2008 South Lakeland District Council election

The 2008 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2007 reducing the number of seats by 1.[1] The Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.[2]

2008 South Lakeland District Council election

1 May 2008
All 51 seats to South Lakeland District Council 26 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Liberal Democrats Conservative Labour Seats won 36 14 1 Popular vote 24,355 16,100 1,387 Percentage 57.9% 38.3% 3.3%
Map showing the results the 2008 South Lakeland District Council elections by ward. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Conservatives in blue, Labour in red.
Council control before election Liberal Democrats Council control after election Liberal Democrats

Background

Since the last election in 2007 boundary changes had taken place reducing the number of seats from 52 to 51.[3] Among the changes made was the combining of the Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale wards.[3]

Before the election the Liberal Democrats ran the council with 31 seats, compared to 16 for the Conservatives, 2 for Labour, 1 Green Party and 1 independent.[4] Among the sitting councillors to stand down at the election was the only independent David Foot.[3]

Election result

The results saw the Liberal Democrats increase their majority on the council finishing the election up on 36 councillors.[3] This came at the expense of the Conservatives who dropped to 14 seats and Labour who lost 1 of their 2 councillors.[3] Meanwhile, the Green Party also lost their only seat in Kendal Far Cross.[5]

South Lakeland Local Election Result 2008[1][6]

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal Democrats	36			+4	70.6	57.4	30,627	+0.4%
	Conservative	14			-2	27.5	39.6	21,111	-1.2%
	Labour	1			-1	2.0	2.6	1,387	+2.3%
	Green	0			-1	0	0.4	228	-0.2%
	Independent	0			-1	0	0	0	0

Ward results

Ambleside & Grasmere (2)[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Vivienne Rees	1,140
	Liberal Democrats	David Vatcher	1,113
	Conservative	Brian Barton	542
	Conservative	Tim Brown	518
Turnout			3,313

Arnside & Beetham (2)[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Pru Jupe	1,337
	Liberal Democrats	Ian Stewart	1,292
	Conservative	Peter Fisher	845
	Conservative	Sue Blonsky	836
Turnout			4,310

Broughton[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Joss Curwen	667	63.6
	Liberal Democrats	Barry Rabone	382	36.4
Majority			285	27.2
Turnout			1,049

Burneside[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Frank Hodson	578	74.7
	Conservative	Eric Wright	196	25.3
Majority			382	49.4
Turnout			774

Burton & Holme (2)[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Roger Bingham	1,132
	Conservative	Brian Cooper	916
	Liberal Democrats	Geoff Johnston	597
	Liberal Democrats	Scott Chandler	524
Turnout			3,169

Cartmel & Grange West[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Mary Wilson	617	65.4
	Conservative	Steve Chambers	326	34.6
Majority			291	30.9
Turnout			943

Coniston & Crake Valley[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Anne Hall	518	64.0
	Liberal Democrats	John Hemingway	291	36.0
Majority			227	28.1
Turnout			809

Crooklands[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Sheila Eccles	803	70.4
	Conservative	Rob Cocker	338	29.6
Majority			465	40.8
Turnout			1,141

Grange North[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Bill Wearing	580	62.8
	Liberal Democrats	Russell Boardman	344	37.2
Majority			236	25.5
Turnout			924

Grange South[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Tom Harvey	501	50.5
	Liberal Democrats	Anluise Hamilton-Bruce	492	49.5
Majority			9	0.9
Turnout			993

Hawkshead[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Colin Davies	486	53.5
	Conservative	Claire Salisbury	422	46.5
Majority			64	7.0
Turnout			908

Holker[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Maureen Nicholson	471	56.1
	Conservative	Ruth Airey	368	43.9
Majority			103	12.3
Turnout			839

Kendal Castle[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Sonia Lawson	617	69.3
	Conservative	James Alexander	273	30.7
Majority			344	38.7
Turnout			890

Kendal Far Cross[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Clive Graham	478	65.1
	Conservative	Lyndsay Slater	147	20.0
	Green	Enda Farrell	109	14.9
Majority			331	45.1
Turnout			734

Kendal Fell[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Little	508	70.4
	Conservative	Diana Crewdson	133	18.4
	Labour	Lois Sparling	81	11.2
Majority			375	51.9
Turnout			722

Kendal Heron Hill[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Andy Shine	640	77.6
	Conservative	Ian Tomlinson	185	22.4
Majority			455	55.2
Turnout			825

Kendal Highgate[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Chris Hogg	537	82.9
	Conservative	Deborah Huck	111	17.1
Majority			426	65.7
Turnout			648

Kendal Kirkland[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Julie Dawson	412	68.4
	Labour	Robert Rothwell	112	18.6
	Conservative	Elizabeth Cartmell	78	13.0
Majority			300	49.8
Turnout			602

Kendal Mintsfeet[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Jonathan Brook	587	82.0
	Conservative	Margaret Williams	129	18.0
Majority			458	64.0
Turnout			716

Kendal Nether[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Clare Feeney-Johnson	702	85.2
	Conservative	William Parker	122	14.8
Majority			580	70.4
Turnout			824

