FOUR candidates in Tavistock will be scrapping it out for a single seat on West Devon Borough Council next month.

The election for the right to represent the town’s north ward was created by the recent resignation of popular independent councillor Steve Hipsey.

Mr Hipsey, one of the organisers of environmental group Tidy Tavi, decided to quit because of his disillusionment with council work and a disagreement caused by a comment he made on social media.

Not one of the four hopefuls lining up to fill the vacancy is an independent, with the Conservatives, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party each putting up a candidate.

Susan Bamford, whose address is given as one in West Devon, will fight the seat for the Greens, with Doug Smith, whose address is also given as West Devon, contesting the ward for the Labour Party.

The Conservatives field David Turnbull, who lives in Tavistock, while town councillor Pete Squire is standing for the Liberal Democrats. Candidates had until last Friday to be nominated for the election, which is scheduled to be held on February.

West Devon Borough Council currently has 30 members, with the Conservatives with 16 representatives, making up the largest political group.

The West Devon Alliance group, of which Mr Hipsey was a member, has 12 representatives on the council. The group is made up of one Liberal Democrat, two Green Party councillors, with the remaining nine independent. There are also two councillors described as non-aligned independent representatives. Observers are expecting next month’s election will be closely fought.

It follows an election last November for a vacancy on the borough council for the Bere Ferrers ward, created by the resignation of long-serving Liberal Democrat Robin Musgrave, where Conservative candidate Angela Blackman won by one vote.