CANDIDATES for next month’s Somerset County Council elections were declared this week.

Nominations closed on Tuesday for the 55 seats across the county, and 230 people have put themselves forward.

Nearly 450 polling stations will open on Thursday May 4, and anyone eligible to vote but not already on the electoral register has until midnight on Thursday (April 13) to register, by visiting www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or contacting their local district council.

In West Somerset’s four seats, the sitting candidates are all standing again - Frances Nicholson for Dulverton and Exmoor, Christine Lawrence for Dunster, Terry Venner for Minehead and Hugh Davies for Watchet and Stogursey.

The following are the candidates for the four seats:

Dulverton and Exmoor Division -Ivor Jones (UKIP), Graham Kennedy (Labour), Frances Nicholson ( Conservative) and Peter Pilkington (Liberal Democrat).

Dunster Division - Adrian Behan (UKIP), Lesley Culverhouse (Labour), Paul Dennett (Green), Christine Lawrence (Conservative) and James Wall (Liberal Democrat).

Minehead Division - Mandy Chilcott (Conservative), Marcus Kravis (Liberal Democrat), Maureen Smith (Labour) and Terry Venner (UKIP).

Watchet and Stogursey Division: Pater Barbuti (UKIP), Anthony Bowden (Liberal Democrat), Hugh Davies (Independent), Richard Lillis (Conservative) and Robin Nuttall (Labour).

Candidates for the Upper Tone Division, which inludes Wiveliscombe, are Caroline Freedman (Green), James Hunt (Conservative), Janet Lloyd (Liberal Democrat) and Steve Ross (Independent).

And standing in the Lydeard Division are Jonathan Gray (Labour), Roger Habgood (Conservative), Clive Martin (Green), Mike Rigby (Independent) and James Russell (Liberal Democrat).

Cannington Division candidates are Mike Caswell (Conservative), Jill Dillamore (Liberal Democrat) and Philip King (Labour).

n Also on May 4, there will be a by-election for a vacancy on West Somerset Council.

Standing for the Minehead North Ward are Benet Allen (Liberal Democrat), Andrew Kingston-James (Conservative), Sally Kuhlmann Hall (Independent) and Maureen Smith (Labour).