Battle lines have been drawn in the fight for Colchester Town Hall.

Council elections are set to return on May 5 in Colchester with 18 of the 51 seats being contested.

In total, 62 candidates are vying for election.

Colchester Council elections take place in four year cycles where, for three years in a row, one third of councillors stand for re-election with the fourth being left clear.

With Covid-19 forcing the cancellation of council elections in 2020, the next election-free year will be 2024.

Colchester Council is currently run as a coalition between the Conservatives and the Highwoods group but one of the three Highwoods Independent councillors Philip Oxford is not seeking re-election this year.

The Conservatives currently have the most councillors with 23 while Labour and the Liberal Democrats have 11 councillors each and the Greens with two elected councillors.

One council seat in the New Town and Christ Church ward lies vacant following the death of former Colchester mayor Nick Cope in March.

Where are the seats to watch?

Tina Bourne, who has been a Labour councillor in Greenstead for 20 years, is not seeking re-election this year instead standing aside for new would-be councillors.

And in the Rural North ward, former mayor Peter Chillingworth will be stepping down as a Conservative councillor after 20 years of service.

In the Highwoods ward, Philip Oxford – son of long-standing councillors Gerard and Beverley Oxford – will not be standing for the first time in 14 years.

Liberal Democrat candidate Paul Smith is standing in the St Anne’s and St John’s ward after he lost his seat in the 2018 election.

Current council leader Conservative Paul Dundas is fighting for re-election in Stanway and will face a stiff contest in what was a previous Lib Dem stronghold.

In the ward of New Town and Christ Church, there are seven candidates in the running following the death of Nick Cope in March.

Conservative candidate Carla Hales is standing once again even though she assaulted whilst she was on the campaign trail in April 2019.

Colchester mayor Robert Davidson is standing in the Mersea and Pyefleet ward.

Who is standing? 

A list of wards and candidates is listed below. * denotes sitting councillor. 

Berechurch

John Clifton (Green), Michaela Grossmann-Hislop (Lib Dem), Chris Piggott (Con), Martyn Warnes* (Lab)

Castle

Simon Crow* (Con), Martin Gillingham (Lib Dem), Richard Kirkby-Taylor (Green), Alan Short (Lab)

Greenstead

Molly Bloomfield (Lab), Shaun Boughton (Lib Dem), Petra Crees (Con), Lisa Cross (Green)

Highwoods

Laura Cassidy (Lib Dem), Jocelyn Law (Lab), Stephen Rowe (Con)

Lexden and Braiswick

Roger Bamforth (Green), Sandra Cluham (Lib Dem), Martin Leatherdale* (Con), Stephen Novy (Lab)

Marks Tey and Layer

Barry Gilheany (Lab), Mark Hull (Lib Dem), Jacqueline MacLean* (Con), Amy Sheridan (Green)

Mersea and Pyefleet

Robert Davidson* (Con), Natlie Eldred (Lab), Jennifer Stevens (Lib Dem)

Mile End

Pauline Bacon (Lab), David King* (Lib Dem), Amanda Kirke (Green), David Linghorn-Baker (Con)

New Town and Christ Church

Clare Burgess (Green), Carla Hales (Con), Annelsley Hardy (Con), Robin James (Lib Dem), Samuel McLean (Labour), Kayleigh Rippingale (Labour), Catherine Spindler (Lib Dem)

Old Heath and The Hythe

Andrew Canessa (green), Richard Martin (Con), Peter Schraml (Lib Dem), Lee Scordis* (Lab)

Prettygate

Roger Buston* (Con), Simon Collis (Lab), Natalie Edgoose (Green), John Loxley (Lib Dem)

Rural North

Susan Bailey (Green), William Brown (Lib Dem), Neil Jones (Lab), William Sunnucks (Con)

Shrub End

Luke Hayes (Lab), Angela Linghorn-Baker (Con), Mick Spindler (Lib Dem)

St Anne’s and St John’s

Abigail Chambers (Lab), Thomas Rowe (Con), Paul Smith (Lib Dem)

Stanway

Tracy Arnold (Lib Dem), Paul Dundas* (Con), Jim Pey (Lab)

Tiptree

Kieron Franks (Lib Dem), John McArthur (Green), Rhys Smithson (Con), Ian Yates (Lab)

Wivenhoe

Christopher Bromley (Green), Mollie Ireland (Con), Cyril Liddy (Labour) Andrea Luxford-Vaughan* (Lib Dem)