2023 South Hams District Council election

The 2023 South Hams District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect all 31 members of South Hams District Council in Devon, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.[1][2][3][4] All 20 wards were up for election, each with either one, two or three councillors to be elected.[3][5]

2023 South Hams District Council election
4 May 2023
All 31 seats on South Hams District Council
16 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Julian Brazil Judy Pearce Jacqi Hodgson
Party Liberal Democrats Conservative Green
Last election 10 seats, 30.6% 16 seats, 38.1% 3 seats, 12.3%
Seats before 10 16 2
Seats after 19 7 3
Seat change Increase 9 Decrease 9 Steady
Popular vote 19,931 14,359 5,733
Percentage 43.2 31.1 12.4
Swing Increase 12.6 Decrease 7.0 Increase 0.1
  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Mark Long
Party Labour Independent
Last election 0 seats, 13.9% 2 seats, 5.1%
Seats before 0 3
Seats after 1 1
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1
Popular vote 3,521 2,299
Percentage 7.6 5.0
Swing Decrease 6.3 Decrease 0.1
Results by ward
Leader before election

Judy Pearce
Conservative

 Leader after election

Julian Brazil
Liberal Democrats

The council was under Conservative majority control prior to the election, with the leader of the council being Judy Pearce, who had led the council since 2019. She did not stand for re-election.[6][7]

The election saw the Liberal Democrats win a majority of the seats on the council for the first time in its history. Liberal Democrat group leader Julian Brazil was appointed leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 25 May 2023.[8][9]

Results summary

[10]

2023 South Hams District Council election
Party Candidates Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 27[11] 19 9 0 Increase 9 61.3 43.2 19,931 Increase 12.6
  Conservative 30 7 0 9 Decrease 9 22.6 31.1 14,359 Decrease 7.0
  Green 14 3 0 0 Steady 9.7 12.4 5,733 Increase 0.1
  Labour 7 1 1 0 Increase 1 3.2 7.6 3,521 Decrease 6.3
  Independent 4 1 0 1 Decrease 1 3.2 5.0 2,299 Decrease 0.1
  TUSC 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.3 149 n/a
  Heritage 2 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.3 128 n/a

Ward results

Sitting councillors are marked with an asterisk (*).

Allington & Strete
Allington & Strete[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Laurel Lawford 628 55.7 +17.5
Conservative Richard Foss* 412 36.5 -6.3
Green Joseph Waters 88 7.8 -7.2
Rejected ballots 10
Turnout 1,138 47.24 +3.12
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing 11.9

Bickleigh & Cornwood
Bickleigh & Cornwood[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Christopher Oram 435 54.9 N/A
Conservative Barrie Spencer* 357 45.1 -31.0
Rejected ballots 5
Turnout 797 35.06 +3.39
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Blackawton & Stoke Fleming Ward
Blackawton & Stoke Fleming[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Simon Rake 527 56.7 +10.6
Conservative Helen Reeve* 402 43.3 -4.1
Rejected ballots 2
Turnout 929 44.02 -0.97
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing 7.3

Charterlands
Charterlands[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bernard Taylor* 523 50.7 -1.6
Liberal Democrats Alan Kirk 509 49.3 +16.9
Rejected ballots 8
Turnout 1,040 42.71 -2.21
Conservative hold Swing -9.2

Dartington & Staverton
Dartington & Staverton[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Jacqi Hodgson* 740 72.3 -9.2
Conservative Jeremy Luck 154 15.1 -3.4
Liberal Democrats Catherine Pannell 129 12.6 N/A
Rejected ballots 4
Turnout 1,027 45.3 -2.9
Green hold Swing -2.9

Dartmouth & East Dart
Dartmouth & East Dart Ward (3 seats)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ben Cooper 1,235 52.0 +23.3
Conservative Jonathan Hawkins* 1,135 47.8 -3.1
Liberal Democrats Ged Yardy 1,121 47.2 +15.4
Conservative Hilary Bastone* 930 39.1 -9.3
Conservative Rosemary Rowe* 836 35.2 -0.3
Independent Kim Sturgess 299 12.6 N/A
Rejected ballots 12
Turnout 2,388 39.28 -5.62
Labour gain from Conservative Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Ermington & Ugborough
Ermington & Ugborough[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alison DeWynter 534 57.0 +37.7
Conservative Richard Hosking 298 31.8 -27.1
Green Meirion Jones 105 11.2 N/A
Rejected ballots 5
Turnout 942 40.05 +1.10
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing 32.4

