STUDLEY stalwart Hazel Wright is back on Stratford District Council.
The long-serving Lib Dem lost out in May when the authority slashed its number of councillors from 53 to 36 as the result of a local government boundary review.
Mrs Wright had been at the forefront of championing the village and surrounding areas for decades and was narrowly beaten by Conservative candidate Justin Kerridge in the Studley with Mappleborough Green ward.
But following the resignation of Nick Moon, who served an eight-month tenure for the Conservatives in the Studley with Sambourne seat before quitting, Mrs Wright opted to throw her hat in the ring once more.
And she emerged victorious – securing almost 400 votes more than her nearest rival – in the by-election held on Thursday (February 25).
She beat off Tory representative, Paul Beaman, Labour’s Karen Somner-Brown, UKIP’s Nigel Rogers, and Mr Moon, who chose to stand as an Independent candidate.
The council is now made up of 30 Conservatives, four Lib Dems, one Labour and one Independent.
Full Results:
Studley with Sambourne by-election Turnout: 39.5 per cent
Hazel Wright (Lib Dem) – 632 votes ELECTED
Paul Beaman (Cons) – 233 votes
Nick Moon (Ind) – 66 votes
Karen Somner-Brown (Lab) – 156 votes
Nigel Rogers (UKIP) – 55 votes
