WILLITON voters will not have to go to the polls to elect new parish councillors after one of the candidates pulled out of the battle at the 11th hour.
Originally, three candidates put their names forward for the two vacancies on Williton Parish Council, which were created by the resignation of chairman Ann Bishop and Cllr Cyril Ludlow at the end of last year.
Local election officers had been preparing to hold an election at the end of this month when it was announced on Wednesday morning that candidate John Michael Richards, of Williton, had withdrawn from the race.
That clears the way for the remaining two candidates - William Peter Raymond Cleere and Edwin May - to be co-opted onto the parish council without the need for an election.
In recent months, Mr Cleere has been actively campaigning against proposals to build a 200-home estate in the village as chairman of a local action group.
Mr May will already be known to most parishioners as he was previously both a parish and district councillor. He only stepped down as a parish councillor in June last year for personal reasons.
The new appointments will finally bring Williton Parish Council back up to full strength after several months of upheaval.
Mrs Bishop said she had no choice but to resign both as chairman and a councillor following acrimonious scenes in the council chamber. She was followed by Mr Ludlow, who claimed he had become disillusioned with the workings of the parish council.