A date has been set for a council by-election sparked by the death of a local councillor.
The Broxburn by-election will take place on Thursday, 1 December, West Lothian Council’s Executive heard today.
It comes after the death of Councillor Ann Davidson on 8th September following a short illness. Councillor Davidson was elected for Labour at this year’s council poll on 5 May.
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Section 37 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 requires that an election to fill the vacancy be held within three months of the date on which the vacancy is deemed to have occurred.
Caroline Burton, from the council’s Chief Executive’s Office, confirmed the December polling day and outlined details of changes to polling stations.
The count will be an e-count and will be held the following day.
Three polling stations have been changed from the May poll, mainly to allow schools to stay open. The Council Leader, leaders of the political groups and local elected members have all agreed to the changes.
The three new polling places will be Uphall Community Centre, Broxburn Sports Centre and Ecclesmachan Community Hall. The first two replace the local primary schools to avoid disruption to the school week. The third is a change for the three voters who normally vote at Bridgend Village Hall.
There will be no changes to the other polling stations which will be: Dechmont Memorial Hall, Kirkhill Primary School, Strathbrock Partnership Centre, Winchburgh Primary School and Winchburgh Community Centre.
Councillor Davidson’s husband, Lex, was the Labour member for the ward, properly called Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh, for a quarter of a century. His service was marked by the renaming of Broxburn Library after him earlier this year.
In the last council administration the ward had the unusual distinction of being represented by two Conservatives and two SNP members.
Chris Horne was elected for the Tories in 2017 alongside Angela Doran for Labour and Diane Calder and Janet Campbell, as long- serving SNP councillors.
Ms Doran defected to the Tories last year accusing Labour of softening its stance on defence of the union. Standing as Angela Doran-Timson, having married fellow Conservative councillor Damian Timson, she was one of four Conservatives to retain their seat on the new council, alongside the two SNP members and councillor Davidson.
The ward is changing rapidly. By the close of the current council administration in 2027 Winchburgh will have surged from a village to a new town as housing and associated retail development continues apace. In addition more than 1,000 new homes will be built in the next decade in what was a rural hinterland around Dechmont and the former Bangour hospital.
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