With residents heading to the polls next month, Local Democracy Reporter Katie May Nelson has been speaking to some of the candidates.

It promises to be a keenly-fought contest, with all seats on Medway Council up for grabs on May 4. Here, she speaks to some of the hopefuls from the Liberal Democrats.

The Liberal Democrats have put forward 28 names for this election, which is just under half the number of seats up for grabs.

The party currently don't have any representation on Medway Council but could this be set to change?

With this being the first election since new boundary changes, the party have put forward three candidates in Strood Rural and Rainham North.

Strood Rural

Joanna Clark is making it a family affair, standing alongside her husband Alex, who has put his name forward as a Lib Dem candidate in Strood North and Frindsbury.

Having grown up in Strood and Cliffe Woods where she continues to live, she says she wants to see more consideration given to infrastructure in the rural villages in her ward.

She said: "I think there's a lot to be done around infrastructure.

'I think there's a lot to be done around infrastructure'

"If you look at the B2000, recently there's been roadworks where they're trying to lay infrastructure underneath to feed to the new houses but there were two sets of temporary traffic lights, not very far apart, and it caused absolute mayhem one morning.

"Children were late for school. It was just a complete nightmare. Things like that are just not thought about.

The mother-of-one works in human resources and commutes into central London.

She added: "I felt maybe a lot of what I do in HR would be helpful because I do a lot of problem solving, probing, and questioning.

"I've got a good understanding of some of the issues and challenges local people have around commuting, working, families, schooling, and travel."

She's joined by Alan Wells, who works as a carer for people with Downs Syndrome in Frindsbury.

A life-long Medway resident, he has successfully campaigned to get fly tipping removed from the ward and more street lights installed.

He said: "I live in Chatham and cycle to and from work and I see daily the environmental issues and things that need doing.

"I sense that people are frustrated about the way things are going and there's no real change in terms of what's happening from the local administration."

His aims for the ward include helping with measures to improve air quality on and around Four Elms Hill, halting overdevelopment, and protecting the countryside.

Rainham North

A self-confessed political geek, Alan Collins Rosell is the creator of the Medway Elects website, where you can see everyone who is standing as a councillor where you live, providing you live in Medway.

The website has been going for over 10 years, Alan says it was born out of frustration after he found it difficult to try and find out information about the people who need to held to account in their area.

A former head boy of Rainham Mark Grammar School, he has lived in the Towns all his life, studied law at the University of Kent's campus in Chatham, and now lives in Twydall.

He said: "The opportunity to serve the community is something that's always been ingrained in me growing up, looking out for people and looking after people.

"Someone needs to get a grip on the traffic around Rainham as a priority. During rush hour, it's horrendous.

"The other day, it took me nearly an hour trying to get from one end of Rainham to the other and considering it is on a main road, the A2, that is bonkers.

Standing alongside him is someone else who has a background in law.

Rainham resident Nicholas Chan works in central London as a trainee criminal lawyer and has an interest in social justice.

He sees issues around town planning, access to community spaces, and potholes being the biggest concerns in the area.

He said: "Through our door knocks, I think the cost of living crisis is the biggest problem, as well as roadworks and environmental issues."

For more information about voting and to see a full list of candidates for you area, go to www.medway.gov.uk/elections2023

Polls will be open between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, May 4.