Tunbridge Wells Borough Council elections

One third of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in Kent, England, is elected each year, followed by one year without election. Since the last boundary changes in 2002, 48 councillors have been elected from 20 wards.[1]

Political control

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:[2]

Party in controlYears
Conservative1973–1994
No overall control1994–1996
Liberal Democrats1996–1998
Conservative1998–2021
No overall control2021–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1998 have been:[3]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
James Scholes[4] Conservative199821 May 2002
Len Horwood Conservative21 May 200230 Jun 2004
Melvyn Howell Conservative30 Jun 200423 May 2007
Roy Bullock Conservative23 May 200719 Jan 2011
Bob Atwood Conservative19 Jan 20116 May 2012
David Jukes Conservative23 May 20125 May 2019
Alan McDermott Conservative22 May 201926 May 2021
Tom Dawlings Conservative26 May 202125 May 2022
Ben Chapelard Liberal Democrats25 May 2022

Council elections
(figures are the resulting councillors per party after the election)

Borough result maps
  • 2006 results map
    2006 results map
  • 2007 results map
    2007 results map
  • 2008 results map
    2008 results map
  • 2010 results map
    2010 results map
  • 2021 results map
    2021 results map

By-election results

1997–2001
Pantiles by-election 25 September 1997
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 510 51.7 +2.9
Conservative 377 38.2 +3.0
Labour 100 10.1 -5.9
Majority 133 13.5
Turnout 987
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

2001–2005
Cranbrook by-election 18 October 2001
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent 465 58.6 +58.6
Conservative 328 41.4 -3.2
Majority 137 17.2
Turnout 793 21.4
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Southborough and High Brooms by-election 11 March 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Colin Bothwell 465 41.0 -4.5
Labour David Belchem 429 38.6 -7.1
Liberal Democrats Alan Bullion 171 15.4 +15.4
UKIP Victor Webb 55 5.0 +5.0
Majority 27 2.4
Turnout 1,111 21.7
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
St John's by-election 17 March 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian Ransley 500 41.6 +4.0
Liberal Democrats Joanna Au Brey 390 32.5 -9.4
Labour Maurice Knights 244 20.3 +11.7
Green Phyllis Leslie 66 5.5 -1.9
Majority 110 9.1
Turnout 1,200 25.1
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

2005–2009
Pembury by-election 30 June 2005[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Thomas Symondson 699 50.0 +16.2
Conservative Michael Tompsett 657 47.0 -10.7
UKIP Vitor Webb 41 2.4 +2.4
Majority 42 3.0
Turnout 1,397 31.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Pantiles and St Mark's by-election 13 September 2007[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Glenn Hall 788 59.8 -4.3
Liberal Democrats Jamie Johnson 364 27.6 +0.5
Labour Lorna Blackmore 94 7.1 +7.1
UKIP Victor Webb 71 5.4 -3.4
Majority 424 32.2
Turnout 1,317 27.3
Conservative hold Swing

2009–2013
St James by-election 7 October 2010[14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Benjamin Chapelard 649 62.0 -2.9
Conservative Robert Rutherford 294 28.1 -7.0
Green Richard Leslie 103 9.8 +9.8
Majority 355 33.9
Turnout 1,046 24.7
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Sherwood by-election 16 December 2010[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Backhouse 422 47.6 -0.4
Liberal Democrats Alan Bullion 174 19.6 -6.7
Labour Ian Carvell 124 14.0 -2.3
UKIP Victor Webb 92 10.4 +1.0
English Democrat Joanna Stanley 75 8.5 +8.5
Majority 248 27.9
Turnout 888 18.6
Conservative hold Swing
Pembury by-election 17 March 2011[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Claire Brown 578 43.3 +2.7
Conservative Robert Rutherford 460 34.5 -24.9
UKIP Victor Webb 297 22.2 +22.2
Majority 118 8.8
Turnout 1,335 35.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

2013–2017
Southborough North by-election 10 September 2015[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joe Simmons 484 43.7 -11.8
Liberal Democrats Trevor William Poile 434 39.3 +26.6
UKIP Will O'Shea 188 17.0 +1.6
Majority 49 4.4
Turnout 1,105 34.2
Conservative hold Swing

2017–2021
Culverden by-election 14 November 2019[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Justine Victoria Rutland 888 46.7 +33.5
Conservative David Godfrey Elliott 474 24.9 -19.1
Women's Equality Liz Orr 193 10.2 N/A
Alliance Rachel Sarah Bethan Daly 180 9.5 N/A
Labour David James Adams 99 5.2 -14.3
Green Aimee Caroline Taylor 67 3.5 -7.5
Majority 414 21.8
Turnout 1,901 32.1
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

2021-2025
Speldhurst and Bidborough by-election 25 November 2021[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance Matthew Sankey 788 49.8
Conservative Rowena Stanyer 730 46.1
Labour Aleksander Klimanski 65 4.1
Majority 58 3.7
Turnout 1,583
Alliance gain from Conservative Swing

References
  1. "Council Democracy". Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  2. "Tunbridge Wells". BBC News Online. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  3. "Council minutes". Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  4. "Council's Tory group selects new leader". Kent Online. 26 April 2002. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  5. The Borough of Tunbridge Wells (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976
  6. legislation.gov.uk - The Kent (District Boundaries) Order 1987. Retrieved on 6 November 2015.
  7. legislation.gov.uk - The East Sussex, West Sussex and Kent (County Boundaries) Order 1992. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  8. legislation.gov.uk - The Kent and East Sussex (County Boundaries) Order 1993. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
  9. legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Tunbridge Wells (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  10. legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Tunbridge Wells (Electoral Changes) (Amendment) Order 2006. Retrieved on 3 November 2015.
  11. "Tunbridge Wells". BBC News Online. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  12. "Pembury by-election results". Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. 1 July 2005. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  13. "Tories romp home in Tunbridge Wells by-election". kentnews.co.uk. 17 September 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  14. "Lib Dems hold ward with Ben". this is kent. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  15. "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  16. "Declaration of result of poll Sherwood ward" (PDF). Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  17. "Results of Pembury By-Election". Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. 18 March 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  18. "Election results for Southborough North, 10 September 2015". democracy.tunbridgewells.gov.uk. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  19. "Election results for Culverden, 14 November 2019". democracy.tunbridgewells.gov.uk. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  20. "Local Elections Archive Project — Speldhurst and Bidborough Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
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