The voting process to elect five conservators to help manage Putney and Roehampton's commons has begun.

Voting papers have been sent out to the 67,000 levypayers for the election of the conservators who will sit on the board of trustees which owns and manages Wimbledon Common, Putney Heath and Putney Lower Common.

Everyone who lives within the commons’ levy area and is on the Electoral Roll can vote - it is a postal ballot organised by Electoral Reform Services.

The voting area covers Putney, Roehampton, Wimbledon and a small part of Kingston and there are eight candidates for the five places to be filled.

They are Diana de Coverly Veale, David Devons and Robin Touquet from Putney; John Horrocks from Roehampton; and Andrew Simon, Jenny Evanson, Edward Harris and Jennifer Cooke from Wimbledon.

Four of the candidates are existing Conservators and four are new candidates hoping to be elected for the first time.

Gordon Vincent, the Conservators’ clerk & ranger, chief executive, said: "The Commons are very important open spaces and their management, in the hands of the Conservators, is a challenging responsibility.

"We need a strong Board of Conservators to defend the Commons from all the pressures of today’s society. We hope everyone will use their vote."

The voting form needs to be returned to Electoral Reform Services to arrive by 5pm on February 29, 2012.