2015 Wyre Forest District Council election

The 2015 Wyre Forest District Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Wyre Forest District Council in Worcestershire, England. The whole council was up for election after boundary changes reduced the number of seats by nine.[1] The Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.[2]

Map of the results of the 2015 Wyre Forest District Council election. Conservatives in blue, Labour in red, independents in light grey, Health Concern in pink, UK Independence Party in purple, Liberal in orange and vacant in white.

Background

After the last election in 2014 no party had a majority on Wyre Forest District Council.[3] The Conservatives were the largest party with 15 councillors, while Labour had 9, Health Concern 7, the UK Independence Party 5, independents 4 and there were 2 Liberals.[3] Following the election the Conservatives formed an alliance with the 4 independents and 2 Liberals to run the council with exactly half of the seats.[4]

In June 2014 Mike Price defected from the Liberal party to the Conservatives, meaning that Fran Oborski was left as the only Liberal councillor.[5] By the time of the 2015 election the Conservative group had increased to 17 councillors, as independent Julian Phillips joined the party.[6][7]

The whole of Wyre Forest District Council was elected in 2015 after boundary changes reduced the number of wards from 17 to 12 and the number of councillors from 42 to 33.[2] These changes meant ten wards elected three councillors each, while one ward elected two councillors and one ward elected a single councillor.[8] However the election in the Areley Kings and Riverside ward was delayed until June 2015 after the death of one of the candidates.[9]

Four councillors stood down and did not seek re-election in 2015, Douglas Godwin, Pauline Hayward, Lynn Hyde and Mike Kelly.[10]

Election result

The Conservatives gained a majority on the council after winning 21 of the 30 seats contested on 7 May.[2] Both Labour and Health Concern were reduced to two seats on the council, while the UK Independence Party only won one seat.[2] Among those to lose seats were the leader of the UK Independence Party on the council, Michael Wrench, and the Health Concern mayor of Stourport, Cliff Brewer.[2] Independents won all three seats in Aggborough and Spennells, while Fran Oborski was re-elected as the only Liberal councillor.[2]

Opposition candidates were concerned that the reduction in the number of polling stations after the boundary changes had resulted in long queues to vote.[2]

After the delayed election in Areley Kings and Riverside resulted in two Conservatives and one Labour councillors being elected, the Conservatives had 23 seats and Labour had 3 seats.[11]

Wyre Forest local election result 2015[6][11][12]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 23 +6 69.7 38.1 42,669 +11.9%
  Labour 3 -6 9.1 15.8 17,693 -2.2%
  Independent 3 0 9.1 3.9 4,421 +0.6%
  Health Concern 2 -5 6.1 13.6 15,261 -7.2%
  UKIP 1 -4 3.0 20.7 23,180 -5.1%
  Liberal 1 0 3.0 2.4 2,651 -1.8%
  Green 0 0 0 4.5 4,992 +3.1%
  Liberal Democrats 0 0 0 0.6 642 +0.6%
  TUSC 0 0 0 0.4 469 +0.1%
  Patriotic Socialist Party 0 0 0 0.0 34 +0.0%

The above results include the delayed election in Areley Kings and Riverside.

