VOTERS in Wiveliscombe and West Deane have elected Taunton Deane Borough Council’s first Green Party councillor on the current council.

Dave Mansell polled 600 votes in a by-election on Thursday ahead of Susan Levinge (LibDem) with 389 votes and Philip Thorne (Conservative) with 352.

The by-election was called following the resignation of Cllr Steve Ross, who served as an Independent councillor.

Mr Mansell lives in Wiveliscombe and is married with two children. Before retiring last year, he worked in local government and has also worked for a recycling services company and Friends of the Earth.

He has championed locally solar power, recycling and taking action on climate change, and is a member of Wiveliscombe Town Council.

He said after his election: “I am very pleased and proud to have been elected by the people of Wiveliscombe and West Deane. I will do my best to represent our wonderful community and to be a new green voice on the borough council. It was a hard-fought campaign, with the other parties bringing in lots of outside help.

“I campaigned with a local team and focused on local issues and my record in Wivey on environmental action and as an active town councillor. I had great support from the previously elected independent councillors for the ward and from many people in the local community.

 “People in Wiveliscombe and West Deane are concerned about the threat to close our library, cuts to our bus service and the need to protect our area from over-development. Our infrastructure, as an important rural centre, needs to be improved, and problems with parking addressed.”

Mr Mansell has asked to join the Independent Group, sitting alongside and working with Eddie Gaines, the ward’s other borough councillor.

In Somerset, he joins three other Green Party district councillors and two other county councillors, as well as many Greens on town and parish councils.