West Dorset District Council elections

Local government elections in Dorset, England

South Walks House in Dorchester, headquarters of West Dorset District Council

West Dorset District Council in Dorset, England existed from 1974 to 2019. The council was abolished and subsumed into Dorset Council in 2019.

## Political control

[edit]

The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority prior to the district coming into effect the following year. From 1973 until its abolition in 2019 political control of the council was held by the following parties:[1][2]

Party | Tenure

|

| Independent | 1973–1987
| No overall control | 1987–2003
| Conservative | 2003–2019

### Leadership

[edit]

The leaders of the council from 2001 until the council's abolition in 2019 were:

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Gwyn Pritchard[3] |  | Conservative | May 2001 | May 2004
Robert Gould[4] |  | Conservative | May 2004 | 8 Jan 2015
Anthony Alford[5] |  | Conservative | 8 Jan 2015 | 31 Mar 2019

## Council elections

[edit]

* 1973 West Dorset District Council election
* 1976 West Dorset District Council election
* 1979 West Dorset District Council election
* 1983 West Dorset District Council election (New ward boundaries)[6]
* 1984 West Dorset District Council election
* 1986 West Dorset District Council election
* 1987 West Dorset District Council election
* 1991 West Dorset District Council election (District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)[7]
* 1995 West Dorset District Council election
* 1999 West Dorset District Council election

Year  | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | Independent | Notes

|
|
|
|

|  |
2003[8] | 25  | 12  | 11  | (New ward boundaries)[9]
2007[10] | 26  | 16  | 6  |
2011[1] | 32  | 11  | 5  |
2015[11] | 30  | 12  | 0  | (New ward boundaries)[12]
|  |  |  |

## District result maps

[edit]

* 2003 results map

* 2007 results map

* 2011 results map

* 2015 results map

## By-election results

[edit]

By-elections occur when seats become vacant between council elections. Below is a summary of by-elections from 1997 to 2019;[13] full by-election results can be found by clicking on the by-election name.

By-election | Date | Incumbent party | Winning party

|
|
|

Thorncombe by-election | 17 April 1997  |  | Conservative |  | Conservative
Bridport South by-election (2 seats)  | 1 May 1997  |  | Labour |  | Labour
| Independent |  | Conservative
Yetminster by-election | 1 May 1997  |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Conservative
Chickerell by-election | 10 July 1997  |  | Conservative |  | Liberal Democrats
Cam Vale by-election | 2 May 2013  |  | Conservative |  | Conservative
Piddle Valley by-election | 13 April 2017  |  | Conservative |  | Conservative
Lyme Regis & Charmouth by-election | 14 September 2017  |  | Conservative |  | Independent
Bridport North by-election | 22 February 2018  |  | Liberal Democrats |  | Conservative

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "England council elections". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
2. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 26 November 2024. (Put "West Dorset" in search box to see specific results.)
3. ^ "Gwyn voted leader of council". Dorset Echo. 14 May 2001. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
4. ^ "Admiral's parting shot". Dorset Echo. 14 May 2004. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
5. ^ "New West Dorset District Council leader announced". Dorset Echo. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
6. ^ The District of West Dorset (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1980
7. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Dorset and Somerset (County Boundaries) Order 1991. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
8. ^ "West Dorset". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
9. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The District of West Dorset (Electoral Changes) Order 2002. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
10. ^ "West Dorset". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
11. ^ "Results of the election to West Dorset District Council 2015". dorsetforyou.com. West Dorset District Council. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
12. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The West Dorset (Electoral Changes) Order 2015. Retrieved on 3 November 2015.
13. ^ "Local Authority Byelection Results". Retrieved 8 May 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Dorsetforyou.com

* v
* t
* e

Council elections in Dorset

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council|

* 2019
* 2023

Dorset Council|

* 2019
* 2024

Dorset County Council|

* 1889
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* Abolished

Bournemouth Borough Council|

* 1973
* 1976
* 1979
* 1983
* 1987
* 1991
* 1995
* 1996
* 1998
* 1999
* 2003
* 2007
* 2011
* 2015
* Abolished

Christchurch Borough Council|

* 1973
* 1976
* 1979
* 1983
* 1987
* 1991
* 1995
* 1999
* 2003
* 2007
* 2011
* 2015
* Abolished

East Dorset District Council|

* 1973
* 1976
* 1979
* 1983
* 1987
* 1991
* 1995
* 1999
* 2003
* 2007
* 2011
* 2015
* Abolished

North Dorset District Council|

* 1973
* 1976
* 1979
* 1983
* 1987
* 1991
* 1995
* 1999
* 2003
* 2007
* 2011
* 2015
* Abolished

Poole Borough Council|

* 1973
* 1976
* 1979
* 1983
* 1987
* 1991
* 1995
* 1996
* 1998
* 1999
* 2003
* 2007
* 2011
* 2015
* Abolished

Purbeck District Council|

* 1973
* 1976
* 1979
* 1980
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2014
* 2015
* Abolished

West Dorset District Council|

* 1973
* 1976
* 1979
* 1983
* 1984
* 1986
* 1987
* 1991
* 1995
* 1999
* 2003
* 2007
* 2011
* 2015
* Abolished

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council|

* 1973
* 1976
* 1979
* 1980
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* Abolished

* See also: Wards
* Boundary changes

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