THE inner workings of town and parish councils made national headlines this month thanks to the online antics of Handforth Parish Council when a meeting descended into chaos.
But whilst the recent goings-on at Melksham Town Council, which made local headlines last year, might have given Handforth and locum clerk Jackie Weaver a run for their money, local attention is instead turning to the upcoming local elections across Wiltshire in May.
On 6th May, Melksham and the surrounding villages will go to the polls to elect new councillors to represent them on Melksham Town Council, Melksham Without Parish Council, and Wiltshire Council.
In an effort to encourage more people to put themselves forward as candidates for election, Melksham News asked local councillors to share their experiences of what it is like to volunteer for the community and be part of a local council.
And a new group of local community campaigners, known as Together for Melksham, has also recently emerged, calling for a “fresh start” at the town council. The group say that they are hoping to field a slate of “independent” candidates for the upcoming election. See full story on page 13.
Wiltshire Council is also encouraging residents to register to vote by post to reduce the number of people visiting a polling station, and the risk of spreading coronavirus.