Kendal Oxenholme & Natland[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Brenda Gray	596	68.2
	Conservative	Nigel Byrom	278	31.8
Majority			318	36.4
Turnout			874

Kendal Parks[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Brendon Jameson	568	79.4
	Conservative	Peter Birchall	147	20.6
Majority			421	58.9
Turnout			715

Kendal Romney[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Graham Vincent	615	80.2
	Conservative	Pam Flitcroft	152	19.8
Majority			463	60.4
Turnout			767

Kendal Stonecross[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Sylvia Emmott	743	82.9
	Conservative	Jack Tomlinson	153	17.1
Majority			590	65.8
Turnout			896

Kendal Strickland[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Coleman	611	83.9
	Conservative	Kate Williams	117	16.1
Majority			494	67.9
Turnout			728

Kendal Underley[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Gwen Murfin	541	69.1
	Labour	Paul Braithwaite	125	16.0
	Conservative	Alan Price	117	14.9
Majority			416	53.1
Turnout			783

Levens[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Brenda Woof	737	64.1
	Conservative	Alisa Hulme	412	35.9
Majority			325	28.3
Turnout			1,149

Low Furness[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	James Airey	415	51.8
	Liberal Democrats	Ray Beecham	343	42.8
	Green	Jo-Anna Duncalf	43	5.4
Majority			72	9.0
Turnout			801

Lyth Valley[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Rosie Ballantyne-Smith	585	55.6
	Conservative	Robin Brown	467	44.4
Majority			118	11.2
Turnout			1,052

Mid Furness (2)[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Jackie Cooper	969
	Liberal Democrats	Jane Carson	925
	Conservative	Wendy Barry	539
	Conservative	Anne Fisher	404
	Labour	Bharath Rajan	88
Turnout			2,925

Milnthorpe[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Alan Baverstock	681	75.4
	Conservative	Mike Coyle	222	24.6
Majority			459	50.8
Turnout			903

Sedbergh & Kirkby Lonsdale (3)[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Kevin Lancaster	1,432
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Woof	1,274
	Liberal Democrats	Ian McPherson	1,245
	Conservative	Rodger Read	1,210
	Liberal Democrats	Fenner Pearson	1,183
	Conservative	Anne Fenwick	1,127
Turnout			7,471

Staveley-in-Cartmel[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Clive Leal	462	52.6
	Conservative	Ted Walsh	416	47.4
Majority			46	5.2
Turnout			878

Staveley-in-Westmorland[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Stan Collins	724	80.1
	Conservative	Angela Wright	180	19.9
Majority			544	60.2
Turnout			904

Ulverston Central[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Norman Bishop-Rowe	292	57.4
	Labour	Roy Gill	159	31.2
	Liberal Democrats	John Humberstone	58	11.4
Majority			133	26.1
Turnout			509

Ulverston East[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	John Wilson	208	44.2
	Conservative	Peter Hornby	189	40.1
	Liberal Democrats	Ronald Edmondson	74	15.7
Majority			19	4.0
Turnout			471

Ulverston North[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Colin Hodgson	388	55.3
	Labour	Joan Casson	166	23.6
	Green	Simon Filmore	76	10.8
	Liberal Democrats	Charley Darbishire	72	10.3
Majority			222	31.6
Turnout			702

Ulverston South[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Brian Wilkinson	398	64.9
	Labour	Judith Pickthall	133	21.7
	Liberal Democrats	Celia Birchall	82	13.4
Majority			265	43.2
Turnout			613

Ulverston Town[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Jamie Samson	208	43.5
	Labour	Colin Williams	204	42.7
	Liberal Democrats	Barbara Rabone	66	13.8
Majority			4	0.8
Turnout			478

Ulverston West[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	Janette Jenkinson	448	70.0
	Labour	Colin Pickthall	111	17.3
	Liberal Democrats	Loraine Birchall	81	12.7
Majority			337	52.7
Turnout			640

Whinfell[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Thornton	488	62.2
	Conservative	Mel Mackie	297	37.8
Majority			191	24.3
Turnout			785

Windermere Applethwaite & Troutbeck[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Jo Stephenson	518	54.0
	Conservative	Michael Nicholson	442	46.0
Majority			76	7.9
Turnout			960

Windermere Bowness North[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Hilary Stephenson	654	74.2
	Conservative	Stephen Hall	227	25.8
Majority			427	48.5
Turnout			881

Windermere Bowness South[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Conservative	David Williams	433	65.2
	Liberal Democrats	Dyan Jones	231	34.8
Majority			202	30.4
Turnout			664

Windermere Town[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal Democrats	Kath Atkinson	553	82.4
	Conservative	Enid Robinson	118	17.6
Majority			435	64.8
Turnout			671

References

1. "South Lakeland". BBC News Online. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
2. "Local elections 2008" (PDF). House of Commons Library. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
3. "South Lakes election results". Lancaster Guardian. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
4. Barber, Caroline (11 April 2008). "All seats up for grabs in council election". The Westmorland Gazette. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
5. Orr, Daniel (2 May 2008). "Liberal Democrats dominate elections". The Westmorland Gazette. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
6. "South Lakeland District Council elections, 1 May 2008" (PDF). South Lakeland District Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2011.