2023 Malvern Hills District Council election

Last updated
2023 Malvern Hills District Council election
Worcestershire flag.svg
  2019 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04)2027 

All 31 seats to Malvern Hills District Council
16 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
  No image wide.svg No image wide.svg No image wide.svg
LeaderTom WellsJeremy Owenson [1] Jules Wood [2]
Party Independent Conservative Green
Last election10 seats, 22.2%13 seats, 28.9%5 seats, 11.0%
Seats before13125
Seats won1177
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 6Increase2.svg 2
Popular vote10,47011,5387,394
Percentage25.7%28.3%18.2%
SwingIncrease2.svg 3.5%Decrease2.svg 0.6%Increase2.svg 7.2%

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
  No image wide.svg No image wide.svg No image wide.svg
LeaderKaleem Aksar [3] Sarah Rouse [4]
Party Liberal Democrats MH Independents Labour
Last election9 seats, 27.6%N/A1 seat, 6.9%
Seats before431
Seats won330
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 6Increase2.svg 3Decrease2.svg 1
Popular vote6,6352,7591,717
Percentage16.3%6.8%4.2%
SwingDecrease2.svg 11.3%N/ADecrease2.svg 2.7%

Malvern Hills UK ward map 2023.svg
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Malvern Hills District Council election

Leader before election

Tom Wells
Independent
No overall control

Leader after election

Tom Wells
Independent
No overall control

The 2023 Malvern Hills District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Malvern Hills District Council in Worcestershire, England. [5] [6] This was on the same day as other local elections in England.

Contents

New ward boundaries came into effect for this election, reducing the number of seats on the council from 38 to 31. [7]

Summary

Prior to the election the council was under no overall control, being led by a coalition of the independents and Greens, led by independent councillor Tom Wells. The Liberal Democrats had also been part of the ruling coalition following the 2019 election, but withdrew from it in 2020. [3] There had also been a split amongst the independent councillors in 2022 which led to the formation of a new group called the Malvern Hills Independents, which subsequently registered itself as a political party with the Electoral Commission. [8] [4]

Following the election the council remained under no overall control. The independents and Greens both increased their numbers of seats, largely at the expense of the Conservatives, and the independent and Green coalition continued to run the council. [9]

The Liberal Democrat group leader prior to the election, Kaleem Aksar, did not stand for re-election. They chose Paul Bennett as their new group leader after the election. [10]

Election result

2023 Malvern Hills District Council election
PartyCandidatesSeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Independent 171120Increase2.svg 635.525.710,470+3.5
  Conservative 26701Decrease2.svg 822.628.311,538–0.6
  Green 12710Increase2.svg 222.618.27,394+7.2
  Liberal Democrats 21302Decrease2.svg 69.716.36,635–11.3
 Malvern Hills Independents439.76.82,759N/A
  Labour 6000Decrease2.svg 10.04.21,717–2.7
  Reform UK 2000Steady2.svg0.00.5202N/A

Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Malvern Hills District Council following the close of nominations on 5 April 2023. [11] The results for each ward were as follows, with an asterisk (*) indicating an incumbent councillor standing for re-election. [12] [13]

Alfrick, Leigh & Rushwick

Alfrick, Leigh & Rushwick (2 seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%
MH Independents Sarah Rouse* 1,030 71.0
MH Independents Peter Whatley* 992 68.4
Conservative Paul Selway-Swift30020.7
Liberal Democrats Linda Hardwick23916.5
Turnout 1,45137.2
Registered electors 3,902
MH Independents win (new seat)
MH Independents win (new seat)

Baldwin

Baldwin (2 seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Pamela Cumming* 905 62.6 –15.0
Conservative Paul Cumming* 902 62.4 N/A
Liberal Democrats Jamie Cramp43630.2+7.8
Green Seyi Latunde-Dada38226.4N/A
Turnout 1,44537.7
Registered electors 3,833
Conservative hold
Conservative win (new seat)

Barnards Green

Barnards Green (3 seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%
Green Mark Driscoll 786 36.5
Green Malcolm Victory 772 35.9
Liberal Democrats David Mead 755 35.1
Liberal Democrats Clive Fletcher59627.7
Liberal Democrats Pete Benkwitz52124.2
Conservative Ian Hopwood46321.5
Conservative Julie Maclusky42319.7
Independent Adrian Vines37617.5
Labour Louise Lowton36917.2
Labour Iain Dawson30714.3
Independent Nick Houghton29613.8
Turnout 2,15133.2
Registered electors 6,488
Green win (new seat)
Green win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Broadheath

Broadheath
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Daniel Walton* 511 76.8 +25.5
Conservative Carl Fordington13119.7–10.7
Liberal Democrats Chris Sandys233.5–14.8
Majority38057.1N/A
Turnout 66642.3
Registered electors 1,539
Independent hold

Castlemorton, Welland & Wells

Castlemorton, Welland & Wells (2 seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent John Gallagher* 864 48.1
Independent Christine Wild 727 40.4
Conservative Jill Campbell58732.6
Liberal Democrats Eva Fielding55030.6
Conservative Marc Bayliss48927.2
Turnout 1,79842.5
Registered electors 4,230
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)

Great Malvern

Great Malvern (2 seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent Beverley Nielsen* 798 50.4
Independent Cynthia Palmer* 726 45.8
Conservative Hannah Campbell49131.0
Liberal Democrats Jed Marson45828.9
Conservative James Jarvis42526.8
Turnout 1,58440.5
Registered electors 3,915
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)

