2018 Colchester Borough Council election

Elections to Colchester Borough Council took place on 3 May 2018. Seventeen members of the council - one-third of the whole — were elected, one from each of the seventeen wards. It was the first standard election to take place following comprehensive boundary changes in 2016. This set of seats were last up for election in 2016, with the third-placed elected candidates being up for election in 2018.

2018 Colchester Borough Council election

← 2016 3 May 2018 2019 →

17 out of 51 seats to Colchester Borough Council
26 seats needed for a majority
Turnout33.1%[1]
  First party Second party
  Blank Blank
Leader Darius Laws Paul Smith
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats
Leader's seat Castle St. Anne's &
St. John's (defeated)
Last election 22 seats, 37.5% 15 seats, 22.6%
Seats before 23 14
Seats won 10 2
Seats after 25 12
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 2
Popular vote 17,780 8,770
Percentage 40.4% 19.9%
Swing Increase 2.9% Decrease 2.7%

  Third party Fourth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Tim Young Beverly Oxford
Party Labour Independent
Leader's seat Greenstead Highwoods
Last election 11 seats, 22.2% 3 seats, 4.1%
Seats before 11 3
Seats won 4 1
Seats after 11 3
Seat change Steady Steady
Popular vote 11,131 3,130
Percentage 25.3% 7.1%
Swing Increase 3.1% Increase 3.0%

Map of Colchester Borough showing wards won

Leader of the council before election

Paul Smith
Liberal Democrats

Leader of the council after election

Mark Cory
Liberal Democrats

Summary

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The four main parties put up a full slate of candidates, and Independents stood in eight wards.

Result

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2018 Colchester Borough Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 10   2 58.8 15 25 49.0 15,765 40.4 +2.9
  Liberal Democrats 2   2 11.8 10 12 23.5 8,472 19.9 -2.7
  Labour 4   23.5 7 11 21.6 10,783 25.3 +3.1
  Independent 1   5.9 2 3 5.9 3,130 7.1 +3.0
  Green 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 2,880 7.0 -2.6

Composition

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Prior to the election, the composition of the council was:

14 11 3 23
Liberal Democrats Labour Ind Conservative

After the election, the composition of the council was:

12 11 3 25
Liberal Democrats Labour Ind Conservative

New Administration

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The Liberal Democrats, Labour Party, and Independent groups reached a deal that would continue their coalition,[2] with Cllr Mark Cory to replace the unseated Paul Smith as Leader of the Council.

Ward results

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Berechurch

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Berechurch
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Martyn Warnes* 1,275 62.6 +0.5
Conservative Andrew Bright 510 25.0 +11.7
Liberal Democrats Mick Spindler 178 8.7 +2.1
Green Andy Brooke 75 3.7 1.5
Majority 765 37.5 N/A
Turnout 2,038 27.2 5.2
Registered electors 7,481
Labour Co-op hold Swing -5.6

No UKIP candidate as previous (−12.8).

Castle

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Castle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Crow 931 30.7 +2.2
Green Mark Goacher 920 30.3 +4.3
Labour Norma Dinnie-Weall 750 24.7 +8.6
Liberal Democrats Jo Hayes 434 14.3 15.1
Majority 11 0.4 N/A
Turnout 3,035 39.6 +2.4
Registered electors 7,655
Conservative hold Swing -1.1

Greenstead

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Greenstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tina Bourne* 1,078 51.5 +11.3
Conservative Fabian Green 502 24.0 +5.8
Liberal Democrats John Baker 245 11.7 −1.9
Independent Christopher Lee 203 9.7 +3.3
Green John Clifton 67 3.2 −3.6
Majority 576 27.5 N/A
Turnout 2,095 24.4 −5.8
Registered electors 8,572
Labour hold Swing +2.3

No UKIP candidate as previous (−14.8)

Highwoods

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Highwoods[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Phil Oxford* 926 45.4 +4.7
Conservative Stephen Rowe 563 27.6 +2.7
Labour Gary Braddy 314 15.4 +4.7
Liberal Democrats Michael Turrell 161 7.9 −2.0
Green Robbie Spence 75 3.7 −1.3
Majority 363 18.2 N/A
Turnout 2,039 27.6 −5.6
Registered electors 7,335
Independent hold Swing +1.0

No UKIP candidate as previous (−9.1).

Lexden & Braiswick

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Lexden & Braiswick
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian Jarvis* 1,812 66.2 +8.1
Liberal Democrats Thomas Stevenson 407 14.9 −2.6
Labour John Challen 338 12.3 +0.9
Green Sue Bailey 181 6.6 −6.5
Majority 1,405 51.3 N/A
Turnout 2,738 37.8 −2.6
Registered electors 7,243
Conservative hold Swing +5.4

Marks Tey & Layer

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Marks Tey & Layer
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jackie Maclean* 1,493 71.2 +23.2
Labour John Spademan 275 13.1 +0.3
Liberal Democrats Mark Hull 224 10.7 −0.8
Green Matt Stemp 106 5.1 −5.1
Majority 1,218 41.2 N/A
Turnout 2,512 34.7 −1.1
Registered electors 7,239
Conservative hold Swing +11.5

No UKIP candidate as previous (−17.6).

Mersea & Pyefleet

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Mersea & Pyefleet
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Davidson* 1,373 42.0 −3.8
Independent John Akker 1,202 36.8 New
Green Peter Banks 374 11.4 −1.4
Labour Barry Gilheany 219 6.7 −7.7
Liberal Democrats Gemma Graham 99 3.0 −2.6
Majority 171 5.2 N/A
Turnout 3,267 40.5 +1.0
Registered electors 8,075
Conservative hold Swing -20.3

No UKIP candidate as previous (−21.4).

