This year's local elections are just around the corner.

Elections will take place on May 3 where candidates from various parties will be battling it out for a seat on Rochford and Rayleigh Council.

Your nearest polling station will be on your polling card - if you haven't received one this may be because you haven't registered to vote.

Here is a list of candidates standing in Rochford and Rayleigh:

Echo:

Conservatives

We shall continue to run an efficient council which supplies first class services. Our staff are our greatest asset.

We have a track record of managing finances with balanced budgets which has meant we deliver services well. We shall continue to work with five other south Essex authorities to jointly plan how our areas develop, retaining local control.

This will enable investment in infrastructure, health, skills and enable development in a much more aligned and planned way, for example the investment to update the Fairglen interchange on the A127.

We shall continue to work with Southend to develop the airport and the related business park, creating more than 7,000 jobs.

Labour

We will support the removal of the undemocratic cabinet system that takes decision making into just a few hands.

We will support a review of the costs of members’ allowances to make savings that can be ploughed back into services.

We will support a review of the district plan to stop the wrong sort of houses being built in the wrong places.

We will oppose any attempt to build major new roads as that would bring further uncontrolled development and we will support action to improve flood defences and combat pollution. We will continue to oppose cuts to the NHS.

Lib Dem

The Liberal Democrats are campaigning for improved services and infrastructure before further development.

Our potholed roads are clogged with traffic, doctor surgeries and schools are bursting at the seams and yet we have the threat of more large scale development

Lib Dems have proven that we can work with other like-minded people - that is why in some wards we are giving other local parties a chance rather than putting up a ‘full slate’ of Lib Dem candidates. 

The current Tory administration spend huge amounts of money simply running their cabinet system.

The Lib Dems want to do away with that and go back to a cheaper and more open committee system. Money saved could be spent on local services.

Friends of Rochford

We have been co-operating with other opposition groups, and this has now materialised in the campaign United 4 Democracy. We have all come together behind three core local policies.

Abolish the cabinet system to make the council more democratic and save council taxpayers over £100,000 per year.

Protection of the environment to reduce health risks, and to protect our local wildlife and their habitats.

New local plan to protect our green belt whilst making infrastructure improvements a first priority. We also back a petition for a referendum on any new local plan.

Rochford Residents

Rochford District Residents are campaigning for a strong voice calling for open, transparent, cross party local government with residents’ views listened to.

We want a better communication with residents about important issues and less decisions held in secret meetings.

We will restore the right to call in decisions to Full Council and restore the committee system for greater democracy. We want to abolish the cabinet system and return the council to democratic decision.

We will protect the environment by identifying and measuring all sources of pollution and we will protect as much green belt as possible ensuring that whatever infrastructure improvements that are viable and sustainable are put in place first.

Green

We believe in developing sustainable communities, rather than just building more houses.

Any future building must not simply be at the expense of the quality of life of existing residents but must match the available infrastructure.

We are suffering already from previous developments where this was not applied.

Use the Council’s powers to bring empty homes in the District back into use before any new builds and focus on truly affordable housing for our local residents.

Introduce renewable energy provision on Council property.

Introduce electric charging points for cars in Council Car Parks.