Hallow & Holt

Hallow & Holt
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent Dean Clarke* 495 59.4
Conservative Mel Fordington26431.7
Liberal Democrats Elaine Drage748.9
Majority23127.7
Turnout 83637.6
Registered electors 2,221
Independent win (new seat)

Kempsey

Kempsey (2 seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent David Harrison* 917 67.3 –15.9
Independent John Michael* 665 48.8 –30.9
Conservative Ian Daly54840.2+28.6
Liberal Democrats John Drage21816.0+7.9
Turnout 1,36234.5
Registered electors 3,946
Independent hold
Independent hold

Lindridge

Lindridge
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Douglas Godwin* 479 64.9 –3.6
Green Mary-Louise Thompson15921.5N/A
Liberal Democrats John O'Loghlen10013.6–17.9
Majority32043.4
Turnout 74535.4
Registered electors 2,103
Conservative hold
Link (3 seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Kwai Chan* 589 28.7 N/A
Liberal Democrats Neville Mills* 568 27.7 –10.2
Green Fran Victory 563 27.5 N/A
Liberal Democrats Danielle Bennett52725.7–19.0
Conservative David Watkins50424.6–1.5
Liberal Democrats Clifford Hobbs46722.8–14.2
Conservative Karen Hanks44221.6–3.7
Labour Susan Dalley43721.3+3.1
Labour Christopher Burrows42920.9+4.1
Independent Clive Hooper30514.9N/A
Independent Anne Robinson28513.9N/A
Reform UK Richard Case1416.9N/A
Turnout 2,05036.0
Registered electors 5,701
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats hold
Green gain from Liberal Democrats

Longdon

Longdon
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Jennie Watkins 461 60.3 –1.8
Green Tim Kershaw16121.0N/A
Liberal Democrats Liz Smith14318.7–19.2
Majority30039.3
Turnout 76739.6
Registered electors 1,938
Conservative hold

Martley

Martley
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Barbara Jones-Williams* 504 58.7 –13.6
Liberal Democrats John Bateman19722.9N/A
Independent George Wilesmith10512.2N/A
MH Independents Matthew Oliver536.2N/A
Majority30735.8
Turnout 86437.1
Registered electors 2,327
Conservative hold

Pickersleigh

Pickersleigh
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Paul Bennett* 212 45.5 –5.8
Conservative David Chambers10422.3–2.1
Labour Owen Walters8418.0–6.3
Independent Caroline Bovey*6614.2N/A
Majority10823.2
Turnout 47023.4
Registered electors 2,011
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease2.svg1.9

Powick & the Hanleys

Powick & the Hanleys (2 seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%
Independent Tom Wells* 1,461 78.9
Independent Kathy Wells* 1,283 69.3
Conservative Sebastian Barbour36519.7
Conservative Oliver Watkins25013.5
Liberal Democrats Rachel Aksar1588.5
Turnout 1,85143.0
Registered electors 4,303
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)

Tenbury

Tenbury (2 seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
MH Independents Lesley Brunton* 684 57.1 N/A
Conservative John Willmott 605 50.5 N/A
Conservative Paul Owen36730.6N/A
Green Peter Jones33127.6N/A
Turnout 1,19833.0N/A
Registered electors 3,626
MH Independents gain from Conservative
Conservative hold

Upper Howsell

Upper Howsell
PartyCandidateVotes%
Green Jules Wood* 335 54.8
Conservative Surbjit Brierley14623.9
Labour Jan Blazak9114.9
Liberal Democrats Will Chaundy396.4
Majority18930.9
Turnout 61528.3
Registered electors 2,176
Green win (new seat)

Upton & Ripple

Upton & Ripple (2 seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%
Green Martin Allen* 1,172 71.4
Conservative Jeremy Owenson 608 37.1
Conservative Andrew Waddell46328.2
Green Rebecca Rollinson45928.0
Liberal Democrats Liz Mills1438.7
Reform UK Doug Guest613.7
Turnout 1,64142.0
Registered electors 3,912
Green win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

West

West (2 seats)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Green Natalie McVey* 1,152 74.3 +2.3
Green John Raine* 1,122 72.3 –4.5
Conservative Jennie Kelly31220.1+0.8
Liberal Democrats Richard Whitehead21113.6–1.0
Turnout 1,55137.6
Registered electors 4,128
Green hold
Green hold

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References

  1. Banner, Tom (19 May 2020). "Malvern Hills Conservative councillors choose new leader and vow to 'rebuild' town". Malvern Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  2. Wilkinson-Jones, Phil (5 May 2023). "Greens narrowly defeat Conservatives in Malvern by-election". Worcester News. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  3. 1 2 Barnett, Christian (9 July 2020). "Four councillors in Malvern quit Lib Dems over new leader's decision to leave administration". Worcester News. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Malvern Hills Independents". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  5. "Notice of Election" (PDF). Malvern Hills District Council. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  6. "Malvern Hills result - Local Elections 2023". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  7. "The Malvern Hills (Electoral Changes) Order 2023", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2023/23, retrieved 11 February 2024
  8. Banner, Tom (19 April 2022). "Malvern Hills District Council leadership chaos worsens". Malvern Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  9. Wilkinson-Jones, Phil (25 May 2023). "Greens and independents in charge of Malvern Hills District Council". Malvern Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  10. "College row hits 'crisis point' in wake of High Court ruling". Malvern Observer. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
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  12. "Election of councillors for the wards of Malvern Hills District Council: Summary of results" (PDF). Malvern Hills District Council. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  13. "Your Councillors". Malvern Hills District Council. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2024.