Mile End

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Mile End
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats David King 1,179 49.1 −8.2
Conservative Thomas Rowe 728 30.3 +5.1
Labour Pauline Bacon 353 14.7 +4.3
Green Amanda Kirke 88 4.1 −3.0
Independent Jason Leonard 44 1.8 New
Majority 451 18.8 N/A
Turnout 2,402 30.9 6.8
Registered electors 7,779
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -6.7

New Town & Christ Church

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New Town & Christ Church
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lorcan Whitehead 1,319 41.7 +19.4
Liberal Democrats Catherine Spindler 816 25.8 11.0
Conservative Annesley Hardy 780 24.6 +1.7
Green Bob Brannan 177 5.6 12.3
Independent Edmund Chinnery 74 2.3 New
Majority 503 15.9 N/A
Turnout 3,166 33.8 0.1
Registered electors 9,364
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +15.2

Old Heath & The Hythe

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Old Heath & The Hythe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lee Scordis* 1,525 61.5 +20.7
Conservative Michael McDonnell 505 20.4 +4.6
Liberal Democrats Matthew Craven 228 9.2 −17.9
Green Andrew Canessa 129 5.2 −11.1
Independent Chris Hill 93 3.8 New
Majority 1,020 41.1 N/A
Turnout 2,480 30.8 −4.0
Registered electors 8,055
Labour hold Swing +8.1

Prettygate

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Prettygate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Buston* 1,820 61.0 +5.4
Labour Co-op Mike Dale 592 19.8 +3.3
Liberal Democrats Ed Hill 355 11.9 −5.9
Green Clare Palmer 216 7.2 −2.9
Majority 1,228 41.2 N/A
Turnout 2,983 37.6 3.0
Registered electors 7,942
Conservative hold Swing +1.1

Rural North

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Rural North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Chillingworth* 2,015 68.5 +8.7
Labour Judith Short 348 11.8 +1.7
Liberal Democrats William Brown 298 10.1 −4.8
Green Roger Bamforth 281 9.6 −5.6
Majority 1,667 56.7 N/A
Turnout 2,942 34.6 1.6
Registered electors 8,508
Conservative hold Swing +3.5

Shrub End

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Shrub End
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pauline Hazell* 777 38.2 +19.0
Labour Isobel Merry 622 30.6 +18.8
Liberal Democrats Sam McCarthy 507 24.9 −10.1
Independent Mike Clark 77 3.8 New
Green Wolfgang Fauser 50 2.5 −5.0
Majority 155 7.6 N/A
Turnout 2,033 25.5 −3.3
Registered electors 7,979
Conservative hold Swing +0.1

No UKIP (−13.8) or Independent (−12.7) candidates as previous.

St. Anne's & St. John's

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St. Anne's & St. John's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Chris Hayter 1,206 43.4 +25.1
Liberal Democrats Paul Smith* 1,026 36.9 −9.1
Labour Gregory Edwards 346 12.4 +3.5
Green Megan Maltby 106 3.8 −2.4
Independent Kristine Lee 97 3.5 New
Majority 180 6.5 N/A
Turnout 2,781 34.2 −1.5
Registered electors 8,136
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +17.1

No UKIP candidate as previous (−20.6).

Stanway

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Stanway[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Paul Dundas 1,014 46.0 +5.3
Liberal Democrats Jessica Scott-Boutell* 874 39.6 −1.1
Labour Carole Spademan 230 10.4 −2.4
Green Katie Francis 87 3.9 −1.9
Majority 140 6.3 N/A
Turnout 2,205 33.2 −3.0
Registered electors 6,648
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +3.2

Tiptree

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Tiptree
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Loveland 1,423 66.6 −1.3
Labour Barbara Nichols 404 18.9 +0.3
Liberal Democrats Daniel Eriksson 197 9.2 New
Green Peter Lynn 114 5.3 −8.2
Majority 1,019 47.7 N/A
Turnout 2,138 29.4 −2.1
Registered electors 7,165
Conservative hold Swing -0.8

Wivenhoe

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Wivenhoe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Andrea Luxford-Vaughn 1,542 49.5 +21.2
Labour Co-op Rosalind Scott* 1,143 36.7 +8.1
Conservative Liam Gallagher 328 10.5 −12.0
Green Claudia Uller 105 3.4 −3.5
Majority 399 12.8 N/A
Turnout 3,118 39.8 −13.7
Registered electors 7,830
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Co-op Swing +6.5

No Independent candidate as previous (−13.6).

References

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  1. ^ "Parliamentary Election Results - 12th December 2019".
  2. ^ "Independents shun Tories as 'progressive alliance' set to continue".
  3. ^ yourcolchester [@yourcolchester] (3 May 2018). "Borough #Elections RESULTS, Highwoods: | BRADDY (lab) 314; OXFORD (ind) 926; ROWE (con) 563; SPENCE (grn) 75; TURRELL (lib) 161. Cllr Phil Oxford (IND) is duly elected to represent Highwoods Ward of #Colchester Borough Council" (Tweet). Retrieved 29 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ yourcolchester [@yourcolchester] (3 May 2018). "Borough #Elections RESULTS, Stanway | DUNDAS (con) 1,014; FRANCIS (grn) 87; SCOTT-BOUTELL (lib) 874; SPADEMAN (lab) 230 Cllr Paul Dundas (CON) is duly elected to represent Stanway Ward of #Colchester Borough Council" (Tweet). Retrieved 29 December 2020 – via Twitter.