Ivybridge East
Ivybridge East (2 seats)[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Victor Abbott* 755 54.9 +9.6
Liberal Democrats Matt Steele 596 43.3 N/A
Conservative Karen Pringle* 412 30.0 -14.6
Conservative Helen Hillman 342 24.9 -13.3
Labour David Trigger 218 15.9 -21.1
Green Hilary Jones 183 13.3 N/A
Green Richard Hoyland 100 7.3 N/A
Rejected ballots 2
Turnout 1,377 29.9 -0.43
Liberal Democrats hold Swing N/A
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Ivybridge West
Ivybridge West (2 seats)[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Nadine Dommett 882 57.2 +25.5
Liberal Democrats Pablo Munoz 810 52.6 N/A
Conservative Lance Austen* 438 28.4 -24.1
Conservative Stanley Murphy 304 19.7 -29.8
Green Nick Hart-Williams 184 11.9 N/A
Green Alistair Henderson 164 10.6 N/A
TUSC Tony Rea 149 9.7 -29.2
Rejected ballots 11
Turnout 1,552 31.81 +2.21
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing N/A
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Kingsbridge
Kingsbridge (2 seats)[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Denise O'Callaghan* 1,011 67.0 +17.7
Liberal Democrats Susie Jackson* 907 60.1 +15.2
Conservative Helen Baker 584 38.7 +4.6
Conservative Thomas Greaves 331 21.9 -10.9
Rejected ballots 5
Turnout 1,515 34.38 -2.52
Liberal Democrats hold Swing N/A
Liberal Democrats hold Swing N/A

Loddiswell & Aveton Gifford
Loddiswell & Aveton Gifford[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Lee Bonham 487 58.2 +11.2
Conservative Paul Holmes 260 31.1 -8.5
Labour Paul Furlong 90 10.7 -1.8
Rejected ballots 1
Turnout 838 38.33 +1.83
Liberal Democrats hold Swing 9.8

Marldon & Littlehempston
Marldon & Littlehempston[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Samantha Pinfold 355 44.6 +21.7
Liberal Democrats Keith Smith 262 33.0 +19.0
Green David Bradbury 178 22.4 +8.4
Rejected ballots 5
Turnout 800 34.48 -4.19
Conservative gain from Independent Swing N/A

Newton & Yealmpton
Newton & Yealmpton (2 seats)[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Dan Thomas* 1,433 70.3 +12.5
Liberal Democrats Tom Eadie 1,225 60.1 -2.5
Conservative Tony Carlson 580 28.4 -2.7
Labour Peter Gold 259 12.7 +4.8
Rejected ballots 7
Turnout 2,046 41.31 -0.10
Liberal Democrats hold Swing N/A
Liberal Democrats hold Swing N/A

Salcombe and Thurlestone
Salcombe and Thurlestone (2 seats)[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Mark Long* 1,160 63.7 +2.5
Conservative Samantha Dennis 618 34.0 -4.0
Conservative Jim Heaven 513 28.2 -8.1
Independent Nikki Turton 447 24.6 N/A
Green Lewis Worrall 257 14.1 N/A
Liberal Democrats Alan Kerr 229 12.6 -4.7
Rejected ballots 4
Turnout 1,824 45.76 -3.02
Independent hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

South Brent
South Brent (2 seats)[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Guy Pannell* 1,168 58.9 +23.5
Liberal Democrats David Hancock 1,013 51.1 +18.9
Conservative Peter Smerdon* 685 34.5 -1.6
Conservative Lister Bass 533 26.9 -7.8
Green Steve Nayar 370 18.7 -1.5
Rejected ballots 15
Turnout 1,998 47.26 -2.70
Liberal Democrats hold Swing N/A
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Stokenham
Stokenham[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Julian Brazil* 712 73.9 +6.5
Conservative Joshua Gardner 193 20.0 -9.1
Green Lucy Fleming 58 6.0 N/A
Rejected ballots 3
Turnout 966 45.1 -2.37
Liberal Democrats hold Swing 7.8

