CONSERVATIVE candidate Jon Wells-Bradshaw has been elected as a town councillor in the Over ward, following a by-election on Thursday.

The 47-year-old, who lives in Chelford Road with his wife Hayley – also a town councillor – won 44 per cent of the 1201 votes cast in the by-election on May 4.

The vacancy arose earlier this year when independent Yvonne Bancroft resigned, and Cllr Wells-Bradshaw says he will be tackling issues raised to him on the campaign trail.

“The main thing people talked to me about was transport, and infrastructure – how busy the roads get and how dangerous it can be around schools and places like the fire station, with people coming out of the industrial estate.

“I want to get involved and see if we can come up with solutions to help. I use the same roads as everybody else, and I understand the difficulties.

“I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew – I have asked to join a few committees, and if I feel strongly about something I won’t hesitate to put my two-pence worth in.”

Cllr Wells-Bradshaw will attend his first meeting on Monday – the annual council meeting at the Curzon where the mayor for 2017/18 will be appointed.

He amassed 532 votes on Thursday, with independent candidate Rebecca O’Rourke, or Longridge, winning 364 and Labour’s David Stephenson 305.

He said: “I’m exceptionally pleased and looking forward to the challenge.

“We tried to take a different approach to canvassing. Rather than the standard party leaflet, we wanted to try something different which was the large photo on the front and, rather than say it was for the Conservatives, we tried to make it more about me as a normal working man.

“To begin with I want to see the process in action. I have been to meetings in the past and taken an interest in local activities, bit I want to see how they do things and if it might be slightly different to how I think they do things.

“It will be a learning curve. I have got a bit of knowledge from my wife, but it’s a learning curve.”

Turnout was 29.6 per cent.