This by-election was called after the resignation of Green councillor Laurie Needham, who led the council's Green group, citing health issues. Wreake Valley is a three-member ward created in 2023, when the Greens won all three seats with 52 per cent for the leading candidate against 41 per cent for the leading Conservative; Labour polled 9 per cent and Reform UK did not stand. The Conservative candidate, James Poland, is the county councillor for the Syston Fosse division, which covers most of the ward, and won it in May 2025 with 41 per cent to Reform UK's 29 per cent and the Greens' 28 per cent. Five candidates stood.
Every ward and councillor, who runs the council, and each by-election since May.
Charnwood council page →| Party | Share |
|---|---|
| Conservative | 48.2% |
| Reform UK | 31.2% |
| Green | 16.4% |
| Labour | 3.1% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1.1% |
Turnout 26 per cent.
Reform UK, Labour, Liberal Democrats: fewer than 9 wins in 100 each.
How often each candidate wins the seat across 10,000 simulations of this contest - chances of winning, not vote shares.
| Result | Conservative | Labour | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2023 | 41% | 9% | 50% |
Winning share of all votes cast in bold. Multi-member wards elect several councillors at once. Includes any county-division contest covering the same ground.
Charnwood is a district council: it runs housing, planning and bin collections. Current control: Labour minority.
Seats under the independents-and-others heading here have been won by independents at elections since 2022.
How every council in Britain stands →
Wards coloured by the party that last won them; the by-election ward is outlined. Hover a ward for its last result.
Syston Fosse county division, May 2025: Conservative 41%, Reform UK 29%, Green 28%.
Schools, social care and highways here are run by Leicestershire County Council, which is not affected by this vote.
The ward is part of the Melton and Syston constituency. Conservative MP Edward Argar won it at the 2024 general election with 38 per cent of the vote.