REGISTRATION is closed and there are two weeks until the Trafford Council elections.

One of three seats in each of the borough's wards is up for election when the polls open in 14 days, plus an additional seat in Gorse Hill Ward.

Currently, the Labour Group is in control of the council with 40 seats, and it gained four seats last year although the party lost out nationwide.

Here are some wards to watch when the polls open this time around.

BROOKLANDS

Brooklands Ward was a battlefield last year as Conservative Chris Boyes retained a seat by a margin of less than 20 votes from a total of more than 4,000 votes cast.

Now up for election is the seat of Labour's Steven Longden, which was wrestled from the Conservative Group in 2018, the year the party lost control of the council.

Mr Longden is not after reelection, so the seat is to be contested by Labour's Will Jones, Conservative Adrian Hart, Lib Dem Pauline Cliff and Green Renate Aspden.

It will be interesting to see which way Brooklands goes, and by how much of a margin.

GORSE HILL

The stakes are double in Gorse Hill Ward as the resignation of Mike Cordingley before the end of his term means his seat is up for election, as well as the seat of David Acton.

All three seats in the ward have been held by the Labour Group since it formed in 2004, but there is a better chance than ever for other candidates to put an end to this pattern.

ST MARY'S

Although there are independent candidates in Broadheath Ward and Gorse Hill Ward, St Mary's Ward is the only one with a candidate from a party outside the four parties which make up the council at the moment.

Lucy Wood is a candidate for the Women's Equality Party, and she is to stand against Labour's Eve Parker, Conservative Rob Duncan, Lib Dem Louise Bird and Green James McGlashan.

A mission statement on the Women's Equality Party website reads: "Equality for women isn't a women's issue. When women fulfil their potential, everyone benefits.

"Equality means better politics, a vibrant economy, a workforce that draws on the talents of the whole population and a society at ease with itself."

TIMPERLEY

In Timperley Ward, the leader of the Conservative Group, Nathan Evans, wants to retain the seat he has held since 2014.

Cllr Evans is outspoken on social media on a number of issues, from the Clean Air Zone to potholes, and he drew ire from opponents last month after he mocked up a council newsletter as communist propaganda.

The impact of this remains to be seen, in a ward where form suggests the Liberal Democrat Group is a significant threat.

Cllr Evans is up against Labour's Ulrich Savary, Lib Dem Will Frass and Green Dan Kyle.