Ashford Borough Council elections

Local government elections in Kent, England

Ashford Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Ashford in Kent, England. The council is elected every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2019, 47 councillors have been elected from 39 wards.[1]

## Political control

[edit]

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 control | Years

|

| No overall control | 1973–1976
| Conservative | 1976–1979
| No overall control | 1979–1983
| Conservative | 1983–1995
| No overall control | 1995–2003
| Conservative | 2003–2022
| No overall control[3] | 2022–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The leaders of the council since 1999 have been:[4]

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Paul Clokie |  | Conservative | 1999 | 13 May 2010
Paul Bartlett |  | Conservative | 13 May 2010 | 9 Nov 2010
Peter Wood |  | Conservative | 9 Nov 2010 | 1 Mar 2013
Gerry Clarkson |  | Conservative | 18 Apr 2013 | 7 May 2023
Noel Ovenden |  | Ashford Ind. | 30 May 2023 |

## Seat composition

[edit]

Year  | Conservative | Labour | Liberal Democrats[a] | Ashford Ind. | Green | UKIP | Independents
& Others  | Council control
after election

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  |  |  |
Local government reorganisation; council established (44 seats)
1973 | 22 | 8  | 10  | –  | –  | –  | 4  |  | No overall control
New ward boundaries (49 seats)
1976 | 31 | 7  | 3  | –  | 0  | –  | 8  |  | Conservative
1979 | 24 | 10  | 6  | –  | 0  | –  | 9  |  | No overall control
1983 | 26 | 6  | 8  | –  | 0  | –  | 9  |  | Conservative
1987 | 31 | 6  | 10  | –  | 0  | –  | 2  |  | Conservative
1991 | 29 | 7  | 11  | –  | 0  | –  | 2  |  | Conservative
1995 | 18 | 13  | 15  | –  | 0  | 0  | 3  |  | No overall control
1999 | 24 | 11  | 10  | –  | 0  | 0  | 4  |  | No overall control
New ward boundaries (43 seats)
2003 | 25 | 4  | 5  | 9  | 0  | 0  | 0  |  | Conservative
2007 | 28 | 2  | 8  | 4  | 0  | 0  | 1  |  | Conservative
2011 | 30 | 5  | 2  | 5  | 0  | 0  | 1  |  | Conservative
2015 | 34 | 4  | 1  | 2  | 0  | 1  | 1  |  | Conservative
New ward boundaries (47 seats)
2019 | 26 | 7  | 0  | 11  | 2  | 0  | 1  |  | Conservative
2023 | 19 | 11  | 0  | 9  | 8  | 0  | 0  |  | No overall control
|  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Council elections

[edit]

* 1973 Ashford Borough Council election
* 1976 Ashford Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)[5]
* 1979 Ashford Borough Council election
* 1983 Ashford Borough Council election
* 1987 Ashford Borough Council election
* 1991 Ashford Borough Council election
* 1995 Ashford Borough Council election
* 1999 Ashford Borough Council election
* 2003 Ashford Borough Council election (New ward boundaries reduced the number of seats by 6)[6][7]
* 2007 Ashford Borough Council election
* 2011 Ashford Borough Council election
* 2015 Ashford Borough Council election
* 2019 Ashford Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)[8]
* 2023 Ashford Borough Council election

## Borough result maps

[edit]

* 2003 results map

* 2007 results map

* 2011 results map

* 2015 result map

* 2019 results map

* 2023 results map

## By-election results

[edit]

### 1995-1999

[edit]

Tenterden East By-Election 11 December 1997  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative |  | 387  | 58.9  | −3.7
| Liberal Democrats |  | 147  | 22.4  | −15.0
| Labour |  | 123  | 18.7  | +18.7
Majority | 240  | 36.5  |
Turnout | 657  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

### 2003-2007

[edit]

Charing By-Election 16 February 2006[9] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Gerald Clarkson  | 419  | 71.7  | +4.3
| Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Heuch  | 126  | 21.6  | −11.0
| Labour | Malcolm Horton  | 39  | 6.7  | +6.7
Majority | 293  | 50.1  |
Turnout | 584  | 30.1  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

### 2011-2015

[edit]