Totnes
Totnes (3 seats)[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Birch* 1,490 51.0 +6.1
Green Georgina Allen 1,433 49.0 +6.5
Green Anna Presswell 971 33.2 -0.3
Liberal Democrats John Anderson 948 32.4 +4.1
Green John Cummings 902 30.9 +2.8
Liberal Democrats John Lloyd 799 27.3 -1.8
Labour Jill Hannam 482 16.5 -4.1
Independent Jo Sweett* 393 13.4 -29.1
Conservative Richard O'Connor 310 10.6 -1.2
Conservative Helena Penfold 264 9.0 N/A
Conservative Jamie Rogers 251 8.6 N/A
Heritage Jason Liosatos 72 2.5 N/A
Heritage Becca Collings 56 1.9 N/A
Rejected ballots 4
Turnout 2,927 42.47 -3.85
Liberal Democrats hold Swing N/A
Green hold Swing N/A
Green hold Swing N/A

Jo Sweett had been elected as a Green councillor in 2019, but left the party in 2021 to sit as an independent councillor. Seat shown as a Green hold for comparison with the 2019 result.[29]

Wembury and Brixton
Wembury and Brixton (2 seats)[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Julie Carson 733 44.1 -9.3
Conservative Alison Nix 718 43.2 -5.5
Labour Steve Oliver 657 39.5 +26.4
Labour Ed Parsons 580 34.9 N/A
Liberal Democrats Brian Blake 400 24.1 +6.9
Rejected ballots 13
Turnout 1,676 36.16 -4.06
Conservative hold Swing N/A
Conservative hold Swing N/A

West Dart
West Dart[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John McKay* 699 65.9 +1.7
Conservative Stuart Greaves 362 34.1 -1.7
Rejected ballots 16
Turnout 1,077 52.72 +6.52
Liberal Democrats hold Swing 1.7

Woolwell
Woolwell[32]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicky Hopwood* 526 70.3 -15.6
Liberal Democrats Claire Hutson 222 29.7 N/A
Rejected ballots 4
Turnout 752 33.48 -1.32
Conservative hold Swing N/A

References
  1. "South Hams elections 2023". South Hams District Council. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  2. "Election timetable in England". UK Government. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  3. Acourt, Sam. "Town, parish and district councillors are up for election on 4 May - South Devon News". SouthHams.com. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  4. "Local Elections 2023: Voters across Devon to elect new councils in May". BBC News. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  5. "Every Election". elections.democracyclub.org.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  6. "Your councillors". South Hams District Council. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  7. Clark, Daniel; Churm, Philip (3 May 2023). "South Hams District Council elections: Full list of candidates". Devon Live. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  8. "Council minutes, 25 May 2023". South Devon District Council. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  9. Harding, Richard (2 June 2023). "Inclusive council vow by new leader". Kingsbridge and Salcombe Gazette. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  10. "South Hams". BBC News. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  11. "Lib Dems on South Hams District Council". South Hams Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  12. "Allington and Strete". South Hams District Council.
  13. "Bickleigh and Cornwood". South Hams District Council.
  14. "Blackawton & Stoke Fleming". South Hams District Council.
  15. "Charterlands". South Hams District Council.
  16. "Dartington & Staverton". South Hams District Council.
  17. "Dartmouth & East Dart". South Hams District Council.
  18. "Ermington & Ugborough". South Hams District Council.
  19. "Ivybridge East". South Hams District Council.
  20. "Ivybridge West". South Hams District Council.
  21. "Kingsbrifge". South Hams District Council.
  22. "Loddiswell & Aveton Gifford". South Hams District Council.
  23. "Marldon & Littlehempston". South Hams District Council.
  24. "Newton & Yealmpton". South Hams District Council.
  25. "Salcombe & Thurlestone". South Hams.
  26. "South Brent". South Hams District Council.
  27. "Stokenham". South Hams District Council.
  28. "Totnes". South Hams District Council.
  29. Boothroyd, David (19 February 2021). "Brent petition finally decided". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  30. "Wembury & Brixton". South Hams District Council.
  31. "West Dart". South Hams District Council.
  32. "Woolwell". South Hams District Council.
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