CONSERVATIVES

High on the Conservatives' list of priorities is a new hospital in Malvern.

The Conservatives are fielding 33 candidates - the largest number of any party - in Malvern Hills this year.

Its group leader on the council, Serena Croad, who is standing for re-election in the Dyson Perrins ward of Malvern, said: "We will continue to fight for a new hospital in Malvern and vigorously press Malvern's case with the Government and the health trust."

Mrs Croad, aged 37, said providing good value for money and spending taxpayers' money wisely was high on their list of priorities as well as combating litter, anti-social behaviour and low level crime.

She said residents were keen to retain a weekly black bin waste collection service but they also wanted to recycle more.

The Conservatives have made a commitment to reopen the public toilets in Malvern, Tenbury Wells and Upton-upon-Severn if they take power in the district.

Other issues they feel are important across the district are supporting rural businesses and rural regeneration, providing family housing as well as affordable housing, promoting tourism and the arts while protecting the Malvern Hills, keeping local post offices, attracting in vestment to companies on Malvern's Science Park, improving community safety, reducing residents parking permit charges, helping parish councils to deal with litter, public transport, road links to the M5 and delivering services more efficiently and effectively.

LIBERAL DEOMCRATS

Providing homes that local people can afford is top of the agenda for the Liberal Democrats in the Malvern Hills district.

The Lib Dems are currently the ruling group in Malvern Hills and have 29 candidates in this year's election.

The group leader and leader of the council Di Rayner, who is standing for re-election in Malvern Wells, says: "Young people who were born and bred in Malvern are having to move away or stay with their parents because there is nothing they can afford. That is wrong.

"We have to find a way that these young people can stay with us. We have teachers and health workers and other people who are giving a really wonderful service to our community who cannot afford to live here."

She added that they wanted to create communities that were not dependent on cars.

Apart from the major towns in the district, the rural areas and large villages such as Martley and Clifton-upon-Teme were very important and the Lib Dems want to work with partners like the county council to improve public transport.

She said they would fight to keep local post offices. "We have a Keep The Post Office Open campaign. It is the backbone of communities with the village shop. If one goes, the other goes. We will also try to continue to nurture small businesses."

Councillor Rayner, a 63-year-old retired businesswoman and policy officer for the Federation of Small Businesses, said the party would continue to press for more leisure and sports facilities, safer streets and a new hospital for Malvern.

INDEPENDENT

While the Independent candidates do not represent a political party, they form a group and the leader Roger Sutton, who is standing for re-election in Ripple, explained some of the issues for his ward and the district as a whole.

The major issue for the Ripple area is the proposed expansion of Upton Marina and the impact it will have on local residents, said Mr Sutton, a 67-year-old retired personnel manager from Holly Green.

He added that people were also concerned about rural policing, the state of the roads and footpaths and the extent of gravel extraction in the area.

Residents throughout the district council area are concerned about the continuing increase in council tax, traffic and public transport, he said.

"I want to keep the council tax as low as possible. In the past few years Malvern Hills has not done too badly. For it to be reduced is unrealistic unless there is a complete change in local government funding.

"The problem of traffic is a problem for everyone but people in rural areas will have to use cars.

"We have not found a way of economically providing public transport in rural areas. There is quite a high proportion of elderly people who are driving but there are an increasing number who are not going to be able to drive any more."

He said another issue of concern to the Independent group was keeping streets in the district clean and tidy, which had improved through the establishment of street scene teams.

GREEN

Sixteen Green Party candidates are fighting for seats in 11 Malvern Hills district wards.

The only current Green Party councillor John Raine, who is standing for re-election in West Malvern, said there was a sea change in public attitude towards climate change and sustainability.

This is at the heart of the Green Party policies for a long time and he said in Malvern one of the party's aims is to press for improved recycling.

"We are also very committed to improving and extending the better use of energy in housing. We want to encourage better insulation and make sure new houses are carbon neutral."

Councillor Raine, a 55-year-old professor of local government and criminal justice at Birmingham University, said the need for more housing in the area was an opportunity to create sustainable communities less dependent on the car and to improve public transport.

He said the Green Party supported local post offices which provide a very important social function as well as a commercial one.

"We are encouraging and supporting localism. North Site in Malvern is a good place to start. We have now got the challenge of making it a sustainable site. We have already secured a bus service that will link with the train station and the town centre."

He said it was important that the council engage and communicate better with the public on its policies and actions as well as setting an example for energy conservation.

UK INDEPENDENT PARTY

The provision of a new hospital in Malvern is a major issue that the UK Independence Party (UKIP) is committed to fight for.

UKIP is fielding six candidates at this year's elections and is focusing on being a small party that can represent local people without have to follow a manifesto or a party line.

The chairman of UKIP in West Worcestershire, Richard Spencer, aged 51, who is standing in Malvern Priory Ward, says the party will not be in a position of power but it could help to influence the council's policies and actions in a sensible way and be a thorn in the council's side.

