Starting gun fired for Shropshire by-election after cabinet member's resignation

Leading Conservative councillor Richard Marshall resigned from the Worfield seat last month.

Now Shropshire Council has announced the key dates running up to a possible by-election on September 7. There will need to be at least two candidates for a contested election to be held and for ballot papers to be issued.

The first date is the notice of election for a by-election which was published on Wednesday. It is at shropshire.gov.uk/media/26252/worfield-noe.pdf

Photo ID or a voter authority certificate will be needed to vote at a polling station.

The key dates are:

• Publication of Notice of Election: Wednesday, August 2

• Deadline for receipt of nominations: 4pm, Thursday, August 10

• Publication of the Statement of Persons Nominated: 4pm, Friday, August 11

• Deadline for registering to vote: Monday, August 21. To register to vote go to gov.uk/register-to-vote

• Deadline for postal vote applications: 5pm, Tuesday, August 22

• Deadline for receipt of proxy vote applications: 5pm, Wednesday, August 30

For full details visit shropshire.gov.uk/elections-and-electoral-registration/vacancies-and-by-elections/.

The page also contains notices of elections for town and parish council vacancies across the county.

The sudden and unexpected resignation of Richard Marshall as councillor for Worfield and portfolio holder for Highways and Regulatory Services left the Tory authority with a gap in one of its most important departments.

Council leader Lezley Picton moved to select a replacement, appointing the well-respected Burnell councillor Dan Morris as cabinet member for highways and infrastructure.

It means he is now in charge of one of the council’s biggest and most contentious projects – Shrewsbury’s North West Relief Road.

As part of the re-shuffle Councillor Picton also changed the responsibilities attached to two portfolios – effectively splitting two roles into four.

Mr Marshall’s previous portfolio had included highways and regulatory Services. Regulatory services include planning responsibilities, which has now been moved to a separate brief – taken on by Oswestry East councillor Chris Schofield, who steps up from a position as a deputy cabinet member under the title cabinet member for planning and regulatory services.

The portfolio for growth, housing and regeneration, which was handled by Councillor Dean Carroll, has also been split.

Councillor Carroll remains in charge of housing and assets, while Councillor Mark Jones, who represents Gobowen, Selattyn and Weston Rhyn, steps up from his position as deputy to take on the portfolio for economic growth and regeneration.