2003 Derbyshire Dales District Council election

The 2003 Derbyshire Dales District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Derbyshire Dales District Council in Derbyshire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 1999.[1] The Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.[2]

Map of the results of the 2003 Derbyshire Dales District Council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal Democrats in yellow, Labour in red and independents in grey.

Background

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Before the election the Conservatives had a majority on the council with 21 seats, compared to 9 for the Liberal Democrats, 6 for Labour and 3 independents.[3]

Issues at the election included housing, with the Conservatives saying they would make more land available, council tax, where the Liberal Democrats attacked the Conservatives for a 19.9% increase, and waste collection, with Labour objecting to the end of large waste collection, which they said had led to fly tipping.[3] The Liberal Democrats said they were targeting seats in the villages of Baslow and Taddington, while Labour said they were aiming for Darley Dale.[3] However the Conservatives were guaranteed seats after the election, as 13 of their candidates faced no opposition,[3] the highest number of any council in the country.[4]

Election result

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The Conservatives gained 3 seats to increase their majority on the council with 24 councillors, after gaining seats from independents in Bakewell ward.[5] The Liberal Democrats remained on 9 seats, while Labour finished with 5 seats and 1 independent was elected.[5] Turnout at the election varied between a high of 52% and a low of 24%,[6] but was down on the 1999 election.[5]

Derbyshire Dales local election result 2003[7][2]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 24 +3 61.5 42.5 13,153
  Liberal Democrats 9 0 23.1 35.7 11,058
  Labour 5 -1 12.8 14.3 4,438
  Independent 1 -2 2.6 7.5 2,310

Ward results

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Ashbourne North (2 seats)[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frederick Elliott unopposed
Conservative Anthony Millward unopposed
Ashbourne South (2 seats)[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Lewer 517
Conservative Alan Hodkinson 487
Labour Che Lear Page 210
Labour Lytton Page 165
Turnout 1,379 24.0
Bakewell (3 seats)[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Judith Twigg 1,042
Conservative Carol Walker 810
Conservative John Pearce 786
Independent John Brighton 531
Independent Hilary Young 452
Liberal Democrats Maureen Smith 376
Liberal Democrats Helen Pocock 351
Independent Trevor Smith 332
Liberal Democrats Joyce Steele 298
Labour Stephen Pope 162
Turnout 5,140 46.4
Bradwell[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Janet Goodison unopposed
Brailsford[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Carol Valentine unopposed
Calver[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Catherine Hunt 575 72.2
Liberal Democrats Shirley Holt 221 27.8
Majority 354 44.4
Turnout 796 49.5
Carsington Water[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lewis Rose 468 77.7
Liberal Democrats Julia Pulman 134 22.3
Majority 334 55.4
Turnout 602 40.2
Chatsworth[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Longden unopposed
Clifton & Bradley[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Bates unopposed
Darley Dale (3 seats)[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Burton 1,051
Liberal Democrats David Fearn 1,014
Liberal Democrats Sandra Fearn 989
Conservative John Wall 396
Conservative Howard Simpson-Birks 395
Conservative Terence Kilburn 344
Labour Fionntann Page 184
Turnout 4,373 37.8
Dovedale and Parwich[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Spencer 441 77.1
Labour Eric Page 131 22.9
Majority 310 54.2
Turnout 572 46.0
Doveridge and Sudbury[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Brindley unopposed
Hartington & Taddington[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Chapman 364 74.0
Liberal Democrats Eleanor Nancolas 128 26.0
Majority 236 48.0
Turnout 492 38.1
Hathersage and Eyam (2 seats)[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jacqueline Bevan unopposed
Conservative David Hoskin unopposed
Hulland[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jennifer Radford unopposed
Lathkill and Bradford[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent William Moore 320 52.2
Conservative Andrew Howard 293 47.8
Majority 27 4.4
Turnout 613 45.4
Lutton and Longstone[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Otter unopposed
Masson (2 seats)[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John March 395
Labour Nicholas Elliott 328
Liberal Democrats Barbara Bowman 248
Conservative Joanna Cochrane 237
Liberal Democrats Janet Beckett 236
Conservative Vivienne Smith 230
Turnout 1,674 33.2
Matlock All Saints (3 seats)[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David Barker 914
Liberal Democrats Martin Burfoot 897
Conservative Geoffrey Stevens 867
Liberal Democrats Martyn Moss 766
Conservative Melvyn Askew 566
Conservative John Smith 541
Independent Ann Elliott 413
Independent Jacqueline Power 262
Turnout 5,226 43.2
Matlock St. Giles (3 seats)[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stephen Flitter 1,035
Liberal Democrats Anthony Allwood 913
Liberal Democrats Ursula Lunn 815
Conservative Diana Dakin 703
Conservative Jacqueline Stevens 692
Conservative Barrie Tipping 665
Labour Tane Page 229
Turnout 5,052 41.8
Norbury[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kenneth Bull unopposed
Stanton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Deborah Read unopposed
Tideswell[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tracy Critchlow 282 50.9
Liberal Democrats Susan Barber 272 49.1
Majority 10 1.8
Turnout 554 36.9
Winster & South Darley[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Raymond Dring 400 64.6
Conservative Jean Wall 128 20.7
Labour Paul Tozer 91 14.7
Majority 272 43.9
Turnout 619 52.0
Wirksworth (3 seats)[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Irene Ratcliffe 901
Labour James Ratcliffe 822
Labour Peter Slack 820
Conservative Kevin Hall 468
Conservative Gladwyn Gratton 452
Conservative Lesley Hall 405
Turnout 3,868 31.2

By-elections between 2003 and 2007

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All Saints Matlock

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A by-election in All Saints Matlock was held on 27 November 2003 after the Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Burfoot was forced to resign after complaints of a conflict of interest due to his holding a position on the Peak District National Park Authority.[8] His wife Sue Burfoot held the seat for the Liberal Democrats.[8]

All Saints Matlock by-election 27 November 2003[9][10][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sue Burfoot 678 54.0 +16.8
Conservative Jacquie Stevens 578 46.0 +10.7
Majority 100 8.0
Turnout 1,256 29.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Litton and Longstone

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Litton and Longstone by-election 31 March 2005[9][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 338 66.0
Liberal Democrats Sue Barber 174 34.0
Majority 164 32.0
Turnout 512 36.0
Conservative hold Swing

Winster & South Darley

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Winster & South Darley by-election 20 April 2006[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Moseley 316 40.8 +20.1
Liberal Democrats George Edwards 281 36.2 −28.4
Labour 178 23.0 +8.3
Majority 35 4.6
Turnout 775
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Lathkill & Bradford

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Lathkill & Bradford by-election 11 May 2006[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent unopposed
Independent hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Local council election results". The Daily Telegraph. 3 May 2003. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d "Public urged to voice their view". Matlock Mercury. 24 April 2003. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  4. ^ "Less choice in elections". Matlock Mercury. 1 May 2003. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  5. ^ a b c "Tories keep control". Derbyshire Times. 8 May 2003. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  6. ^ "Town council to have new faces". Matlock Mercury. 8 May 2003. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "District Council election 1st. May 2003" (PDF). Political Science Resources. Derbyshire Dales District Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  8. ^ a b c "All Saints gets new councillor". Matlock Mercury. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d "Local Authority Byelection Results". Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  10. ^ "Small byelection gain for Lib Dems". The Guardian. 28 November 2003. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  11. ^ "Tories lose council majority in key marginal". The Guardian. 1 April 2005. Retrieved 11 December 2011.