Long-serving councillor Melvin Cohen died in December following four decades of public service, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Service

Ballot box (credit Element5 Digital on Unsplash) — credit Element5 Digital on Unsplash

A by-election will be held in Golders Green next month following the death of long-serving councillor Melvin Cohen.

Barnet Council has announced that the poll will take place on Thursday, 16th February, with those on the electoral register for the Golders Green ward eligible to vote.

Cllr Cohen died on 13th December following four decades of public service. First elected to represent Golders Green ward in 1982, he twice served as mayor of the borough. He was also cabinet member for planning from 2004 to 2010 and served as the chair of the constitution and general purposes committee.

Barnet currently has 41 Labour and 21 Conservative councillors, plus the one vacant seat. The Conservatives won large majorities in the Golders Green ward during the local election that took place in May last year.

Nomination papers for the Golders Green by-election must be delivered to the council by 4pm on Friday, 20th January, and a list of candidates will be published on Monday, 23rd January.

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, 31st January, while applications to vote by post must reach the council by 5pm on Wednesday, 1st February. Polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm on the day of the election.

More details of the by-election and ways of voting are available here: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/elections/election-golders-green-ward

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