Forest Heath District Council elections

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Forest Heath District Council in Suffolk, England was elected every four years. between the last boundary changes in 2003 and the final elections in 2015, 27 councillors were elected from 14 wards. [1] The council was abolished in 2019, with the area becoming part of West Suffolk.

Contents

Political control

From the first election to the council in 1973 until its abolition in 2019, political control of the council was held by the following parties: [2] [3]

Party in controlYears
Conservative 1973–1976
No overall control 1976–1979
Conservative 1979–1983
No overall control 1983–1987
Conservative 1987–1991
No overall control 1991–1999
Conservative 1999–2019

Leadership

The leaders of the council from 1995 until 2019 were:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Adrian Rogers [4] Liberal Democrats May 1995May 1997
Paul Dwane [5] Labour 5 Jun 19979 May 1999
Geoffrey Jaggard [6] [7] Conservative 19992011
James Waters [8] Conservative 201131 Mar 2019

James Waters served as leader of the West Suffolk shadow authority for part of the year prior to the new council coming into effect in 2019, [9] but he was unsuccessful in securing a seat at the first election to the new council. [10]

Council elections

Composition of the council [11]
Year Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats [a] UKIP Independents
& Others		Council control
after election
Local government reorganisation; council established (25 seats)
1973 1300–12Conservative
1976 1201–12No overall control
New ward boundaries (25 seats) [12]
1979 1500–10Conservative
1983 1220–11No overall control
1987 1400–11Conservative
1991 [13] 1213–9No overall control
1995 [14] 104605No overall control
1999 211201Conservative
New ward boundaries (27 seats) [15] [16]
2003 210006Conservative
2007 220203Conservative
2011 231201Conservative
2015 210024Conservative
Council abolished; merged into West Suffolk District Council

Results maps

By-election results

1995-1999

The Rows By-Election 6 March 1997
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent 27338.7
Conservative 24534.7
Labour 18826.6
Majority 284.0
Turnout 70627.3
Independent hold Swing
St Marys By-Election 24 September 1998
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative 44458.6+13.6
Labour 27235.9−3.5
Liberal Democrats 425.5−10.1
Majority 17222.7
Turnout 75825.3
Conservative hold Swing

2003-2007

Manor By-Election 28 October 2004 [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Susan Syvret26966.9+41.0
Independent 13333.1−10.1
Majority 13633.8
Turnout 40232.8
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
South By-Election 5 May 2005 [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Roger Dicker56459.7
Independent Brian Gray38140.3
Majority 18319.4
Turnout 94575.9
Conservative hold Swing
Red Lodge By-Election 15 December 2005 [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Julie Middleton17355.3+55.3
Conservative Stuart Hastings11135.5−20.3
UKIP David Whitear299.3+9.3
Majority 6219.8
Turnout 31326.0
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

2007-2011

Manor By-Election 22 November 2007 [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Timothy Huggan28153.6
Conservative Brian Harvey21140.3
UKIP David Chandler326.1
Majority 7013.3
Turnout 52441.3
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Red Lodge By-Election 5 June 2008 [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Albert McCloud32155.9
Conservative Alnoor Hirji23040.1
UKIP David Chandler234.0
Majority 9115.8
Turnout 57438.0
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Eriswell & the Rows By-Election 22 October 2009 [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative James Waters40045.8−24.4
Liberal Democrats John Smith34639.6+39.6
UKIP David Chandler12814.6−15.2
Majority 546.2
Turnout 874
Conservative hold Swing

2011-2015

Exning By-Election 11 July 2013 [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Simon Cole26364.1+64.1
Conservative Marion Fairman-Smith14735.9−8.0
Majority 11628.2
Turnout 410
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Market By-Election 19 December 2013 [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative John Bloodworth26650.3−19.9
UKIP David Chandler26349.7+49.7
Majority 30.6
Turnout 529
Conservative hold Swing

2015-2019

Brandon West By-Election 5 May 2016 [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
WSI Victor Lukaniuk22029.0−15.4
UKIP Ian Smith19726.0+26.0
Independent Edward Stewart18023.7+23.7
Conservative Anthony Simmons16121.2−34.4
Majority 233.0
Turnout 758
WSI gain from Conservative Swing
South By-Election 5 May 2016 [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UKIP Roger Dicker33451.9+51.9
Conservative Karen Soons30948.1−17.8
Majority 253.8
Turnout 643
UKIP gain from Conservative Swing
St Mary's By-Election 17 August 2017 [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Robert Nobbs33850.1+10.7
Labour Michael Jefferys27640.9+8.8
Green Alice Haylock608.9+8.9
Majority 629.2
Turnout 674
Conservative hold Swing

Notes

  1. ↑ Includes totals for the predecessors of the Liberal Democrats, the Liberal Party and SDP (both of which participated in the Alliance).

References

  1. ↑ "Your Council". Forest Heath District Council. Archived from the original on 9 November 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  2. ↑ "Forest Heath". BBC News Online . Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  3. ↑ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Forest Heath" in search box to see specific results.)
  4. ↑ "Disappointed Shirley stopped from being chairman of council". Newmarket Journal. 25 May 1995. p. 6. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  5. ↑ "Council leader elected after second ballot". Newmarket Journal. 12 June 1997. p. 4. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  6. ↑ "District Council elects new leaders". Newmarket Journal. 3 June 1999. p. 5. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  7. ↑ Reason, Matt (13 February 2015). "Tributes paid to 'great councillor' Geoffrey Jaggard who served Forest Heath District Council for 30 years". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  8. ↑ Fitchett, Andrew (28 May 2015). "James Waters re-elected as leader of Forest Heath District Council". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  9. ↑ "Shadow Council minutes, 18 December 2018". West Suffolk Council. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  10. ↑ "Election results: Labour holds Ipswich as Tories lose seats". BBC News. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  11. ↑ "Composition calculator". Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher . The Elections Centre, Plymouth University . Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  12. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The District of Forest Heath (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.
  13. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk (County Boundaries) Order 1990. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  14. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Cambridgeshire and Suffolk (County Boundaries) Order 1992. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "Local elections". BBC News Online . Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  16. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The District of Forest Heath (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "Labour edges ahead in byelections". guardian.co.uk . 29 October 2004. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  18. ↑ "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Forest Heath District Council. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  19. ↑ "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Forest Heath District Council. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  20. ↑ "Lib Dem by-elections bounce blow for Tories". WalesOnline. 23 November 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  21. ↑ "Lib Dems win Red Lodge seat". Newmarket Journal. 11 June 2008.
  22. ↑ "New councillor at Forest Heath". East Anglian Daily Times. 24 October 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  23. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Exning Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  24. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Market Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  25. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Brandon West Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  26. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — South Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  27. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — St Mary's Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
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