Wear Valley District Council elections

English local elections

Wear Valley District Council elections were generally held every four years between the council's creation in 1974 and its abolition in 2009. Wear Valley was a non-metropolitan district in County Durham, England. On 1 April 2009 the council's functions passed to Durham County Council, which became a unitary authority.

## 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 from 1974 until its abolition in 2009 was as follows:[1]

Party in control | Years

|

| Labour | 1974–1976
| No overall control | 1976–1979
| Labour | 1979–1991
| Liberal Democrats | 1991–1995
| Labour | 1995–2007
| No overall control | 2007–2009

### Leadership

[edit]

The leaders of the council from 1995 until its abolition in 2009 were:

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Olive Brown[2][3] |  | Labour | 1995 | 4 May 2005
Neil Stonehouse[3][4] |  | Labour | 4 May 2005 | 7 May 2008
Tommy Taylor[5][6] |  | Liberal Democrats | 7 May 2008 | 7 Jul 2008
Neil Harrison[7][8] |  | Liberal Democrats | 7 Jul 2008 | 31 Mar 2009

## Council elections

[edit]

Election | Labour | Liberal Democrat[a] | Conservative | Independent  | Total  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |
1973[9] | 21 | 9 | 0 | 11[b] | 41 |
1976[10] | 17 | 11 | 2 | 11[c] | 41 |
1979[11] | 25 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 41 |
1983[12] | 28 | 2[d] | 3 | 7[e] | 40 | New ward boundaries[13]
1987[14] | 26 | 3[f] | 3 | 8 | 40 |
1991[15] | 8 | 28 | 0 | 4 | 40 |
1995[16] | 35 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 40 |
1999[17] | 30 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 40 |
2003[18] | 25 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 40 | New ward boundaries[19]
2007[20] | 19 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 40 |
|  |  |  |  |  |

## Results maps

[edit]

* 2003 results map

* 2007 results map

## By-election results

[edit]

The following is an incomplete list of by-elections to Wear Valley District Council.

### 1999-2003

[edit]

Bishop Auckland Town By-Election 30 March 2000  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour |  | 359  | 49.0  | +4.0
| Liberal Democrats |  | 249  | 34.0  | −14.0
| Conservative |  | 125  | 17.1  | +10.0
Majority | 110  | 15.0  |
Turnout | 733  | 22.9  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
Howden Le Wear By-Election 30 March 2000  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour |  | 208  | 52.1  | −1.8
| Liberal Democrats |  | 191  | 47.9  | +1.8
Majority | 17  | 4.2  |
Turnout | 399  | 23.1  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

### 2003-2007

[edit]

Woodhouse Close By-Election 26 February 2004  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour |  | 713  | 56.0  | −2.5
| Liberal Democrats | Kenneth Bowser  | 287  | 22.5  | −11.7
| Independent |  | 273  | 21.4  | +21.4
Majority | 426  | 33.5  |
Turnout | 1,273  | 36.5  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
Wheatbottom & Helmington Row By-Election 20 January 2005  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Rose Seabury  | 328  | 59.6  | −10.0
| Liberal Democrats | John Bailey  | 180  | 32.7  | +2.3
| BNP | Stuart Neil  | 42  | 0.7  | +0.7
Majority | 148  | 26.9  |
Turnout | 550  | 21.8  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |
Bishop Auckland Town By-Election 3 March 2005  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Democrats | Samuel Zair  | 181  | 36.7  | +11.6
| Labour | Robert Yorke  | 161  | 32.7  | −4.9
| Conservative | James Tague  | 135  | 27.3  | +27.3
| UKIP | Margaret Hopson  | 16  | 3.2  | +3.2
Majority | 20  | 4.0  |
Turnout | 493  | 21.0  |
| Liberal Democrats gain from Independent | Swing |  |
Howden By-Election 27 October 2005  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Democrats | John Bailey  | 157  | 50.5  | +6.0
| Labour | Jay Smith  | 154  | 49.5  | −6.0
Majority | 3  | 1.0  |
Turnout | 311  | 24.0  |
| Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |  |
Coundon By-Election 3 September 2006  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Norman Strongman  | 360  | 52.1  | −2.1
| Liberal Democrats | Diane Hardaker  | 331  | 47.9  | +2.1
Majority | 29  | 4.2  |
Turnout | 691  | 21.6  |
| Labour hold | Swing |  |

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Liberal Party prior to 1983, SDP-Liberal Alliance in 1983 and 1987.
2. ^ Includes one People's Rep.
3. ^ Includes five of other parties.
4. ^ 2 Liberal, 0 SDP
5. ^ Includes 1 People's Rep. and 1 People before pol.
6. ^ 3 Liberal, 0 SDP

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Wear Valley" in search box to see specific results.)
2. ^ Robinson, Fred; Shaw, Keith; Dutton, Jill; Grainger, Paul; Hopwood, Bill; Williams, Sarah (2000). Who runs the North East... now? (PDF). University of Durham. p. 48\. ISBN 0 903593 16 5. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
3. ^ a b "Council minutes, 4 May 2005" (PDF). Wear Valley District Council. p. 26. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
4. ^ Robinson, Bessie (8 May 2008). "Parties unite to oust Labour from control". Northern Echo. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
5. ^ "Council minutes, 7 May 2008" (PDF). Wear Valley District Council. p. 16. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
6. ^ King, Dan (2 July 2008). "Ill health forces leader in 'bits of stuff' row to quit". Northern Echo. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
7. ^ "Council minutes, 7 July 2008" (PDF). Wear Valley District Council. p. 19. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
8. ^ "Council honours loyal staff at final ordinary meeting". Northern Echo. 26 March 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
9. ^ "Liberals capture Eastbourne and exceed ambition to win 1,000 local government seats". The Times. 9 June 1973.
10. ^ "Heavy Labour losses in district polls". The Times. 8 May 1976.
11. ^ Local elections in Britain: a statistical digest, edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher. 1993
12. ^ "How votes were cast in local government elections". The Times. 7 May 1983. p. 4.
13. ^ The District of Wear Valley (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979
14. ^ "Results in Thursday's local elections". The Times. 9 May 1987.
15. ^ "Complete round-up of results from Thursday's local council elections". The Times. 4 May 1991.
16. ^ "Complete list of results from Thursday's council elections". The Times. 6 May 1995. p. 10.
17. ^ "Wear Valley". BBC News. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
18. ^ "Wear Valley". BBC News. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
19. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The District of Wear Valley (Electoral Changes) Order 1999. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
20. ^ "Wear Valley". BBC News. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2013.

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Cleveland County Council|

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Chester-le-Street District Council|

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Durham City Council|

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Derwentside District Council|

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Easington District Council|

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Sedgefield Borough Council|

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Teesdale District Council|

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Wear Valley District Council|

* 1973
* 1976
* 1979
* 1983
* 1987
* 1991
* 1995
* 1999
* 2003
* 2007
* Abolished

Tees Valley Mayor|

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* See also: Wards
* Boundary changes

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