Councillors have voted two new members onto Morecambe Town Council via the rare method of a show of hands.
Lynda Dagdeviren and Wendy Cowley were "co-opted" onto the town council after a vote by existing councillors at a meeting on Thursday night.
Co-option is a process that takes place when no election is called; in this case because candidates hadn't been put up for election by the required 10 members of the electorate.
Councillor Dagdeviren will represent the Liberal Democrats in Harbour ward (the West End of Morecambe).
This takes the Lib Dems' number of councillors on Morecambe Town Council to eight - the most of any political group.
Councillor Dagdeoiren was a community psychiatric nurse for 15 years and has returned to the local area after living in Turkey, where she was part of a local council.
Councillor Cowley, a family lawyer, will represent the new Bay Independent Group in the Lowlands Road ward.
Beyond Radio understands that four people had applied for the seats in total, although one had then withdrawn.
Lynda Dagdeviren, Wendy Cowley and a third candidate, Joanne Ainscough, all gave speeches to councillors before the decision at Morecambe Town Hall on Thursday night, to explain why they felt they should become councillors.
It was then proposed that Lynda Dagdeoiren and Wendy Cowley become the new councillors, which was agreed via separate votes.
Roger Dennison, from the Morecambe Bay Independents, abstained from the vote.
Councillor Dennison said he hadn't received the letters of application. Chairman, Councillor Cary Matthews, said all councillors had been sent the applications via email.
The co-option took place to fill vacant seats following the deaths of Councillors Janice Hanson (Harbour) and Shirley Burns (Lowlands Road) earlier this year.
There are 26 councillors on Morecambe Town Council.
The political make-up of the council is now Liberal Democrats (8), Morecambe Bay Independents (6), Bay Independent Group (5), Labour (3), Independent (2), Renew (1), Non-Affiliated (1).
The Bay Independent Group was formed last month when four councillors (Cary Matthews, Vicky Boyd-Power, Paul Anderton and Jake Goodwin) broke away from the Morecambe Bay Independents.
Councillors in attendance at last night's meeting were Paul Anderton, John Bates, Vicky Boyd-Power, Catherine Pilling, Patricia Clarke, Roger Dennison, Jake Goodwin, Jim Pilling, Paul Hart, Bill Jackson, Louise Stansfield, Phil Forster and chairman Cary Matthews.
The two new councillors joined in the meeting following their co-option, but were asked not to participate in any subsequent voting on other agenda items.
Also at Thursday's meeting, held at Morecambe Town Hall, a £20,000 boost for local festivals was agreed.
Councillors voted, via a majority, to spend an extra £20,000 on festivals, £10,000 on office equipment, £12,292.64 on staffing and put £10,000 into its general reserves.
For more details on this, see our related story: Morecambe Town Council to discuss £20K boost for festivals and £10K office equipment spend - Beyond Radio
Councillor Roger Dennison abstained from the vote.
The town council also agreed who would be on its new festivals and events committee.
The committee is a group of councillors who make decisions on applications for grant funding from local festival and event organisers.
The members of the new committee will be councillors Clarke, Goodwin, Boyd-Power, Pattison, Whitaker, Jackson, Forster, Stansfield, Matthews and Cowley.
Praise for Lancaster and Morecambe youngsters who took part in 'tongue movement' project
Clinic where students offer free legal advice to reopen at Lancaster University
Lines reopen after train derailment on Scotland-London line
Police arrest two and seize illegal bike in Morecambe
ITV commissions sixth series of Morecambe crime drama The Bay
E-bike shop moves from Lancaster to new Carnforth showroom
Lancaster workshop to tackle the issue of drink and needle spiking
Morecambe raw feeds shop up for three 'Animal Star' awards
Two new festivals proposed for Morecambe entertainment venue the Platform
Second day of disruption as work continues after train derails in Cumbria
Morecambe lifeboat crew’s swift response rescues swimmer ‘being swept dangerously out to sea’
'Street Meets' announced to answer your questions amid new wheelie bin roll-out
Campaign group welcomes new "life changing" bus service to Morecambe
Lancaster prison worker jailed for drug offences
Major disruption as train derails on West Coast Main Line
Talks begin for events to mark Eric Morecambe's 100th birthday
Lancaster music venue due to shut will now stay open "well into 2026"
Halloween What's On Guide
LISTEN: Launch of new group in Morecambe to help with gambling addiction
LISTEN: New centre for people with disabilities to open in historic Lancaster location
