Cheadle West By-Election To Go Ahead
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 4
COGNEWS can confirm that a by-election is to go ahead in the Cheadle West Ward of Cheadle Town Council on 16th of April 2026. There are two valid candidates (full details to follow):
Lee Bentley for Reform UK
&
Emma Chatwin for the Green Party
With no valid candidates from either the Labour or Conservative Parties, this will be an interesting election. Since the last full elections 3 years ago, 58 percent of the 17 councillors elected have left, mostly in the last 12 months. This includes Mike Haines, Paul Keeling, Liz Whitehouse, Mark Stanton, Bernie Charlesworth, and Lori Williams. This goes against a national average where volunteer councillors typically stay in a role for 9.1 years.
Cheadle town clerk Dave Mullington told COGNEWS that they have never exercised their general powers of competence. This is a right enables councils across the country to act in a way that any reasonable person might, with forward-thinking councillors stepping in where there is a need or a need to innovate. It does include things like the power of compulsory purchase, setting up a credit union, etc. The number of non-elected councillors means that should they wish to, the council no longer have the right to use them and a whilst this by-election will not restore those powers it may show the council who voted against polling cards (their only effective means of communicating the election to the public) that change is wanted here.
Is something rotten in the state of Cheadle? Well you will always find honest, independent reporting at COGNEWS.
Cheadle election planning debate:
Election Announced for West Ward Cheadle Town Council Seat
An election has been called for the West Ward of Cheadle, according to the Cheadle Town Council meeting yesterday. The date is provisionally booked for the 16th of April, and polling is likely to be in two of our three primary schools. The Town Council has voted not to use polling cards, and at this time, does not plan to inform members of the public how they might go about standing for the election.
Democratic Services at SMDC told COGNEWS that nominations for candidates will open on the 11th of March and close at 4 p.m. on the 18th of March. Anyone interested in standing can call the electoral team on 01538 395500 for an application and visit: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/guidance-candidates-parish-council-elections-england/what-you-need-know-you-stand-a-candidate for more information on how to become a candidate and why you might want to.
Staffordshire Parish Council Association kindly sent us this link to help potential candidates decide if council life is for them: https://www.nalc.gov.uk/campaigns/becoming-a-councillor/what-parish-and-town-councils-and-councillors-do.html
If there is only one candidate, then the person who applies will become a councillor automatically.
This election follows 10 co-options to the Cheadle Town Council in less than two years. This might seem unimportant, but a high turnover of councillors means new councillors coming in will need to take some time to learn this important role. Meanwhile, the work the council does can be jeopardized by inexperience and over-reliance on an undemocratic number of people. In effect, the council may be run by just a small group with a very specific voice, and co-option rather than election means that general powers of competence cannot be used, a valuable method of working if a council wishes to evoke change, which is certainly coming with devolution, a new school, further housing developments, and playing fields refurbishments planned.
It is undemocratic for councillors to suggest that holding an election is a misuse of funds, as you will hear in the recording below. The funds are kept specifically for this service.
SMDC will confirm to us the date for the election when it is known. We will update you on progress as it happens.
You can hear the debate at the town council from our recording of the meeting here:
Cheadle West By-Election To Go Ahead - created 20th March 2026
Election Announced for West Ward Cheadle Town Council Seat - created 3rd March 2026