Beaver by-election 24 November 2011[10] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Cengizhan Cerit  | 249  | 27.69  |
| Liberal Democrats | Jack Cowen  | 173  | 19.24  |
| Ashford Ind. | Laura Lawrence  | 111  | 12.34  |
| Green | Mark Reed  | 26  | 2.89  |
| Labour | Rebecca Rutter  | 336  | 37.37  |
Majority | 87  | 9.67  |
Turnout | 899  | 20.5  | −13.25
| Labour hold
Tenterden South by-election 12 July 2012 [11] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Dara Farrell  | 36  | 5.92  | +5.92
| Conservative | Jill Hutchinson  | 277  | 45.55  | −12.28
| Ashford Ind. | Roy Isworth  | 179  | 29.44  | −11.02
| UKIP | Thomas Taylor  | 72  | 11.84  | +11.84
| Liberal Democrats | Christopher Took  | 40  | 6.57  | +6.57
Majority | 98  | 16.11  | −1.26
Turnout | 608  | 31.13  | −17.48
| Conservative hold
Beaver by-election 28 February 2013[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Jill Britcher  | 296  | 35.83  | −1.54
| Liberal Democrats | Jack Cowen  | 79  | 9.56  | −9.68
| Independent | John Holland  | 34  | 4.11  | +4.11
| Ashford Ind. | Palma Laughton  | 85  | 10.29  | −2.05
| Conservative | Jane Martin  | 158  | 19.12  | −8.57
| Green | Mark Reed  | 19  | 2.3  | −0.59
| UKIP | Angharad Yeo  | 155  | 18.76  | +18.76
Majority | 138  | 16.7  | +7.03
Turnout | 826  | 19.4  | −1.1
| Labour hold
Saxon Shore by-election 2 May 2013 [13] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| UKIP | Christopher Cooper  | 410  | 27.66  |
| Conservative | Jane Martin  | 759  | 51.21  |
| Green | Geoffrey Meaden  | 129  | 8.7  |
| Labour | Thomas Reed  | 174  | 11.74  |
Majority | 349  | 23.54  |
Turnout | 1482  | 35.67  | −16.98
| Conservative hold
Wye by-election 6 March 2014 [14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Democrats | Ken Blanshard  | 13  | 1.73  | −7.07
| Conservative | Ian Cooling  | 240  | 31.95  | −6.82
| UKIP | Elaine Evans  | 97  | 12.91  | +3.32
| Labour | Dylan Jones  | 22  | 2.92  | −8.15
| Green | Geoffrey Meaden  | 55  | 7.32  | +7.32
| Ashford Ind. | Noel Ovenden  | 323  | 43  | +4.23
Majority | 83  | 11.05  |
Turnout | 751  | 41  | −14.46
| Ashford Ind. gain from Conservative | Swing |  |

The 2014 Wye by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Steve Wright.

### 2015-2019

[edit]

Aylesford Green by-election 19 November 2015[15] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Democrats | Adrian Gee-Turner  | 42  | 8.91  | +8.91
| Conservative | Alexander Howard  | 110  | 23.35  | −20.27
| Ashford Ind. | Christine Kathawick-Smith  | 92  | 19.53  | +19.53
| Labour | Gordon Miller  | 106  | 22.5  | −30.92
| Green | Thom Pizzey  | 10  | 2.12  | +2.12
| UKIP | Harriet Yeo  | 109  | 23.14  | +23.14
Majority | 1  | 0.21  |
Turnout | 471  | 19.01  | −34.67
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |  |
Beaver by-election 4 August 2016[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| UKIP | Ryan Macpherson  | 373  | 42.1  | +11.6
| Labour | Caroline Harris  | 243  | 27.4  | −3.3
| Conservative | Jo Gideon  | 240  | 27.1  | +0.2
| Green | Liz Wright  | 31  | 3.5  | −3.8
Majority | 130  | 14.7  |
Turnout | 890  | 21.3  | −34.64
| UKIP gain from Labour | Swing |  |

The 2016 Beaver by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Jill Britcher.

