VOTERS will go to the polls on Thursday to decide who they want to represent them at County Hall.

Candidates from the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green parties will stand in every seat in Colchester and Tendring, while Ukip have put forward prospective councillors for all wards, except Constable.

Independent councillors are also standing in the Wivenhoe St Andrew and Mersea and Tiptree wards as they bid to fight against the prospect of perceived overdevelopment in their communities.

Colchester’s nine wards are currently filled by four Conservatives, two Labour councillors and three Lib Dems - however two of the current incumbents will not be standing this time round.

The Conservatives currently control County Hall with 44 of the 75 seats.

Tory councillor Sue Lissimore said the administration had done well with budgets being slashed.

She said: “With the terrible financial situation Essex County Council has been in since the recession, the Conservative group has got to grips with it.

“They have dealt with the financial problems, not just by shaving off bits, which could be seen as easy wins, but with hard investigations into how Essex County Council can be run more efficiently.”

Labour councillor Dave Harris said: “We have to hold the administration to account.

“We are being let down on our roads, health services and social care, and local people are feeling very vulnerable with the savage cuts and we have to protect those who are most vulnerable first.

“The Labour group punches well above its weight in County Hall.”

Anne Turrell, who represents Mile End and Highwoods for Liberal Democrats, said the major issues in her ward were school places and congestion around North Station.

She said: “I have started a petition which, elected or not, will be presented to the council asking it to sort out the congestion in the north of Colchester.

“School places is also a massive issue - there is still another primary school to come in the area and a secondary school in 2019/20.

“We need to make sure it does not disappear into thin air.”

Green party candidate Mark Goacher said: “The county council is in control of the roads, transport and pavements and we would like to see more cycle provision and better use of the roads.

“The current Green councillors do a great job in protecting green spaces for development “We have been very critical of the garden village plans and would certainly be scrutinising them closely, if elected.

“More and more services are being moved to Colchester Library which we oppose."

Ukip stalwart Ron Levy said: “Ukip councillors will protect the borough against overdevelopment without the proper infrastructure.

“We will also look at the bus lane at the bottom of Queen Street, which attracts nothing but complaints without any real gain.

“Ukip’s job is not done - the first part of it is, but there is still a long way to go.”

Six of Tendring’s seats are currently held by the Tories. Labour’s Ivan Henderson holds the Harwich ward and Holland Residents’ Association’s Colin Sargeant hopes to retain his Clacton East seat.

You can vote in Essex County Council elections if you are registered to vote in the UK, are over 18 on May 4 and are:

  • A British citizen living in the UK
  • A Commonwealth citizen living in the UK who has leave to remain
  • A citizen of the European Union member state

To find your nearest polling station in Colchester click HERE.

Your candidates in Colchester and Tendring:

Abbey 
Lyn Barton (Lib Dem)
Daniel Ellis (Con)
Mark Goacher (Green)
Ron Levy (Ukip)
Lee Scordis (Lab)

Brightlingsea 
Frank Belgrove (Lab)
Alan Goggin* (Con)
Bev Maltby (Green) 
Gary Scott (Lib Dem)
Ben Smith (Ukip)

Clacton East 
Chris Amos (Con)
Sally McAteer (Green)
Robert Porter (Labour) 
Colin Sargeant* (Holland Residents’ Association)
Kane Silver (Lib Dem)
Mark Stephenson (Ukip)

Clacton North
Samantha Atkinson (Lab and Co-op)
Barrie Coker (Lib Dem)
David John (Green)
Andrew Pemberton (Ukip)
Andy Wood* (Con) 

Clacton West 
Dan Casey (Lab and Co-op)
Sean Duffy (Lib Dem)
Paul Honeywood* (Con)
Steven Kelly (Green)
Roy Raby (Ukip)

Constable
Anne Brown* (Con)
Blake Roberts (Green)
Thomas Stevenson (Lib Dem)
Ian Yates (Lab)

Drury
Diane Baker (Ukip)
Sioux Blair-Jordan (Lab)
Sue Lissimore* (Con)
Robbie Spence (Green)
Glanville Williams (Lib Dem)

Frinton and Walton 
Terry Allen (Tendring First)
Simon Banks (Lib Dem)
Susan Clutterbuck (Green)
Richard Everett (Ukip)
Mark Platt (Con)
Andy White (Lab)

Harwich
Owen Bartholomew (Lib Dem)
Ricky Callender (Con)
Paul Clutterbuck (Green)
Aaron Hammond (Ukip)
Ivan Henderson* (Lab)

Maypole
Martin Goss (Lib Dem)
Dave Harris* (Lab)
Pauline Hazell (Con)
Bruno Hickman (Ukip)
Laura Pountney (Green)

Mersea and Tiptree
John Akker (Independent)
Peter Banks (Green)
David Broise (Ukip)
Jo Hayes (Lib Dem)
John Jowers* (Con)
Bry Mogridge (Lab)

Mile End and Highwoods
Amanda Kirke (Green)
Alex Knupffer (Ukip)
Thomas Rowe (Con)
Anne Turrell* (Lib Dem)
Michael Wagstaff (Lab)

Parsons Heath and East Gates
John Baker (Lib Dem)
Jason Berry (Ukip)
Robert Brannan (Green)
Darius Laws (Con)
Judy Short (Lab)

Stanway and Pyefleet
Susan Allen (Green)
Kevin Bentley* (Con)
Alan Mogridge (Lab)
John Pitts (Ukip)
Jessica Scott-Boutell (Lib Dem)

Tendring Rural East 
Matthew Bensilum (Lib Dem)
Jeff Bray (Ukip)
Andy Erskine* (Con)
Maria Fowler (Lab)
Chris Southall (Green)

Tendring Rural West
Duncan Gordon (Green)
Carlo Guglielmi* (Con)
Mary Newton (Ukip)
Maison Urwin (Lab)
Rain Welham-Cobb (Lib Dem)

Wivenhoe St Andrew
Mark Cory (Lib Dem)
Chris Hill (Independent)
Janita LeFevre (Green)
Michael McDonnell (Con)
Julie Young* (Lab)

* indicates sitting candidate