Who will represent Borough of Scarborough on new unitary council?

Votes will be counted today after polls closed last night

Author: Karen LiuPublished 6th May 2022

Today we will find out who will be representing the Borough of Scarborough on next year's new unitary council.

Polls closed last night and votes will be counted from 11am to reveal who has been elected out of the 17 seats available.

90 are up for grabs throughout the whole of North Yorkshire to make up the county's new single authority.

Bill Chatt is standing for the Woodlands ward in Scarborough and he said: "It's been very positive for me. A lot of people have shared things on Facebook saying it was election day and the best thing was the sun was shining. I was sat there with the sun in my face, building up that sun tan, so I'm thinking 'you know, this could be a really good day for me.' I'm getting a lot of positive remarks from people, so I'm feeling things will probably go my way.

"I'm well involved through things like the Big Local, the residents association, through the schools and through a lot of the work I do here in Barrowcliff. It's great to see people and it's great when those people appreciate you and say 'you do have local connections, we see you are here', and it makes a big difference to the voters, especially the first time voters.

"I'll be able to bring more into the ward because now it's joined up thinking and means we wouldn't be talking to North Yorkshire County Council about roads and Scarborough Borough Council about grass, it would all be one area. I think people need to realise that especially in the town of Scarborough where we aren't parished, this will be an increase in your council tax because we've never had a parish council tax.

"Personally, I've been more than moved by some of the posts and comments people shared with me on Facebook. Of the four candidates for Woodlands ward, there's only two who live within the ward and most of them haven't even put a leaflet and I think that's been shameful really. You can't expect people to vote for you if you don't tell people what you stand for."

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