BIG changes could be afoot in the Cotswolds following next month’s district council election.

Following recent electoral ward boundary reviews by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, the amount of members on Cotswold District Council is being slashed by almost a quarter from 44 to 34.

With the exception of Campden and Vale and Lechlade, Kempsford and Fairford South, which will be represented by two councillors each due to their size and population, each ward will now be represented by only one member.

As some wards are currently represented by as many as three members from multiple parties, the district could find itself with a very different balance of power following next the election – which will take place on the same day as the General Election on Thursday, May 7.

The makeup of Stratford District Council has also been revamped, with the amount of members slashed by almost a third from 53 to 36. As with Cotswold District Council, each ward will now be represented by only one member.

Elsewhere, the battle in Broadway and Wickhamford could be one of the most entertaining of the election as Monster Raving Loony Party candidate Baron Fullstop goes up against Conservative stalwart Liz Eyre, along with fellow Tory Bradley Thomas and Green Party member Liam Wilson.

Among his pledges should he are to bring cut crime by bringing back the town’s stocks and gluing unruly teenagers together while improving transport links between Childswickham and Broadway by building a log flume.

Unlike Cotswold, Stratford and Wychavon, only 19 seats in 16 wards on West Oxfordshire District Council are up for election this month. Chadlington and Churchill ward is one of those where elections are not being held this year.

CANDIDATES IN MAY'S DISTRICT COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN THE COTSWOLDS

The below details only refer to wards within the Journal’s circulation area. For information on other wards visit the relevant district council’s website.

COTSWOLD DISTRICT COUNCIL

Blockley:
Sue Jepson (Con)
Arabella McMillan-Scott (Lib Dem)

Bourton Vale:
Richard Keeling (Con)
Malcolm Lilley (Con)

Bourton Village:
Andrew Briars (Lib Dem)
Len Wilkins (Con)

Campden and Vale:
Mark Arnett (Con)
Danny Loveridge (Lib Dem)
Rob McNeil-Wilson (UKIP)
Peter Sipthorp (Lib Dem)
Lynden Stowe (Con)

Fosseridge:
Julian Beale (Con)
Peter Ellis (Lib Dem)
Ailsa Spindler (Green)

Moreton East:
Robert Dutton (Con)
Tim Harris (Lib Dem)
Jude Walker (Lab)

Moreton West:
Alison Coggins (Con)
Tori Walker (Lib Dem)

Sandywell:
Roberta Crawley (Lib Dem)
Robin Hughes (Con)

Stow:
Mike Curtis (Lib Dem)
Barry Dare (Con)

The Rissingtons:
Mark Mackenzie-Charrington (Con)
Andrew Maclean (Green)
Joanna Walker (Lib Dem)

STRATFORD-ON-AVON DISTRICT COUNCIL

Brailes and Compton:
Claire Balmer (Lab)
Stephen Gray (Con)
Laura Nelson (Lib Dem)

Ettington:
Gem Douglas (Green)
Bruce Robertson (Lib Dem)
Geoffrey Scotter (Lab)
Philip Seccombe (Con)
Steven Stinton (UKIP)

Quinton:
Mike Brain (Con)
Sue Main (UKIP)
Anne Parker (Lib Dem)
Emma Rowlands (Lab)

Shipston North:
Richard Henderson (UKIP)
Jeff Kenner (Lab)
Rosie Parker (Green)
Chris Saint (Con)

Shipston South:
Jo Barker (Con)
Richard Cheney (Lib Dem)
David Passingham (Green)
Mark Pilbeam (UKIP)
Jackie Warner (Lab)

Welford on Avon:
Peter Barnes (Ind)
Vanessa Lowe (Con)
Cat Price (Lab)

WEST OXFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL

Chipping Norton:
Ivan Aguado Melet (Lib Dem)
Richard Averill (Green)
Florence O’Neill (Lab & Co-op)
Jim Stanley (UKIP)
Lingen Wall (Con)

Kingham, Rollright and Enstone:
Andrew Beaney (Con)
Lawrence Ferrero (Lab)
Nicholas Goodwin (Green)
Alistair Scott (UKIP)
Jenny Tatton (Lib Dem)

WYCHAVON DISTRICT COUNCIL

Broadway and Wickhamford:
Baron Fullstop (MRLP)
Liz Eyre (Con)
Bradley Thomas (Con)
Liam Wilson (Green)