THE issues facing a community are set to be put into the spotlight at a hustings event.

Residents of Wyke Regis are invited to put questions to the nine candidates vying for two seats to represent the ward on Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

One third of borough council seats are up for grabs at local elections to take place on Thursday, May 5. There is also a casual vacancy in Wyke Regis and the poll to fill this vacancy is being held alongside the rest of the election.

This means that there are two vacancies for the Wyke Regis ward.

Serving councillor Kate Wheller, who is set to battle for her place on the borough council, has organised a hustings for residents to meet the candidates.

The event takes place on Thursday, April 21 at the WI Hall in Gallway Road from 7pm.

Cllr Wheller said: “At a local level it’s more important to know the person than the party. People want their representative to know their street, their issues.”

She added: “I will be inviting all the candidates and I hope they will all accept. We will have an independent chairman and people going along will have the opportunity to ask questions. This could be the same question to all candidates, if they like, or different questions.

“It will be an opportunity to raise any issues concerning them and see what the candidates have to say about it.”

The casual vacancy came about when former borough councillor Craig Martin stepped down due to ill health.

Cllr Wheller said: “He has worked as hard as he can but he was not able to be as visible in the community as he would have liked. He felt in the interests of the people of Wyke Regis he should step down.

“It was a huge disappointment to him. He has represented Wyke Regis for two years.”

The full list of candidates for the two Wyke Regis seats are as follows: 

  • Kerry Baker (Conservative)
  • Steve Cobb (Independent)
  • Lee Dalton (Green Party)
  • Sybil Drake (UKIP)
  • Lucy Hamilton (Labour)
  • Andrew Knowles (Conservative)
  • Howard Richard Legg (Lib Dem)
  • Gillian Pearson (Lib Dem)
  • Kate Wheller (Labour and Co-operative Party)