Nominations closed on Tuesday for the election on Thursday, December 10, which follows the recent sudden resignation of Conservative Councillor Simon Hutchison.

Councillor Hutchison, a solicitor, was elected in May 2007 and was given the convenorship of the powerful planning committee when the coalition Labour/Tory administration was formed.

He made his surprise resignation on the grounds that he was finding it too difficult to combine his work as a solicitor with his council duties.

The candidates for the by-election are Ashay Ghai for the Liberal Democrats, Rachel Higgins for the Scottish Conservative and Unionists, Fiona Grace McLeod for the Scottish National Party and Manjinder Shergill for the Labour and Co-operative Party.

The council has reminded voters that there is still time for them to apply for either a postal vote or a proxy vote.

New applications to vote and applications to cancel or alter existing postal and proxy votes, or to change from postal to proxy voting, must reach the Electoral Registration Officer no later than 5pm on Tuesday, November 24.

New applications to vote by proxy must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at 235 Dumbarton Road, Clydebank G81 4XJ no later than 5pm on Wednesday, December 2.

Further advice on postal or proxy voting is available from the registration officer on 0800 980 0471.

There will be four polling places used on polling day — Bearsden Primary School, Colquhoun Park Primary School, Killermont Parish Church Hall and Westerton Hall.

The Count will be held in Bearsden Burgh Hall on Friday, December 11 from 10am.