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02
Jul 2021
First candidates for Knaresborough Scriven Park by-election revealed
The first candidates have been revealed for the forthcoming by-election for the Knaresborough Scriven Park seat on Harrogate Borough Council.
The by-election is being held following the resignation of Cllr Samantha Mearns, who announced she was stepping down due to family reasons after holding the seat as a member of the Conservative party since 2018.
Voting for candidates to replace her will take place on July 29, with the deadline for nominations to be made by 4pm today (July 2).
The Conservatives have announced Jaqui Renton, a former landlady of The Union pub in Knaresborough, as their candidate, while Hannah Gostlow, a serving Knaresborough Town councillor, will stand for the Liberal Democrats.
Read more:
- Harrogate councillor resigns for “family reasons”
- Knaresborough set for by-election after Conservative councillor resigns
Sharon-Theresa Calvert will also compete in the by-election for the Labour Party after previously standing for a Knaresborough seat on North Yorkshire County Council in 2017.
The Yorkshire Party told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was looking for a suitable candidate, while the Green Party said in a statement it had “initiated discussions with opposition parties” about working together.
Announcing her resignation in a letter to residents last month, Cllr Mearns said she was moving to Wales to be closer to her family after her younger brother died and her mother was diagnosed with cancer.
She said it had been a “great honour” to serve the area where she had lived for more than 18 years.
Cllr Mearns said:
Cllr Mearns was also a member of Knaresborough Town Council and voting to fill this vacant seat will take place on the same day as the borough council by-election.
The by-election will be the second held in the Harrogate district this year after Conservative Cllr Matt Scott last month won the Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat on North Yorkshire County Council following the death of Liberal Democrat Cllr Geoff Webber.
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