The 2015 West Somerset District Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of West Somerset District Council in Somerset, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party remained in overall control of the council.
West Somerset was a local government district in the English county of Somerset. The council covered a largely rural area, with a population of 34,900 in an area of 740 square kilometres (290 sq mi); it is the least populous non-unitary district in England. According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics in 2009, the population of West Somerset has the oldest average age in the United Kingdom at 52. The largest centres of population are the coastal towns of Minehead and Watchet (4,400).
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a two-tier arrangement.
Somerset is a county in South West England which borders Gloucestershire and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east and Devon to the south-west. It is bounded to the north and west by the Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel, its coastline facing southeastern Wales. Its traditional border with Gloucestershire is the River Avon. Somerset's county town is Taunton.
Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 21 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 75.0 | 52.1 | 14,378 | +4.7% | |
Independent | 3 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 10.7 | 15.2 | 4,198 | -17.2% | |
UKIP | 3 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 10.7 | 5.1 | 1,420 | +5.1% | |
Labour | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 3.6 | 8.1 | 2,232 | +1.1% | |
Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.5 | 4,566 | +5.4% | |
Liberal Democrat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 818 | +0.8% | |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Roger Thomas | 576 | |||
UKIP | Adrian Behan | 487 | |||
Labour | Andy Lewis | 422 | |||
Independent | Ian Melhuish | 405 | |||
Green | Venetia Moore | 306 | |||
Turnout | 2,196 | 61.9 | +28.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
UKIP gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Keith Turner | unopposed | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Brenda Maitland-Walker | 472 | 65.3 | -1.0 | |
Green | Klina Jordan | 251 | 34.7 | +34.7 | |
Majority | 221 | 30.6 | -2.0 | ||
Turnout | 723 | 75.1 | +24.1 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Anthony Trollope-Bellew | 581 | 74.9 | +20.1 | |
Green | Miriam Robertson | 195 | 25.1 | +6.0 | |
Majority | 386 | 49.7 | +21.1 | ||
Turnout | 776 | 77.8 | +24.4 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Bruce Heywood | 1,060 | |||
Conservative | Nicholas Thwaites | 976 | |||
Green | Cherry Bird | 433 | |||
Turnout | 2,469 | 73.0 | +21.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Bryan Leaker | 424 | 59.6 | +1.7 | |
Green | Dave Gurnett | 288 | 40.4 | +13.8 | |
Majority | 136 | 19.1 | -10.2 | ||
Turnout | 712 | 72.7 | +25.2 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Steven Pugsley | 670 | 88.4 | ||
Green | Caitlin Collins | 88 | 11.6 | ||
Majority | 582 | 76.8 | |||
Turnout | 758 | 74.1 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Mandy Chilcott | 883 | |||
Conservative | Andrew Hadley | 848 | |||
UKIP | Ivor Jones | 583 | |||
Labour | Lesley Culverhouse | 469 | |||
Green | Carol Stone | 403 | |||
Liberal Democrat | Jill Dillamore | 388 | |||
Turnout | 3,574 | 62.3 | +29.9 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
UKIP gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Archer | unopposed | |||
UKIP | Terry Venner | unopposed | |||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
UKIP gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Jean Parbrook | 766 | |||
Independent | Tom Hall | 590 | |||
Labour | Maureen Smith | 385 | |||
Green | David Taylor | 355 | |||
Turnout | 2,096 | 68.1 | +26.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Independent gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Martin Dewdney | 756 | |||
Conservative | Richard Lillis | 625 | |||
Green | Mickie Ritchie | 524 | |||
Turnout | 1,905 | 73.7 | +27.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Karen Mills | 755 | |||
Conservative | Rollo Clifford | 639 | |||
UKIP | Susan Bamford | 350 | |||
Green | Mo Dewdney | 306 | |||
Green | Jon Freeman | 248 | |||
Turnout | 2,298 | 72.5 | +24.8 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Chris Morgan | 665 | |||
Conservative | Susan Goss | 570 | |||
Independent | Paul Tipney | 478 | |||
Green | Katherine Attwater | 299 | |||
Turnout | 2,012 | 72.8 | +27.7 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | David Westcott | 936 | |||
Conservative | Rosemary Woods | 630 | |||
Labour | Peter Murphy | 563 | |||
Independent | Loretta Whetlor | 550 | |||
Conservative | David Chadwick | 506 | |||
Green | Izzy Silvester | 462 | |||
Liberal Democrat | Tony Bowden | 430 | |||
Independent | Cosmo Johnson | 404 | |||
Labour | Robin Nuttall | 393 | |||
Turnout | 4,874 | 64.8 | +26.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Geoffrey Dowding | 573 | 75.3 | +4.7 | |
Green | Jamie Robertson | 188 | 24.7 | -4.7 | |
Majority | 385 | 50.6 | +9.5 | ||
Turnout | 761 | 82.1 | +27.3 | ||
Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Hugh Davies | 915 | |||
Independent | Ian Aldridge | 546 | |||
Conservative | Robert McDonald | 467 | |||
Independent | Guy Denton | 310 | |||
Green | Sally Lowndes | 220 | |||
Turnout | 2,458 | 64.6 | +25.1 | ||
Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Independent hold | Swing | ||||
A by-election was held in Dunster and Timberscombe ward on 23 March 2017 after the resignation of Conservative councillor Bryan Leaker. [2] Leaker's vacated seat was won by the Liberal Democrat candidate Peter Pilkington, with a 49.7% share of the vote. [3]
By-elections, also spelled bye-elections, are used to fill elected offices that have become vacant between general elections.
