VOTING for new town councillors is to take place in St Austell – but only in one of the three wards in the town.

The election will be held on Thursday, May 1, the same day as the polling stations are open for the Cornwall Council elections.

The voting for new town councillors will take place in the Central and Gover ward. In the other two wards, Bethel and Holmbush, and Poltair and Mount Charles, there will be no voting because the number of candidates standing is equal to the number of seats available.

The eight candidates standing in the Central and Gover ward are: Jake Bonetta (Labour and Co-operative), Mark Gray (Liberal Democrat), Colin Hamilton (Conservative), Maggi Hawken (Labour), Oli Kimber (Conservative), Sean Marshall (no affiliation given), Richard Whitehouse (Independent) and Julian Young (Liberal Democrat).

Seven of these candidates will be elected to serve on the town council which will be made up of 20 councillors from the three wards.

The seven candidates who have put their names forward for election in the Bethel and Holmbush will all take a seat on the council without a vote being cast.

They are Malcolm Brown (Liberal Democrat), Richard Clemo (Independent), Anita Cohen (Labour), Crystal Pearce (Independent), Jeremy Preece (Labour), Jordan Rowse (Conservative) and Ethan Stephens (Independent).

The six candidates in the Poltair and Mount Charles ward have similarly gained seats on the council without a contest.

The councillors for this ward will be Jackie Bull (Liberal Democrat), Andrea Lanxon (Labour and Co-operative), Jennifer Lingham (Liberal Democrat), Tina Taylor (Labour), Mike Thompson (Independent) and Richard Williams-Pears (Conservative).

Earlier in the year an information campaign was run by the town council to try to encourage people to stand for election in St Austell.

Councillors are volunteers but costs for approved travel and subsistence outside of the council boundary can be reimbursed.