2007 Torridge District Council election

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Map of the results of the 2007 Torridge District Council election. Conservatives in blue, Independents in grey, Liberal Democrats in yellow and Green party in green.

The 2007 Torridge District Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Torridge District Council in Devon, England. The whole council was up for election and independents lost overall control of the council to no overall control.[1]

Election result[edit]

The Conservatives gained 7 seats, while independents lost 9 seats to mean that no group had a majority on the council, with both the Conservatives and independents finishing on 13 councillors.[2] The Conservative gains came after the number of candidates the party fielded increased from 4 at the 2003 election to 22 in 2007.[2] Among the independents to lose their seats was the council leader Pat Ferguson, who was defeated in Bideford South after having previously represented Three Moors ward.[3]

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats increased by 1 to 8 seats and the Greens also gained 1 seat to have 2 councillors.[2] 7 councillors were elected unopposed, the highest number in the country at the 2007 local elections.[2] Overall turnout at the election was 42.1%, up from 38.4% in 2003.[4]

Following the election the leader of the Conservative group on the council, James Morrish, became the youngest leader of the council at the age of 34.[5]

Torridge local election result 2007[2][6]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 13 7 0 +7 36.1 30.9 8,878 +26.3%
  Independent 13 0 9 -9 36.1 27.8 7,997 +0.5%
  Liberal Democrats 8 2 1 +1 22.2 27.0 7,777 +1.4%
  Green 2 1 0 +1 5.6 9.4 2,708 +6.0%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 3.1 895 +1.4%
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 1.8 520 -3.2%

Ward results[edit]

Appledore (2 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Eastman 480
Liberal Democrats Leonard Ford 421
Conservative Alison Boyle 352
Liberal Democrats Val Robbins 349
UKIP Kenny Davis 191
Green Peter Hames 182
Independent Andy Harrison 134
Turnout 2,109 48.6 +0.7
Conservative hold Swing
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Bideford East (3 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Brian Lacey 678
Liberal Democrats Caroline Church 613
Independent Stephen Clarke 512
Liberal Democrats Bob Wootton 245
Liberal Democrats Angela Bone 244
Independent Gerald Waldron 225
UKIP Keith Kersey 173
UKIP Gaston Dezart 171
Labour Anne Brenton 152
UKIP David Johnson 115
Labour Sheila Bloomfield 86
Turnout 3,214 36.4 +4.2
Independent hold Swing
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent Swing
Independent hold Swing
Bideford North (3 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Peter Christie 740
Conservative David Fulford 614
Liberal Democrats Hugo Barton 549
Liberal Democrats Trevor Johns 471
Conservative Jim Jackson 430
Green Jon Hooper 377
Liberal Democrats Mel Bushell 359
Turnout 3,540 34.8 +0.0
Green hold Swing
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Bideford South (3 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Tony Inch 433
Liberal Democrats Simon Inch 406
Conservative Philip Pester 344
Conservative Graham Jones 338
Liberal Democrats Clive Bone 321
Labour David Brenton 282
Independent Patricia Ferguson 270
Independent Chris Cornish 244
Turnout 2,638 27.8 -0.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Broadheath[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Marion Perkin unopposed
Conservative hold Swing
Clinton[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Philip Collins 397 58.1 +23.9
Conservative Ted Seath 286 41.9 +15.1
Majority 111 16.3 +9.0
Turnout 683 55.0 -0.1
Independent hold Swing
Clovelly Bay[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Royston Johns unopposed
Independent hold Swing
Coham Bridge[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gaye Tabor unopposed
Conservative hold Swing
Forest[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Barry Parsons 422 60.1
Independent Chris March 280 39.9
Majority 142 20.2
Turnout 702 51.7
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Hartland and Bradworthy (2 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Adam Symons 657
Independent Bill Pillman 598
Independent Trevor Sillifant 363
UKIP Robin Julian 245
Green Anne Rix 195
Turnout 2,058 50.7
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent Swing
Independent hold Swing
Holsworthy (2 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Desmond Shadrick 710
Independent Richard Brown 558
Independent John Allen 384
Conservative Geoffrey Broyd 348
Conservative Jamie Zambuni 278
Independent Richard Kennedy 236
Turnout 2,514 46.8 +6.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Independent gain from Independent Swing
Kenwith[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tony Collins 333 54.5 +54.5
Independent Hugh Bone 278 45.5 -7.1
Majority 55 9.0
Turnout 611 46.8 +7.4
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Monkleigh and Littleham[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Philip Pennington 351 57.5
Conservative George Clinch 259 42.5
Majority 92 15.1
Turnout 610 52.2
Independent hold Swing
Northam (3 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sam Robinson 894
Conservative Roger Johnson 888
Green Miranda Cox 862
Conservative Chas Langton 837
Liberal Democrats Sue Miller 578
Turnout 4,069 37.6 -2.4
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Green gain from Independent Swing
Orchard Hill[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Chris Leather 475 75.4 +22.5
Liberal Democrats Humphrey Temperley 155 24.6 +24.6
Majority 320 50.8 +45.0
Turnout 630 45.2 +4.4
Independent hold Swing
Shebbear and Langtree[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Saywell 411 52.4 +52.4
Liberal Democrats Allin Bewes 373 47.6 -15.7
Majority 38 4.8
Turnout 784 52.9 +5.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Tamarside[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Kenneth James unopposed
Independent hold Swing
Three Moors[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rosemary Lock 546 62.6
Liberal Democrats Adrian Freeland 326 37.4
Majority 220 25.2
Turnout 872 64.8
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Torrington (3 seats)[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Margaret Brown 693
Conservative Andy Boyd 620
Liberal Democrats Geoff Lee 495
Independent Richard Rumbold 490
Independent Judd Bond 476
Green Cathrine Simmons 352
Independent David Cox 179
Turnout 3,305 37.5 +9.7
Independent hold Swing
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Two Rivers[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Morrish unopposed
Conservative hold Swing
Waldon[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Bob Hicks unopposed
Independent hold Swing
Westward Ho![6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Roger Tisdale 325 47.7 +5.3
Conservative Susan Collins 198 29.0 +29.0
Independent Hazel Bissessar 87 12.8 +12.8
Liberal Democrats Myrna Bushell 72 10.6 +10.6
Majority 127 18.6 +3.4
Turnout 682 41.5 -4.1
Independent hold Swing
Winkleigh[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Lausen unopposed
Independent hold Swing

