WELLS City Council will have a new look after the local elections as seven of the previous 16 councillors are not standing for re-election to the city council.

Among them are long-serving councillors Roy MacKenzie, Colin Price, Maureen Brandon and Gordon Wilson. Roy and Gordon have served for eight years in total and Maureen and Colin for 20. All four are past mayors, and Maureen was mayor twice.

The local elections take place on Thursday, May 2. In this area, voters will be electing councillors for Wells City Council and Mendip District Council.

There were not enough candidates standing in any of the four St Cuthbert Out Parish Council wards to make an election necessary, so all those nominated have been elected unopposed.

They are: St Cuthbert Out East: Ian Humphreys (Independent); St Cuthbert Out North: Edwin Danson, Marcel Hayden; St Cuthbert Out South: Gill Pettitt (Labour and Co-Operative Party); St Cuthbert Out West: Jennifer Henderson, Ted Mallinson, Margaret Mitchell, Jim Reeves, Elizabeth Walker.

Wells City Council's town clerk, Felicity White, said: "My grandmother campaigned with the Suffragettes at the beginning of the last century so that I can vote, and I always encourage my four daughters to vote. In days long gone by, others worked hard to ensure that all men were treated equally and that everyone has a fair vote. I urge the people of Wells to exercise their votes in the forthcoming elections."

Residents can find information about where to vote on the voting card they should have received.

On the evening of May 2, the verification of the number of votes cast will take place, and the overall turnout percentage for Mendip will be announced.

The count will begin on Friday, May 3, starting with the district election and then the parishes. All the results will be published when they are announced on the Mendip District Council website.

• Picture: Maureen Brandon and Colin Price