Nine candidates will contest five seats in the election for Whitchurch Town Council

Only the town’s West ward is contested, with nine candidates vying for five seats.

Meanwhile all candidates in the North and South wards are elected unopposed, with one vacancy in the North ward to be filled by co-option or by-election at a later date.

Six current councillors will not stand for re-election – Lee Broders, Christian Gregory-Peake, Scott Radford, Ruth Shepherd, Rose-Mary Snell and Mitch Haynes.

Half of the 18 people to put themselves forward for election are members of volunteer group We Are Whitchurch (WAW), which carries out litter picks and other improvements around the town every Sunday morning.

There are also two Liberal Democrat candidates and the remainder are independent.

In the North ward, mayor Beverly Duffy and fellow sitting councillor Will McDonnell are joined by new councillors Matt Phipps and Dugga Sullivan.

In the South ward, current councillors John Martin and John Sinnott will sit alongside Andy Hall, who moves across from West ward, and newcomers Gregory Ebbs and Mike Ridgway.

Alan Chesters and Simon Hamlyn are defending their seats in the West ward, while Alan Cooper, who currently represents South ward, is also in the running. The incumbents are up against challengers Rose Hall, Pete Lea, Richard Radford, Nick Saxby, Anna Shore and Jack Thornton.

Mr Saxby is also standing for election to Shropshire Council, hoping to win one of the two Whitchurch North seats for the Liberal Democrats.

The full list of candidates is:

North (five seats): Bev Duffy, Will McDonnell, Matt Phipps (WAW), Dugga Sullivan (WAW)

South (five seats): Gregory Ebbs (Lib Dem), Andy Hall (WAW), John Martin, Mike Ridgway (WAW), John Sinnott (WAW)

West (five seats): Alan Chesters, Alan Cooper (WAW), Rose Hall (WAW), Simon Hamlyn, Pete Lea (WAW), Richard Radford, Nick Saxby (Lib Dem), Anna Shore, Jack Thornton (WAW)