By-elections between 2007 and 2011[edit]

Hartland and Bradworthy[edit]

A by-election was held in Hartland and Bradworthy ward after the death of the longest serving councillor in Torridge, Bill Pillman, who had first stood for the council in 1976.[7] The seat was gained for the Liberal Democrats by Brian Redwood by a majority of 469 votes.[8]

Hartland and Bradworthy by-election 12 March 2009[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Brian Redwood 786 63.4 +31.5
Conservative Simon Goaman 317 25.6 +25.6
UKIP Robin Julian 103 8.3 -3.6
Independent Clifford Pryor 33 2.7 -26.4
Majority 469 37.8
Turnout 1,239 51.0 +0.3
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent Swing

Holsworthy[edit]

Independent Pam Johns won a by-election in Holsworthy with a majority of 66 votes after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Des Shadrick.[10]

Holsworthy by-election 13 August 2009[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Pam Johns 537 53.3 +18.7
Liberal Democrats Vicky Spearman 471 46.7 +2.8
Majority 66 6.5
Turnout 1,008 31.8 -15.0
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Torridge". BBC News Online. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Indies loss leaves Torridge hung". BBC News Online. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  3. ^ "Political shift claims high-profile casualties". Western Morning News. NewsBank. 5 May 2007.
  4. ^ Churchill, Laura (21 April 2011). "What lies ahead for 'improved' council?". North Devon Journal. NewsBank.
  5. ^ "Torridge". Western Morning News. NewsBank. 29 May 2007.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "District Council Election". Torridge District Council. Archived from the original on 4 September 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  7. ^ "Tributes follow death of Hartland councillor Bill Pillman". North Devon Journal. 30 October 2008. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  8. ^ a b "New councillor for Torridge". North Devon Journal. 13 March 2009. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Local Authority Byelection Results". Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  10. ^ "Pam Johns joins Torridge District Council". Express & Echo. 20 August 2009. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.