He said the long-running saga of a new hospital for Malvern was a major issue in the district.

He said: "We have really got to get something done about the hospital. We have really got to keep the pressure on and make sure people are taking it up and looking at all the possibilities."

He said the long-term future of Malvern town centre was also a major topic.

"This is definitely a tourist area but you cannot get a meal in Malvern between 5pm and 6pm. Let's make it easier for the traders to do more for the tourists."

Other issues affecting the area are the closure of public toilets in Malvern, Upton and Tenbury; the introduction of late night parking charges in Malvern; the planned development of the former Ministry of Defence site North Site, off Leigh Sinton Road; anti-social behaviour and more bobbies on the beat in Upton and Malvern to deal with rowdiness and vandalism.

BRITISH NATIONAL PARTY

Severn Stoke resident Nick Chance is the first British National Party candidate to stand for election in the Malvern Hills District.

The 59-year-old IT consultant, who is married with six children, is standing in the Kempsey ward.

He says the main thrust of his campaign, and the issue that comes up time and time again when he talks to voters on their doorsteps, is the increasing costs of council tax.

"It cannot go on like this. The pensioner cannot afford it and it is the same when there is just one breadwinner in a house. A lot of pensioners are at the end of their tether. It has got to stop going up and start coming down," he said.

"If we have to reduce the amount of money being given to asylum seekers and immigrants, then so be it. Many people believe too much benefit is provided to single mothers.

"When we cannot afford a public loo in Malvern, it is pathetic and someone has to wake up the council."

He said another issue of major importance in Kempsey was road safety, particularly the Upton-upon-Severn turning on the A38, This included the lack of cycle paths so that children and adults could exercise and get around safely.

He said there was also the need to reduce the number of signs on roads, which only confused motorists.

Mr Chance said another issue that had come up was the importance of giving independent advice to pensioners who wanted to realise cash tied up in their properties.

LABOUR (No Candidates)

Labour supporters living in the Malvern Hills district will be unable to vote for their party during this year's elections.

While there will be 600 Labour candidates standing for election across the West Midlands region, there is not a single representative in the Malvern district.

Historically, Malvern is not a strong Labour area, although the party always fields a candidate in the West Worcestershire constituency at general elections. In 2003 there were two Labour candidates for the district council elections.

A Labour Party spokeswoman said: "We strive to fill every vacancy. Despite our best efforts to get local candidates trained to stand, we have failed this year but we will continue that work.

"It is a bit frustrating. It is not ideal for us that Labour voters in Malvern Hills do not have a Labour person to vote for. We have to keep working on it but we cannot force people to stand."

She added that the country had a very vibrant democracy and there were candidates from a lot of different parties standing for election this year.

Despite Labour's absence in Malvern Hills, there are six political parties represented - British National Party, Conservative, Green, Independents, Liberal Democrat and UK Independence.

WHO IS STEPPING DOWN

There will be two new faces representing Alfrick and Leigh ward as both councillors - Liberal Democrat Sheila Young and Independent councillor John Guise - are stepping down this year.

One of the two Broadheath councillors, Conservative Katherine Burgoyne, is not running this time and Malvern Chase councillor Michael Angell, a Liberal Democrat, is also bowing out.

There will be a new representative for Hallow as its only councillor, Hannah Doyle, a Conservative, is stepping down, while one of Kempsey's two councillors Henry Morris, another Conservative, will not be standing.

There will be new faces in Malvern's Link ward.

Liberal Democrat David Houghton-Smith is standing down from that ward but standing in another one while a second Liberal Democrat, Pat Raven, is not putting herself forward for re-election.

Longdon will have a new representative as its only councillor, Julia Wildin of the Liberal Democrats, is stepping down.

Liberal Democrat councillor Mrs Marion Houghton-Smith is standing down from the Pickersleigh ward and both representatives for Upton and Hanley are also removing themselves from the ballot paper this year. They are Lib Dem Susan Adeney and Conservative Mary Wilkinson.

UNCONTESTED WARDS

Baldwin (Astley, Shrawley, Holt) Current councillor: Sue Gill (Conservative).

Lindridge (Lindridge, Knighton on Teme, Mamble, Bayton, Stockton on Teme) Current councillor: Reg Farmer (Conservative).

Teme Valley (Lower Sapey, Clifton upon Teme, Shelsley Walsh, Shelsely Beauchamp, Shelsley Kings, Stamford with Orleton, Hanley, Eastham).

Current councillor: Gill Dunne (Conservative).

Martley (Martley, Wichenford, Kenswick) Current councillor: Barbara Williams.

Woodbury (Abberley, Pensax, Great Witley, Hillhampton, Little Witley). Current councillor: Paul Jonathan Cumming (Conservative)

HOW IT STANDS

The current number of representatives for each party in the Malvern Hills district council chamber

Liberal Democrat/Green Party alliance 18; Conservative 15; Independent 2; Non-aligned 1; Vacant 2.