Victoria by-election 8 June 2017[17] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Democrats | James Galloway  | 260  | 11.04  |
| UKIP | Serge Goldenberg-Kosbab  | 181  | 7.68  |
| Green | Maria Pizzey  | 99  | 4.2  |
| Conservative | David Robey  | 753  | 31.98  |
| Labour | John Charles Suddards  | 1052  | 44.68  |
Majority | 299  | 12.7  |
Turnout | 2354  | 56.81  | −0.29
| Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |  |
Bockhanger by-election 8 June 2017[18] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Euan Anckorn  | 415  | 31.27  | −1.2
| Green | Steve Campkin  | 97  | 7.3  | +7.3
| Conservative | Simon Howard-Smith  | 697  | 52.52  | +12
| UKIP | Liah Macpherson  | 113  | 8.51  | +8.51
Majority | 282  | 21.25  | +10.7
Turnout | 1327  | 64.07  | +1.92
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
Kennington by-election 25 October 2018[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Ashford Ind. | Ian McAllister Anderson  | 227  | 38.02  | +23.1
| Conservative | Nathan Iliffe  | 247  | 41.37  | −6.6
| Labour | Dylan Jones  | 85  | 14.23  | +6
| Green | Peter Morgan  | 36  | 6  | +6
Majority | 20  | 3.35  |
Turnout | 597  | 32.8  | −43.25
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

The 2018 Kennington by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Phil Sims.

### 2019-2023

[edit]

Downs North by-election 18 July 2019[20] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Ashford Ind. | Rachael Carley  | 67  | 10.38  | +10.38
| Conservative | Charles Dehnel  | 229  | 35.5  | −11.9
| Liberal Democrats | Adrian Gee-Turner  | 70  | 10.85  | −7.8
| Green | Geoffery Meaden  | 190  | 29.45  | +5.9
| UKIP | Philip Meads  | 22  | 3.41  | +3.41
| Labour | Carly Ruppert Lingham  | 17  | 2.63  | −7.7
| Independent  | Sarah Williams  | 49  | 7.59  | +7.59
Majority | 39  | 6  |
Turnout | 645  | 32.52  | −3.1
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |

The 2019 Downs North by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Stephen Dehnel.

Park Farm North by-election 12 March 2020[21] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Ashford Ind. | Trish Cornish  | 247  | 60.2  | +60.2
| Labour | Garry Harrison  | 29  | 7  | −12.9
| Conservative | Aline Hicks  | 115  | 28  | −33.5
| Green | Thom Pizzey  | 11  | 2.6  | +2.6
| Liberal Democrats | Samuel Strolz  | 8  | 1.9  | −16.7
Majority | 132  | 32.1  |
Turnout | 410  | 22.05  | −5.2
| Ashford Ind. gain from Conservative | Swing |  |

The 2020 Park Farm North by-election was triggered by the election of Councillor Jo Gideon to the UK Parliament as MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central.

Beaver by-election 6 May 2021[22] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Trevor Brooks  | 469  | 41.9  |
| Independent | Garry Harrison  | 105  | 9.4  |
| Labour | Dylan Jones  | 402  | 36  |
| Green | Thom Pizzey  | 70  | 6.2  |
| Liberal Democrats | Jacqueline Stamp  | 64  | 5.7  |
Majority | 66  | 5.9  |
Turnout | 1115  | 23.47  | −0.6
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |  |

The 2021 Beaver by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Alex Ward.

Downs North by-election 19 August 2021[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Green | Geoffery Meaden  | 273  | 51.8  | +20.8
| Liberal Democrats | Carol Wilcox  | 15  | 2.8  | −8.6
| Conservative | Sarah Williams  | 239  | 45.5  | +7.9
Majority | 34  | 6.4  |
Turnout | 529  | 25.96  | −5.6
| Green gain from Conservative | Swing |  |

The 2021 Downs North by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Charles Dehnel.

Highfield by-election 16 December 2021[24] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Ashford Ind. | Barry Ball  | 101  | 21.1  | −7
| Green | Dawnie Nilsson  | 191  | 39.9  | +21.5
| Labour | Terry Pavlou  | 23  | 4.8  | +4.8
| Conservative | James Ransley  | 163  | 34.1  | −6.5
Majority | 28  | 5.8%  |
Turnout | 478  | 23.66  | −11.39
| Green gain from Conservative | Swing |  |

The 2021 Highfield by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Gerald White.

