BEDWARDINE is one of the most affluent wards in Worcester, with only two per cent of people out of work, compared with 2.6 per cent across the county.

Another feature which makes Bedwardine different to other parts of the city is home ownership - only five per cent of people pay rent to a housing association.

The biggest issue in the area is a long running saga over the future of Grove Farm off Bromyard Road, a 19-hectare site the city council wants to see regenerated.

Plans are in the pipeline to build on 11 hectares of the site to create 27 office blocks and industrial units, and 3,000 jobs. The plan is bitterly opposed by a 350-strong residents group called Grove Farm Residents Voice, which is concerned about congestion and pollution.

Final approval for the project has yet to be made, but is expected to be settled this year.

The ward is also home to Christopher Whitehead Language College, Bromwich Road, which has been subject to a prolonged relocation debate involving several supermarket giants. The Tory party has a stranglehold on the area.

Coun Barry Mackenzie-Williams, deputy leader of the city council, Coun Dave Clark, a former city mayor, and Coun Derek Prodger are the three Bedwardine councillors.

The ward is one of the most fiercely contested in the city, with both the Labour party and Conservative party putting hundreds of newsletters around in March to try and get an early advantage for the local elections.

It led to city MP Mike Foster and Coun Clark rowing about what was in each other's newsletter - a saga we covered in the Worcester News.

CANDIDATES:JENNY BARNESLabourJenny Barnes lives on Bromyard Road with her family. She is a governor at Christopher Whitehead Language College, which three of her children attend.

She believes any new housing developments for Worcester should be very carefully examined before approval; ensuring new community facilities are not left out of any developments and believes most new sites should be for affordable housing.

Mrs Barnes believes the Conservatives at the Guildhall have wasted a lot of taxpayers' money on worthless projects, ignoring the needs of local people, such as supporting an adequate youth centre provision for our community.

DAVE CLARKConservativeDave Clark has sympathy with those who feel disenchanted with elections.

But Mr Clark says councillors are working hard through the year for their ward members and are always available if people have a problem, despite the perception by some that they are only around at election time.

Mr Clark says he always takes time to talk and examine the issue carefully when a difficulty has occurred and then taken necessary action.

Mr Clark believes this city council is continually working to provide the best services and value for money on behalf of the voters.

He wants everyone to work together to maintain the current record for doing that.

ROGER COOKGreenRoger Cook was brought up in the Vale of Evesham and after working around the country, returned to Worcestershire and has lived in Worcester since 1994.

Following a career in retail, he works in Worcester for Worcestershire County Council. Mr Cook runs the bump website for urban cyclists, and has a keen interest in transport issues, and planning policies for micro energy generation.

Living in Bedwardine allows Mr Cook to make the most of local businesses and he believes that this is the first step to encouraging sustainable localisation.

When not working, Mr Cook can be found cycling or paddling a canoe with his daughter.

VAUGHAN HENCHERLiberal DemocratVaughan Hencher was born and brought up in the city.

Educated at the Royal Grammar School, Worcester, he has been a special constable, spent 24 years with the Post Office, and now works as an ILT (Inclusive Learning & Teaching) co-ordinator at the Pershore Group of Colleges.

Mr Hencher says hot on the heels of plans for Grove Farm and Earls Court Farm, comes a new threat to the city's western boundary in the form of regional housing targets, which he believes could see more land swallowed up by infill development along a completed ring road.

Mr Hencher is determined that the views of local residents will not be sidelined as they have been in the past.