Ward results
Aggborough and Spennells (3 seats)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Helen Dyke 1,706
Independent Peter Dyke 1,441
Independent John Aston 1,274
Conservative Tracey Onslow-Fage 1,239
Conservative Ian Siddall 1,046
Conservative Andrew Tromans 993
Labour Brian Rushbrook 704
UKIP Graham Gardner 653
Health Concern Keith Robertson 617
UKIP Mark Humphries 591
UKIP Philip Jeanes 505
Green Douglas Hine 410
Turnout 11,179 65.1
Bewdley and Rock (3 seats)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John-Paul Campion 2,194
Conservative Stephen Clee 1,953
Conservative Jennifer Greener 1,874
Health Concern Calne Edginton-White 1,080
Health Concern John Beeson 959
Labour Mark Flello 904
UKIP Maurice Alton 875
Health Concern Philip Edmundson 837
UKIP Christopher Wood 757
Labour Rodney Stanczyszyn 730
UKIP Gary Talbot 627
Green Phillip Oliver 566
Turnout 13,356 73.7
Blakebrook and Habberley South (3 seats)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative John Hart 1,232
Conservative Ruth Gregory 1,194
Conservative Juliet Smith 1,070
UKIP David Hollyoak 871
UKIP Philip Daniels 833
Labour Bernadette Connor 792
Labour Paul Connor 790
UKIP Caroline Moran 699
Health Concern Julie Bennett 669
Labour Leroy Wright 612
Green Natalie McVey 481
Green Victoria Lea 289
Liberal Democrats Michael Troth 211
Green Martin Layton 206
TUSC Kevin Young 68
Turnout 10,017 55.8
Broadwaters (3 seats)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Health Concern Mary Rayner 931
Conservative John Desmond 923
UKIP Steven Harrington 748
Labour Mumshad Ahmed 745
Labour Steven Walker 722
Labour Adrian Sewell 717
Conservative Gillian Onslow 689
Health Concern Peter Young 655
UKIP William Hopkins 637
UKIP Paul Wooldridge 602
Conservative Greta Smith 561
Green David Finch 358
Liberal Esther Smart 192
Patriotic Socialist Party Brian Ryder 34
Turnout 8,514 53.0
Foley Park and Hoobrook (3 seats)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Nathan Desmond 1,348
Conservative Sally Chambers 1,297
Labour Samuel Arnold 1,046
Conservative Nichola Gale 1,036
UKIP Michael Wrench 901
UKIP Sophie Edginton 891
UKIP Charlotte Stokes 792
Health Concern Louise Hinett 770
Liberal Democrats Clare Cassidy 431
Green Ronald Lee 392
Turnout 8,904 55.0
Frances and Habberley North (3 seats)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Jeffrey Baker 2,006
Conservative Anne Hingley 1,930
Labour Nigel Knowles 1,443
Conservative Daniel McCann 1,347
Health Concern Caroline Shellie 1,137
Labour Barry McFarland 1,113
UKIP Anthony Clent 1,039
UKIP David White 809
UKIP Peter Willoughby 742
Green Jonathan Mills 437
TUSC Nigel Gilbert 155
TUSC Ingra Kirkland 112
Turnout 12,270 64.3
Lickhill[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative David Little 581 38.2
Health Concern Brian Glass 336 22.1
UKIP Adrian Dawes 285 18.7
Labour Carol Warren 259 17.0
Green Nicholas Atkinson 61 4.0
Majority 245 16.1
Turnout 1,522 68.9
Mitton (3 seats)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Sara Fearn 1,517
Conservative Christopher Rogers 1,273
Conservative Tony Muir 1,170
Health Concern Clifford Brewer 1,122
Health Concern James Parish 1,118
UKIP John Holden 1,022
Health Concern Michael Salter 987
UKIP Berenice Dawes 952
UKIP Wayne Sheldon 840
Labour Jillian Hawes 823
Labour George Jones 675
Green Gilda Davis 350
Turnout 11,849 61.6
Offmore and Comberton (3 seats)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Frances Oborski 1,353
Conservative Rosemary Bishop 1,274
Health Concern Graham Ballinger 985
Conservative Paul Harrison 953
UKIP Martin Stooke 949
Conservative Michael Price 903
Labour Margaret Bradley 881
UKIP Kathleen Breese 842
UKIP Anthony Whitmore 685
Labour John Rocks 661
Liberal Rachel Akathiotis 558
Liberal Shazu Miah 548
Green Brett Caulfield 405
TUSC Lawrence Boyle 134
Turnout 11,131 61.5
Wribbenhall and Arley (2 seats)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Gordon Yarranton 1,195
Conservative Julian Phillips 1,078
Labour George Court 581
Health Concern Linda Candlin 545
Health Concern Elizabeth Davies 525
UKIP David Field 525
Labour Conan Norton 422
UKIP Melanie Mannion 394
Green Louise Ryan 215
Turnout 5,480 69.7
Wyre Forest Rural (3 seats)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Marcus Hart 2,517
Conservative Ian Hardiman 2,417
Conservative Stephen Williams 2,141
Labour Christopher Nicholls 1,347
UKIP Dan Collins 898
Health Concern Derek Killingworth 880
UKIP Sarah Hopkins 874
Green Katherine Spohrer 756
UKIP Craig Leonard 724
Turnout 12,554 74.4

Areley Kings and Riverside delayed election

The election in Areley Kings and Riverside ward took place on 9 June 2015, delayed from 7 May when the rest of the council voted.[9] This came after the death of a Health Concern candidate for the ward and former councillor for Areley Kings, Nigel Thomas, on 12 April.[9]

Conservatives Ken and Lin Henderson won two of the three seats, while the Labour group leader Jamie Shaw was also elected.[11] There was a recount after Lin Henderson took the third seat, three votes ahead of Labour's Vi Higgs.[11] Meanwhile, the failure of Health Concern to win seats in the ward meant that they had no councillors for Stourport for the first time in over a decade.[11]

Areley Kings and Riverside (3 seats)[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Ken Henderson 662
Labour Jamie Shaw 633
Conservative Lin Henderson 564
Labour Vi Higgs 561
Labour Rob Lloyd 532
Conservative Malcolm Gough 492
Health Concern John Thomas 404
Health Concern Cliff Brewer 378
Health Concern Dixon Sheppard 326
UKIP Martin Clapton 213
UKIP Ian Jones 209
UKIP Trevor Newman 196
Green John Davis 66
Turnout 5,236 27.0

By-elections between 2015 and 2016

A by-election will take place in Blakebrook and Habberley South on 24 September 2015 after the resignation of Conservative councillor Ruth Gregory due to ill health.[14][15]

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References
  1. Bate, Gema (22 April 2015). "Record numbers register for postal vote". The Shuttle. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  2. "Tories take total control of Wyre Forest Council". The Shuttle. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  3. "Results Elections 2014". The Times. NewsBank. 24 May 2014. pp. 88–89.
  4. Tomaney, William (10 June 2014). "Wyre Forest Tories form ruling political alliance with Liberal and Independent group". The Shuttle. NewsBank.
  5. Tomaney, William (17 June 2014). "Councillor Mike Price in shock switch from Liberals to Conservative party". Worcester News. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  6. "Your District Councillor". Wyre Forest District Council. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  7. "Councillor Information". Wyre Forest District Council. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  8. "New boundaries and less councillors for Wyre Forest District Council". The Shuttle. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  9. Farrington, Dayna (1 May 2015). "Areley Kings & Riverside election date announced". The Shuttle. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  10. Bate, Gema (24 April 2015). "Tributes paid to retiring councillors". The Shuttle. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  11. "Wyre Forest Tories tighten grip on council". Evesham Journal. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  12. "Election Results". Wyre Forest District Council. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  13. "Areley Kings & Riverside - Election held 9th June 2015". Wyre Forest District Council. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  14. "Illness forces Kidderminster councillor to stand down". The Shuttle. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  15. Farrington, Dayna (14 August 2015). "Blakebrook & Habberley South election date announced". The Shuttle. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
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