Nominations have closed for the Maidstone Borough Council May elections.

Voters will go to the polls on Thursday, May 5, in 18 of the town's 26 wards. It will be one of the last times that the council is elected by thirds, with a full council election scheduled for May 2024.

Councillors elected this year will serve for only two years, instead of the normal four.

The Conservative party is fielding the largest number of candidates, with one in every ward.

The Greens come next with 16, the Lib Dems have 15 and Labour 13. There are also four independent candidates and one from the British Democrat Party.

The town's recently formed Maidstone Independent Party, led by former council leader Martin Cox, which broke away from the Liberal Democrats in October last year, is not fielding any candidates, though one of its current members, Nikki Fissenden, is seeking re-election simply as an Independent.

Voters in Shepway North and Heath Wards have the widest selection to choose from, with five candidates each. The number has been bolstered by the intervention of husband and wife team, Gary and Melanie Butler, standing as Independents.

One of the mostly closely watched contests will be in Marden where the current leader of the council, David Burton, is seeking re-election.

This year is unusual in that one of the candidates does not live in the borough at all.

Derek Mortimer, who is in line to be Mayor of Maidstone if re-elected, has moved from Tovil to Hawkhurst, which comes under Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

Cllr Mortimer has been allowed to contest his existing seat in South Ward on the grounds that his only work falls within Maidstone - his role as a borough councillor.

The Conservative group currently has a three-seat overall majority on the council. However they are defending in nine seats, so their opponents will believe there is a chance to change that.

Allington

Eve Burton (Con)

Ian McDonald (Green)

John Randall (Lab)

Thomas Wilkinson (Lib Dem)

Bearsted

Ian Chittenden (Lib Dem)

Sandra Knatchbull (Con)

Ciaran Oliver (Green)

Bridge

Mitu Chowdhury (Con)

Stuart Jeffery (Green)

Chris Passmore (Lib Dem)

David Reay (Lab)

Boxley

Bob Hinder (Con)

Susan Parr (Green)

Michael Thompson (Lib Dem)

Coxheath and Hunton

Claire Kehily (Green)

Lottie Parfitt-Reid (Con)

Simon Wales (Lib Dem)

East

Richard Conyard (Lib Dem)

Nikki Fissenden (Ind)

Donna Greenan (Green)

James Reid (Con)

Fant

Julia Batt (Lib Dem)

Paul Harper (Lab)

Kimberley Milham (Green)

Jason Musindo (Con)

Harrietsham and Lenham

Sasha Luck (Con)

Janetta Sams (Ind)

Headcorn

Sarah Barwick (Lab)

Derek Eagle (Green)

Martin Richards (Lib Dem)

Martin Round (Con)

Heath

Gary Butler (Ind)

Ashleigh Kimmance (Lib Dem)

Angel Rai (Con)

Derek Swan (Lab)

Matthew White (Green)

High Street

Steven Cheeseman (Green)

Richard Coates (Lab)

Clive English (Lib Dem)

Dani Stephenson (Con)

Marden and Yalding

David Burton (Con)

Mick Summersgill (Green)

Alwyn Whitlock (Lab)

North

Jo Burns (Lab)

Scott Hahnefeld (Con)

Tony Harwood (Lib Dem)

Stephen Thompson (Green)

Park Wood

Rob Field (Lib Dem)

Jaime Graymead (Con)

Caroline Jessel (Green)

Dan Wilkinson (Lab)

Shepway North

Alan Bartlett (Con)

Melanie Butler (Ind)

Joe Higson (Lib Dem)

Henry Morgan (Lab)

Stephen Muggeridge (Green)

Shepway South

John Barned (Con)

Maureen Cleator (Lab)

Lawrence Rustem (British Democrats)

Geoff Samme (Lib Dem)

South

Simon Milham (Green)

Derek Mortimer (Lib Dem)

Marlyn Randall (Lab)

Paul Thomas (Con)

Staplehurst

John Perry (Con)

Meg Shepherd-Foster (Green)

Rory Silkin (Lab)