Tillingbourne By-election To Be Held in October

Published on: 13 Sep, 2022
Updated on: 20 Sep, 2022

By Martin Giles

Since this article was written we have received confirmation that the Labour Party will be standing.

A by-election in the Tillingbourne ward will be held on Thursday, October 20. A vacancy was created following the death of the former Mayor of Guildford and Conservative borough councillor, Richard Billington.

Candidate nominations can be made from tomorrow Wednesday, September 14, and must be submitted by 4pm on Friday, September 23.

A map showing the GBC wards, with Tillingbourne a large but less densely populated ward in the southeast of the borough. The ward includes the villages of Albury, Gomshall, Peaslake and Shere, where the count will be held. Some new ward boundaries will be in place next May when the next borough council election is held.

As well as the Conservative party, the Liberal Democrats are intending to stand and the Labour Party, but an interesting decision will need to be made by three more minor/independent parties: The Green Party, Residents for Guildford & Villages (R4GV) and the Guildford Greenbelt Group (GGG).

Given the last election result in the ward in May 2019, the Conservatives, despite the personal popularity of the late Cllr Billington, might attract less support than usual. In 2019 when the Conservatives lost an unprecedented number of seats across the borough, Diana Jones, the Green Party candidate won a surprising victory.

The Tillingbourne election result in the borough council election held in May 2019. Quite an even spread of votes.

But if the Greens, GGG and R4GV all stand and divide support for the minor parties it might only help the Conservatives or perhaps the Lib Dems. The Dragon understands that talks between the smaller parties have not yet got seriously underway but they have only ten days in which to decide before nominations close.

And Tillingbourne does have a track record of electing Independent candidates. Keith Childs, now a hon alderman, served as a borough councillor for Tillingbourne from 1991 until 2007.

Catherine Houston, chair of the Guildford Liberal Democrats, said: “Residents from the villages of Tillingbourne ward have got the chance to pick a new councillor after the sad death of Richard Billington.

“We will be standing a local Tillingbourne-based community champion who has spent his life working within local communities around Surrey and who saw for himself how hard we Lib Dems work for residents.

“He wants to be the strong local champion residents in the villages around Shere, Gomshall, Albury and Peaslake deserve. We have been talking to local people and they are ready for a change so we are, as always, hopeful of a win, no matter who else decides to throw their hat into the ring.”

Residents not currently on the register will need to apply by Tuesday, October 4, if they wish to vote in this by-election.

Returning Officer Tom Horwood, also the CEO at GBC, said: “Anyone that has recently moved to Tillingbourne ward and wants to vote in the by-election, will need to register on an individual basis for the 2022 register. This will be the register on which this by-election will be run.

“The annual canvass form, recently sent to residents, is signed on behalf of the whole household. This relates to next year’s register only.”

Absent voting changes and application deadlines are as follows:

– postal votes – 5pm, Wednesday 5 October
– proxy votes – 5pm, Wednesday 12 October

To register to vote, or to apply for or change your ‘absent vote’, visit www.guildford.gov.uk/elections. Or call the Electoral Services helpline on 01483 444126.

Nomination forms for candidates will be available during these dates by contacting electoralservices@guildford.gov.uk. Nomination packs can also be downloaded from the Electoral Commission website.

All completed nomination papers must be delivered to the Returning Officer at Guildford Borough Council no later than 4pm on Friday, 23 September, 2022.

For more information about this election, please call the GBC Electoral Services helpline on the number above.