More changes at Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council

Two new councillors have been elected unopposed to fill vacant seats on a parish council where the clerk earlier this year warned councillors over behaviour at meetings.

Mandela Zulu, an ‘independent’, and James Michael Anderson, who is described as ‘driven, resourceful, resilient, visionary, entrepreneurial, and bold’, will take their seats on Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council.

Electors had called for elections to be held but only one candidate stepped forward in each seat, meaning that their no-voting victory on July 10 is unopposed.

Zulu takes the Brookside seat that was vacated by Stuart Cook who resigned his seat after claiming that the parish council “fails to prioritise the genuine needs and concerns of its residents.”

Anderson takes the Stirchley seat that became vacant when Karl Jolly, a PCSO, separately resigned.

At a meeting in April, Chris Maclean, who is the locum clerk at the council, read the local government equivalent of the riot act when he referred to feedback he had received, including from the police, about the conduct of councillors at meetings.

He said at the time that it is “very important for all of us to consider how we are presenting ourselves and the council to our residents in the parish.” Councillors were urged to read the rules.

Since then, long-standing councillor Jim Loveridge retired, creating another vacancy on the parish. But no by-election has been called in his Brookside seat and the council is now inviting interested persons to put themselves forward to be co-opted.

And, since then a fourth councillor has resigned from the 13 member authority after Marie McCarthy stepped down from her Brookside seat on June 10, official documents record.

Election officials at Telford & Wrekin Council have now triggered a rule that allows at least 10 electors in Brookside to call for a by-election to be held for McCarthy’s former seat.

If at least 10 electors haven’t called for a  by-election by July 2 the parish council can then also seek to co-opt a councillor to fill the vacancy.

Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council has been earmarked for big changes under a Telford & Wrekin Council Governance Review.

If proposals are approved it will be merged with Hollinswood and Randlay Parish Council to create The Nedge Parish which would line up with borough council boundaries.

In other recent town and parish council by-election announcements, Councillor Sue McGavin has resigned from Rodington Parish Council and Councillor Tamara Pickstock has resigned from her seat on Little Wenlock Parish Council.

Electors have until Thursday, June 19, 2025 to call for a by-election in Rodington while the deadline for the same in Little Wenlock is Friday, June 20, 2025.

For further details contact the Electoral Services Office: Telford and Wrekin Council, Darby House, Lawn Central, Telford, TF3 4JA by email on elections@telford.gov.uk, or phone for further guidance on (01952) 383206.