Dunster is a village, civil parish and former manor within the English county of Somerset, today just within the north-eastern boundary of the Exmoor National Park. It lies on the Bristol Channel coast 2.5 miles (4 km) south-southeast of Minehead and 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Taunton. The United Kingdom Census of 2011 recorded a parish population of 817.
Timberscombe is a village and civil parish on the River Avill 2.5 miles (4 km) south-west of Dunster, and 5.5 miles (9 km) south of Minehead within the Exmoor National Park in Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Bickham.
Cornwall Council is the unitary authority for the county of Cornwall in the United Kingdom, not including the Isles of Scilly, which has its own council. The council, and its predecessor Cornwall County Council, has a tradition of large groups of independent councillors, having been controlled by independents in the 1970s and 1980s. Since the 2013 elections, it is run by an Independent-Liberal Democrat coalition.
Bath and North East Somerset Council is the local council for the district of Bath and North East Somerset in Somerset, England.
The city of Bristol, England, is a unitary authority, represented by four MPs representing seats wholly within the city boundaries. As well as these, Filton and Bradley Stoke covers the northern urban fringe in South Gloucestershire and the north eastern urban fringe is in the Kingswood constituency. The overall trend of both local and national representation became left of centre, favouring the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats during the latter 20th century, but there was a shift to the right in the 2010 general election. The city has a tradition of local activism, with environmental issues and sustainable transport being prominent issues in the city.
The Dunster Museum & Doll Collection in Dunster, Somerset, England houses a collection of more than 800 dolls from around the world, based on the collection of the late Mollie Hardwick, who died in 1970 and donated her collection to the village memorial hall committee.
The River Avill is a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England.
The 2011 North Somerset Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of North Somerset Unitary Council in Somerset, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2011 West Somerset District Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of West Somerset District Council in Somerset, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2007 reducing the number of seats by 3. The Conservative party gained overall control of the council from independents.
The 2015 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Calderdale in England. This was on the same day as other local elections and a general election. One councillor was elected in each ward for a four-year term so the councillors elected in 2015 last stood for election in 2011. Each ward is represented by three councillors, the election of which is staggered, so only one third of the councillors were elected in this election. Before the election there was no overall control with a minority Labour administration which was over-ruled at a Budget vote by a coalition of Conservatives & Liberal Democrats leading to a Conservative minority administration. After the election there was still no overall control & a Labour minority administration was formed again.
The 2015 North Somerset Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of North Somerset Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections around the country.
The 2015 Aylesbury Vale District Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Aylesbury Vale District Council in Buckinghamshire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2011. The Conservative party remained in overall control of the council.
The 2015 Sedgemoor District Council election took place on Thursday 7 May 2015 as a four-yearly election to elect all members (councillors) of Sedgemoor District Council in the English county of Somerset. The principal town in the district is Bridgwater accounting for 15 of the 48 councillors elected. The election was part of the United Kingdom local elections, 2015 which were held simultaneously with the 2015 General Election.
The 2015 West Dorset District Council election took take place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of West Dorset District Council in England. This was on the same day as the general election and other local elections.
The 2015 Harlow District Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Harlow District Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and Labour party councillors increased their control of the council as the governing group, gaining one councillor and suffering no losses.
The 2015 Wychavon District Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Wychavon District Council in Worcestershire, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2017 Somerset County Council election took place on 4 May 2017 as part of the 2017 local elections in the United Kingdom. All 55 councillors were elected from 54 electoral divisions which each returned either one or two county councillors by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office.
The inaugural West of England mayoral election was held on 4 May 2017 to elect the Mayor of the West of England metropolitan area. The area is made up of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Subsequent elections will be held every four years. The election was won by Conservative Tim Bowles. The overall turnout for the election was low, with only 29.7% of the electorate voting.
The 2019 Bath and North East Somerset Council election is due to take place on 2 May 2019 to elect members of Bath and North East Somerset Council in England.