AS the local elections draw ever closer, it is good to know what has happened and how the landscpe has changed since last year.

A total of 17 seats are up for grabs on May 4... but will it alter the balance of the council’s controlling cabinet?

The Conservatives currently hold the most seats with 19 members with the Liberal Democrats and Labour holding 15 each.

There are also two Green councillors.

A new Cabinet was formed consisting of four Lib Dems, three Labour, and one Green Party member.

There have been several changes in the build up to the elections, with some candidates not standing and others changing allegiances.

Last May, Martin Leatherdale left the Conservative group to sit as an Independent before resigning just days later triggering a byelection.

He was replaced by Tory Sara Naylor.

A double by-election was held in Highwoods after long serving Independent councillors Gerard and Bev Oxford resigned with Catherine Bickersteth (Lab) and Alison Jay (Lib Dems) elected.

Steph Nissen (Castle), the leader of the Green group on the council, left the Green Party and defected to Labour.

The same day, Mark Goacher, who had been a Green councillor before becoming an Independent, announced he would rejoin the Green group and became the group’s leader.

Now, Colchester Council has revealed the full list of all candidates.

Amongst the names, it was revealed two former mayors and long-serving councillors are standing down.

Helen Chuah,73, Lib Dem councillor for St Anne’s and St John’s ward, said: “I have been councillors for 24 years and as of my retirement I am the only ethnic minority in the council for that time.

"I will be waiting for someone to beat my record,” she said.

“My health hasn’t been great and as you get older you need to take a rest.”

She added: “I will be keeping an eye on what goes on in the council.

“I always wanted to try and help with what was needed in the community.”

Another former mayor and veteran not standing is Nigel Chapman who was first elected as a councillor in 1982 and was mayor in 2002-3.

Elsewhere, former Stanway councillor and council leader Paul Dundas is running for the Tiptree seat while Conservative Simon Crow is going for Castle, up against current seat holder Mark Goacher.

In case you missed it, the full list can be found below.

Incumbent councillors are marked with an asterisk *.

Berechurch

  • Amir Anbouche (Con)
  • John Clifton (Green)
  • Chris Pearson* (Lab)
  • Simon Collis (Lib Dem)
  • Diane Baker (Reform UK)

Castle

  • Simon Crow (Con)
  • Mark Goacher* (Green)
  • Charlie Jasper (Lab)
  • Martin Gillingham (Lib Dem)

Greenstead

  • David Cress (Con)
  • Lisa Cross (Green)
  • Tim Young* (Lab)
  • Chantelle-Louise Whyborn (Lib Dem)
  • Kevin Blair (Reform UK)

Highwoods

  • David Linghorn-Baker (Con)
  • Ryan Meadows (Green)
  • Pauline Bacon (Lab)
  • Alison Jay* (Lib Dem)

Lexden and Braiswick

  • Lewis Barber* (Con)
  • Roger Bamforth (Green)
  • Sarah Bruce (Lab)
  • Thomas Stevenson (Lib Dem)

Marks Tey and Layer

  • Andrew Ellis* (Con)
  • Amy Sheridan (Green)
  • John Spademan (Lab)
  • Lydia De-Col (Lib Dem)

Mersea and Pyefleet

  • Carl Powling (Con)
  • Libby Kirkby-Taylor (Green)
  • John Akker (Ind)
  • William Hayton (Lab)
  • John Knight (Lib Dem)
  • Sophie Preston-Hall (Reform UK)

Mile End

  • Phoebe Butcher (Con)
  • Amanda Kirke (Green)
  • James Pey (Lab)
  • Venessa Moffat (Lib Dem)

New Town and Christchurch

  • Chris Piggott (Con)
  • Bob Brannan (Green)
  • Ian Partridge (Ind)
  • Sam McLean* (Lab Co-op)
  • Catherine Spindler (Lib Dem)

Old Heath and the Hythe

  • Richard Martin (Con)
  • Andrew Canessa (Green)
  • Jeffrey Drew (Ind)
  • Fay Smalls (Lab)
  • Shaun Boughton (Lib Dem)

Prettygate

  • Leigh Tate* (Con)
  • Natalie Edgoose (Green)
  • Richard Bourne (Lab)
  • John Loxley (Lib Dem)

Rural North

  • Thomas Rowe (Con)
  • John Burgess (Green)
  • Barbara Nichols (Lab)
  • Karen Maxwell (Lib Dem)

Shrub End

  • Angela Linghorn-Baker (Con)
  • Sara Ruth (Green)
  • Luke Hayes (Lab)
  • Sam McCarthy* (Lib Dem)

St. Anne's & St. John's

  • Rowan Knight (Con)
  • Sebastian Dwyer (Green)
  • Abigail Chambers (Lab)
  • Natalie Sommers (Lib Dem)

Stanway

  • Janice Seabrook (Con)
  • Pam Nelson (Green)
  • Ian Yates (Lab)
  • Lesley Scott-Boutell* (Lib Dem)

Tiptree

  • Paul Dundas (Con)
  • Clare Burgess (Green)
  • Elizabeth Holford (Lab)
  • Jennifer Stevens (Lib Dem)
  • Ashley Girling (Reform UK)

Wivenhoe

  • Andrew Higginson (Con)
  • Jo Wheatley (Green)
  • Heather Lowe (Lab)
  • Mark Cory* (Lib Dem)

The 2023 Colchester City Council election is due to take place on May 4.

The deadline to register to vote is at midnight on April 17.

For more information, visit colchester.gov.uk/elections/.