### 2023-2027

[edit]

Aylesford & East Stour by-election 17 October 2024[25] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Green | Thom Pizzey  | 299  | 31.6  | +2.8
| Labour | Rena Mathew  | 293  | 31.0  | −1.2
| Reform UK | Brian Collins  | 216  | 22.9  |
| Conservative | Jac Wood  | 111  | 11.7  | −2.2
| Liberal Democrats | Alexander Coxall  | 26  | 2.8  |
Majority | 6  | 0.6  |
Turnout | 945  | 21  |
| Green gain from Labour | Swing |  |

The 2024 Aylesford & East Stour by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Sojan Joseph following their election as MP for Ashford.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Includes totals for the predecessors of the Liberal Democrats, the Liberal Party and SDP (both of which participated in the Alliance).

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Role of a Councillor". Ashford.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
2. ^ "England council elections". BBC News Online. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
3. ^ Jee, Alex (27 May 2022). "Conservatives lose control of Ashford Borough Council after Tenterden representative Callum Knowles becomes independent". Kent Online. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
4. ^ "Council minutes". Ashford Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
5. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.
6. ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
7. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
8. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Changes) Order 2017. Retrieved on 27 December 2022.
9. ^ "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Ashford Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
10. ^ John, Bunnett (25 November 2011). "Declaration of Result of Poll - Election of a Borough Councillor for Beaver (Ashford) Ward" (PDF). Ashford Borough Council.
11. ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Tenterden South ashford.gov.uk
12. ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Beaver (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
13. ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Saxon Shore ashford.gov.uk
14. ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Wye Ward ashford.gov.uk
15. ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Aylesford Green (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
16. ^ "Beaver Ward by-election: Ukip steals labour seat in Ashford". 4 August 2016.
17. ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Victoria (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
18. ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Bockhanger (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
19. ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Kennington (Ashford) Ward of Ashford Borough Council ashford.gov.uk
20. ^ Election of a Borough Councillor for Downs North ashford.gov.uk
21. ^ Election results ashford.gov.uk
22. ^ "View the 2021 Beaver Ward Election results".
23. ^ Declaration of results ashford.gov.uk
24. ^ Declaration of by-election results ashford.gov.uk
25. ^ [1] ashford.gov.uk

## External links

[edit]

* Ashford Borough Council
* By-election results Archived 29 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine

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Council elections in Kent

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Gravesham Borough Council|

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Maidstone Borough Council|

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Swale Borough Council|

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Thanet District Council|

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Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council|

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Tunbridge Wells Borough Council|

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Rochester-upon-Medway City Council|

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Gillingham Borough Council|

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* See also: Wards
* Boundary changes

* v
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Ashford, Kent

Other settlements
in Ashford Town|

* Bockhanger
* Newtown
* Park Farm
* Stanhope

Buildings|

* Ashford International railway station
* East Hill Mill
* Railway Works
* St Mary's Church
* Victoria Flour Mills

Businesses|

* Ailsa Craig Engines
* Ashford Designer Outlet
* Brake Bros
* County Square
* H.S. Pledge & Sons Ltd
* Letraset
* Norman Cycles

Military|

* School of Service Intelligence

People|

* List of people from Ashford, Kent

Schools|

* Ashford School
* Highworth Grammar School for Girls
* John Wallis Academy
* K College
* The North School
* The Norton Knatchbull School

Sport, arts and leisure|

* Ashford Green Corridor
* Ashford International Studios
* Ashford United
* Kent Opera
* Stour Valley Walk

Twin towns|

* Bad Münstereifel
* Fougères
* Hopewell

Media|

| News, property and advertisements|

* Kentish Express

|

Radio|

* AHBS Community Radio
* KMFM Ashford

Political|

| Borough Council and elections|

* Borough of Ashford
* 1999
* 2003
* 2007
* 2011
* 2015
* 2019
* 2023

|

County Council and elections|

* Kent County Council
* 2001
* 2005
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* 2013
* 2017
* 2021

House of Commons|

* Ashford constituency
* Folkestone & Hythe constituency (includes SE of borough)

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