Conservative candidate Hilary Pollock has won yesterday’s by-election for the vacant seat on Shinfield parish council.
She was declared the winner shortly before midnight at the count which took place at Shute End in Wokingham.
The full result was:
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Barrie Gilmour, Independent – 50 votes
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Hilary Pollock, Conservative – 452 votes (elected)
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Dominic Rider, Liberal Democrats – 198 votes
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Edward Shaw – 264 votes
There were 968 ballots Including spoiled papers, and the turnout was 22%.
The seat was previously held by an independent candidate.
Speaking exclusively to Wokingham Today following the announcement, she said: “I’m really, very, very, very pleased.
“I’m looking forward to being involved more with the parish.
“I’ve been there 30 years, nearly. and I’m I’ve got some ideas and like to take them forward and just make the area just a nicer community for us all to live in.”
Asked if voters raised local or national issues on the doorsteps, she said:
There’s been a mixture because I’ve been talking to them quite a bit about a variety of things.”
She added her thanks to voters.
“I’m not going to let you down, and I’m really very pleased to be a parish councillor in the community that we all live together in.”
A pleased Pauline Jorgensen, leader of the Conservative group at Wokingham borough council, added: “I’m absolutely delighted.
“Hilary will make a really good councillor, and she worked extremely hard.”
Asked if we can read anything into the result ahead of May’s local elections, or nationally, she said: “I think there’s always an element of national issues in all local elections, and there’s also some local issues, and some pretty big local issues in Shinfield – like the development at Hall Farm.
“Those sort of things will obviously affected the results of this election, and they will affect the results of the borough council elections in May.”
