2023 Torridge District Council election

The 2023 Torridge District Council election took place on 4 May 2023, to elect all 36 members of Torridge District Council in Devon, England.

2023 Torridge District Council election
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All 36 seats to Torridge District Council
19 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin Simon Newton
Party Independent Liberal Democrats Conservative
Last election 18 seats, 35.2% 2 seats, 10.9% 11 seats, 29.2%
Seats before 19[a] 2 10[b]
Seats won 16 8 6
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 6 Decrease 5
Popular vote 11,236 7,885 8,297
Percentage 33.4% 23.4% 24.7%
Swing Decrease 1.8% Increase 12.5% Decrease 4.5%

  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Peter Christie David Brenton
Party Green Labour
Last election 2 seats, 8.9% 3 seats, 12.0%
Seats before 2 3
Seats won 4 2
Seat change Increase 4 Decrease 1
Popular vote 3,515 2,157
Percentage 10.5% 6.4%
Swing Increase 1.6% Decrease 5.6%

Map of the results

Leader before election

Ken James
Independent

Leader after election

Ken James
Independent
No overall control

Prior to the election the majority of the councillors were independents, with 17 of the 19 independents forming the "Independent Group" led by Ken James, who served as leader of the council. After the election the council went under no overall control. The Independent Group remained the largest grouping, and Ken James was reappointed leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 22 May 2023.[3][4][5]

Summary

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Election result

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2023 Torridge District Council election[6]
Party Candidates Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Independent 28 16 3 5   2 44.4 33.4 11,236 –1.8
  Liberal Democrats 15 8 6 0   6 22.2 23.4 7,885 +12.5
  Conservative 25 6 2 7   5 16.7 24.7 8,297 –4.5
  Green 8 4 2 0   2 11.1 10.5 3,515 +1.6
  Labour 9 2 1 2   1 5.6 6.4 2,157 –5.6
  UKIP 2 0 0 0   0.0 1.0 332 –2.9
  Britain First 2 0 0 0   0.0 0.6 204 N/A

Of the 16 independent councillors after the election, 14 formed the Independent Group led by Ken James, the other two sat with the Greens as the "Green Independents" led by Green councillor Peter Christie.[7]

Ward Results

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Incumbents are denoted by an asterisk (*)

Appledore

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Appledore
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Leonard Ford* 599 64.5 +30.4
Green Peter Hames* 588 63.4 +30.9
UKIP Nigel Johnson 134 14.4 −9.3
Majority
Turnout 928 31.97 −9.40
Independent hold Swing
Green hold Swing

Bideford East

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Bideford East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Judith Gubb* 459 43.3 +7.1
Independent James Craigie 392 36.9 N/A
Green Huw Thomas 387 36.5 +20.2
Labour Jennifer Radford 316 29.8 +0.5
Independent Jamie McKenzie* 309 29.1 +5.5
Conservative Linda Hellyer 299 28.2 +6.1
Conservative James Hellyer 257 24.2 +1.5
Conservative Oliver Sherborne 198 18.7 +2.1
Majority
Turnout 1,061 26.20 −1.03
Independent hold Swing
Independent gain from Independent Swing
Green gain from Labour Swing

Bideford North

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Bideford North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Peter Christie* 871 65.4 +14.9
Liberal Democrats Trevor Johns 517 38.8 +21.1
Independent Douglas Bushby* 505 37.9 +0.3
Labour Nicholas Radford 316 23.7 +5.9
Conservative Dermot McGeough* 299 22.5 −13.6
UKIP Gaston Dezart 198 14.9 N/A
Majority
Turnout 1,331 30.27 −7.38
Green hold Swing
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Independent hold Swing

Bideford South

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Bideford South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Brenton* 247 39.2 +7.1
Independent Simon Inch 200 31.7 +0.8
Labour Jake McLean 199 31.6 −0.5
Green Simon Mathers 166 26.3 N/A
Independent Peter Lawrence 162 25.7 −1.8
Britain First Philip Green 108 17.1 N/A
Britain First Anne Townsend 96 15.2 N/A
Majority
Turnout 630 25.10 −1.87
Labour hold Swing
Independent gain from Labour Swing

Bideford West

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Bideford West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Carl Hawkins* 187 34.1 −2.0
Labour Eithne Brenton 186 33.9 +6.0
Independent Shirley Langford 178 32.4 N/A
Independent Anthony Inch* 161 29.3 −3.8
Conservative Jason Murdoch 128 23.3 −7.8
Conservative Morgan Taylor 108 19.7 N/A
Majority
Turnout 549 25.22 −2.87
Independent hold Swing
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Broadheath

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Broadheath
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Philip Hackett* 547 50.3 −9.6
Conservative Stephen Gibson 449 41.3 +9.8
Liberal Democrats Sherrie Green 412 37.9 N/A
Conservative Graeme Barriball 380 34.9 +5.2
Majority
Turnout 1,088 33.10 −1.67
Independent hold Swing
Conservative gain from Independent Swing

Great Torrington

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Great Torrington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Christopher Bright* 751 59.9 +20.5
Liberal Democrats Lauren Bright 588 46.9 −18.0
Liberal Democrats Douglas Smith 553 44.1 N/A
Independent Margaret Brown* 327 26.1 −11.5
Conservative Roger Darch 318 25.4 N/A
Green Keith Funnell 261 20.8 −2.9
Labour Penelope Hewitt 230 18.4 −5.0
Conservative Helen Wilton-Love 214 17.1 N/A
Majority
Turnout 1,253 28.85 −3.42
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent Swing

