Con); Simon Peter Saggers (Green), Susan van de Ven (Lib Dems).

Peterborough and Cambridgeshire mayoral election:

Paul Bullen (UKIP); Rod Cantrill (Lib Dems); Peter Dawe (Ind); Stephen Goldspink (Eng Dem); Julie Howell (Green): James Palmer (Con), Kevin Price (Lab)