EXTRA publicity in an effort to encourage more people into local government appears to have backfired, with the public giving the cold shoulder to becoming town and parish councillors in Teignbridge.
Nearly half of the 54 parishes and town wards have not attracted enough candidates to go to the polls on May 3. In 2003 there were 24 contests but this time around that has dropped to 18, with those nominated returned unopposed in a further dozen and not enough candidates coming forward to fill the required seats in no fewer than 24 parishes and wards.
One of the biggest shocks is in Buckfastleigh, where the town council finds itself with only seven names for the 12 seats, while the eight-strong Broadhempston Parish Council has only attracted three nominations but will be quorate.
In Whitestone, only five have come forward for the 10 seats, in Bishopsteignton half-a-dozen for 11 places, and in Moretonhampstead eight for 12 seats. Hennock Parish Council has 11 seats but only nine nominations. The chairman, Cllr Bill Stanyon, said he was disappointed but he believed regulations in the new code of conduct, particularly declaring an interest and having no part in decisions regarding neighbours and acquaintances, was putting people off.
'That situation is all right in a town where, perhaps, you know a few people in your street and none in the next street, but in a village of 150 you know everyone. In some cases the whole of the parish would have to declare an interest. 'Political correctness is getting in the way of the right person coming forward to be a parish councillor,' said Cllr Stanyon.
While others have struggled to attract new council blood, Teignmouth Town Council has bucked the trend, but the council chamber has been a hotbed of infighting during the past term. There are nine candidates contesting the four Central parish seats, ten to fill four vacancies in the East parish, and nine for the four in the West parish.
It is a similar situation for the ten-strong Kingskerswell Parish Council, which has attracted 14 candidates. Divisions over the Kingskerswell bypass have been central to some of the bad blood in the council chamber, and administration of the council has also attracted the spotlight in recent weeks.
There will be contests in: Bovey Tracey Bovey Parish, Dawlish North East, Haccombe with Combe Rural, Ideford, Ipplepen, Kingskerswell, Kingsteignton West, Lustleigh, Manaton, Newton Abbot Bradley, Newton Abbot Bushell, Newton Abbot College, Newton Abbot Milber, Tedburn St Mary, Teignmouth Central, Teignmouth East, Teignmouth West, and Widecombe-in-the-Moor. p All the nominations will appear in next week's paper.