Hartland

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Hartland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Shirleyann Andrews 763 49.5 +23.2
Independent Anna Dart* 755 49.0 +13.3
Conservative Stephen Harding* 640 41.5 +4.3
Conservative Richard Boughton* 567 36.8 −0.1
Independent Robin Julian 439 28.5 +1.8
Majority
Turnout 1,542 32.73 −5.41
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Independent hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Holsworthy

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Holsworthy
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Lyndon Piper 541 61.5 N/A
Independent Peter Shepherd 460 52.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Emma Hosie 255 29.0 N/A
Conservative Diana Stevens 166 18.9 −55.1
Conservative Melanie Dymond 142 16.2 −32.3
Majority
Turnout 879 36.14 +2.23
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Independent gain from Conservative Swing

Milton & Tamarside

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Milton & Tamarside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Kenneth James* 659 61.0 +61.0
Independent Christopher Hepple* 524 48.5 +48.5
Green Tracey Beresford 374 34.6 N/A
Labour Tony Barrett 225 20.8 N/A
Majority
Turnout 1,080 32.36 +32.36
Independent hold Swing
Independent gain from Conservative Swing

Monkleigh & Putford

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Monkleigh & Putford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Philip Pennington* 567 44.1 −16.2
Independent Robert Hicks* 537 41.7 −12.2
Green Rosemary Gent 355 27.6 +1.5
Conservative Susan Collins 339 26.3 +6.9
Labour James Lowe 312 24.2 N/A
Conservative Jeffrey Wilton-Love 218 16.9 +2.0
Majority
Turnout 1,287 40.91 +1.98
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing

Northam

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Northam
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Christopher Leather* 674 45.0 −2.9
Conservative Jane Whittaker 530 35.4 +12.1
Green Wendy Lo-Vel 513 34.2 N/A
Independent Joanne Manley* 485 32.4 −4.4
Liberal Democrats Samantha Newman-McKie 471 31.4 +15.8
Conservative Carrie Woodhouse* 334 22.3 −0.5
Independent John Himan 310 20.7 −2.6
Independent Hugh Brading 268 17.9 N/A
Majority
Turnout 1,499 37.18 +1.98
Independent hold Swing
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Green gain from Independent Swing

Shebbear & Langtree

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Shebbear & Langtree
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin** 892 66.2 +30.2
Liberal Democrats Christopher Wheatley 700 52.0 N/A
Conservative David Hurley* 540 40.1 −5.8
Conservative David Jupp 348 25.8 −6.4
Majority
Turnout 1,347 43.92 +0.10
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent Swing

Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin was a sitting councillor for Great Torrington ward.

Two Rivers & Three Moors

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Two Rivers & Three Moors
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rosemary Lock* 609 50.2 −8.8
Conservative Thomas Elliott 513 42.3 −9.3
Liberal Democrats Roger Allen 476 39.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Claire Davey-Potts 452 37.3 N/A
Independent Rachel Clarke 220 18.1 N/A
Majority
Turnout 1,213 36.96 −1.89
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Westward Ho!

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Westward Ho!
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Claire Hodson* 494 46.0 −0.3
Independent Louis Bach 334 31.1 N/A
Liberal Democrats Albert Bruins 277 25.8 N/A
Independent Derek Sargent 243 22.6 −3.8
Independent Anmol Singh 241 22.4 N/A
Conservative Kenneth Hind 183 17.0 −1.7
Conservative Patricia Ferguson 175 16.3 N/A
Majority
Turnout 1,074 35.99 −5.88
Independent hold Swing
Independent gain from Independent Swing

Winkleigh

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Winkleigh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Newton* 343 48.6 +0.7
Liberal Democrats Stephen Middleton 237 33.6 −3.8
Labour Angela Findlay 126 17.8 +3.1
Majority
Turnout 706 40.55 +0.03
Conservative hold Swing

Changes 2023–2027

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Bideford North by-election

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Bideford North by-election, 2 May 2024[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Teresa Tinsley 358 29.1 −9.7
Labour Tom Hammett 231 18.8 −4.9
Green John Puddy 229 18.6 −46.8
Conservative Morgan Taylor 173 14.1 −8.4
Independent Anthony Inch 123 10.0 N/A
Reform UK Nigel Johnson 90 7.3 N/A
Independent Ruth Craigie 25 2.0 N/A
Majority 127 10.3 N/A
Turnout 1,229 27.9 −2.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Green

By-election triggered by death of Green councillor Peter Christie.[9]

References

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  1. ^ Of the 19 independent councillors prior to the election, 17 formed the "Independent" group led by Ken James, the other two were non-aligned.[1]
  2. ^ Including one vacant seat in Holsworthy ward previously held by Conservative councillor Jon Hutchings prior to his resignation in November 2022.[2]
  1. ^ "Your councillors by political grouping". Torridge District Council. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  2. ^ Boothroyd, David (18 November 2022). "Noted for fresh air and fun". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Council minutes, 22 May 2023". Torridge District Council. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Local elections 2023: Independents remain biggest group in Torridge". BBC News. 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  5. ^ Heptinstall, Ollie (1 June 2023). "Councillor Ken James secures re-election as Torridge District Council leader". Devon Live. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Torridge result - Local Elections 2023". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  7. ^ "Your councillors by political grouping". Torridge District Council. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Torridge District Council. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  9. ^ Clarke, Lewis (21 February 2024). "North Devon legend Peter Christie dies, aged 73". Devon Live. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
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