2007 Torridge District Council election

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

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

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

Hartland and Bradworthy

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

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

1. "Torridge". BBC News Online. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
2. "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. "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. "New councillor for Torridge". North Devon Journal . 13 March 2009. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
9. "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.