North Solihull set to go to the polls

LOCAL elections will be taking place in Solihull tomorrow (Thursday).

A third of the borough's council seats are up for grabs - 17 in total - with a number of closely-fought contests expected.

While a number of campaigners have admitted that the national drama over Brexit is repeatedly being raised by voters, parties are also locking horns on local issues as the campaign enters its final stage.

Ahead of polling day, Other Side of Solihull looks at how the parties stand locally.

Conservatives: The party has been in overall control of Solihull Council for the past eight years and has a six-strong majority at present. However, this year's election will be a challenging for the ruling group, who are defending more than a dozen seats. Locally this includes Castle Bromwich and Bickenhill (the ward which includes Marston Green). While both would normally be considered safe seats, there was a major upset in Castle Brom 12 months ago - with the Greens winning by a landslide. Ahead of the election, the party has said it has a "strong track record" running the local authority, keeping council tax low and ensuring a strong economy. However, opposition parties have criticised the Tories for failing to do enough for the environment or to tackle inequality. There has also been criticism over a major shake-up of support services, which took effect last month.

Green Party: Since winning its first seat 11 years ago, the party has grown to become the borough's official opposition. If the results go its way tomorrow then Solihull could become the largest council base that the Greens have anywhere in the country. The party will be defending its seats in both Chelmsley Wood and Smith's Wood, where is has had a clean-sweep of councillors for several years. It will also be pushing hard to snatch another victory in Castle Bromwich. The Greens say they have worked hard to push a number of issues - including homelessness and the environment - up the political agenda locally. However, the Tories have accused them of lacking a coherent strategy when it comes to issues such as housing. Their rivals also questioned the decision not to put forward an alternative budget a couple of months ago.

Labour: Last year Labour defeated UKIP's Debbie Evans to win a second seat in Kingshurst & Fordbridge. Former UKIP man Robert Hall - who has more recently sat as an Independent - is standing down for health reasons and Labour now has a chance of holding all three seats in a Solihull ward for the first time in a while. They have chosen to focus on local issues, such as cuts to the area's bus services and the delayed redevelopment of Kingshurst Parade. However, the Conservatives are also likely to be pushing hard in the seat - where they have also had councillors in the not so distant past. Labour has said it has fought hard for improvements in local services, although it was criticised by the Greens for supporting the Conservative group's budget back in February.

Lib Dems: The Lib Dems have seen a dramatic decline in support in Solihull over the course of the past decade, although even before the losses of the past few years they didn't have an especially strong base north of the A45. The group argue that they have a proven track record in fighting on the local issues that are bread and butter for ward councillors - such as road safety and anti social behaviour. Locally they are only contesting Bickenhill this time around.

Other: For the first time in several years, there will be no UKIP candidate on the ballot paper anywhere in the borough. And the two new parties to have emerged in the past few months, namely Change UK and the Brexit Party, will not be fighting in these council contests (their first candidates will be tested in the upcoming European elections). The only other person standing locally is Adrian Duffen, in Smith's Wood, who is not representing a party. 

Polling stations are open 7am-10pm and results will be announced at North Solihull Sports Centre the next day. A full list of candidates standing where you live is available here.