NORTHUMBERLAND Conservatives have announced their candidates for Hexham’s three seats in the county council election scheduled for May 4.

Current Mayor of Hexham, Coun. Trevor Cessford, plans to stand for the Hexham Central with Acomb seat, which is currently held by long-serving councillor Terry Robson.

Coun. Robson, along with Corbridge’s Coun. Jean Fearon, are two long-serving members of the Conservative group who will not be seeking re-election.

As an experienced member of Hexham Town Council, with stints as deputy mayor and his current service as mayor under his belt, Coun. Cessford feels he has a good understanding of “getting the basics right” for residents.

County councillor for Hexham East, Coun. Cath Homer, will be bidding to retain her seat in the ward which was formerly held by the late Ingrid Brook.

She is currently a member of a number of county council committees including scrutiny committees for arts, leisure and culture, and family and children’s services.

Coun. Homer, who was first elected in 2013, is also an active member of the Hexham East Residents’ Association and has pledged to continue “fighting for a fairer deal” for residents across the west of the county.

Political newcomer Tom Dodds, who lives in Alexandra Terrace and works for bus company Go North East, has been selected to run for the seat currently held by independent county councillor Derek Kennedy.

A local preacher in the Tynedale Methodist Circuit, Tom is also a member of the Hexham Business Improvement District board.

All three candidates say they feel passionately about the pledge from Northumberland Conservatives to bring back local decision-making through the creation of five area committees. The North Northumberland, Tynedale, Castle Morpeth, Cramlington & Bedlington and Ashington & Blyth committees would each be given a budget to ensure issues of local concern including roads, transport and planning applications, could be tackled locally.