1976 Broxbourne Borough Council election

The 1976 Broxbourne Council election was held to elect council members of the Broxbourne Borough Council, the local government authority of the borough of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England.

Election results

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Broxbourne Local Election Result 1976
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 36 36 0 +36 85.71 62.34 35,253
  Labour 6 6 0 +6 14.29 34.45 19,484
  Liberal 0 0 0 0 0.00 3.21 1,816

Results summary

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The second election to Broxbourne Borough Council took place on Thursday 6 May 1976.

This was an "all out" election as a result of significant ward boundary changes since the June 1973 election.[1]

The warding pattern was now of 14 wards, each returning 3 councillors. This meant that the council had expanded to 42 elected members – an increase of 2 councillors.

A new ward had been created to cover the Rosedale estate.

This warding pattern was to remain in effect until 1999.

Following this election borough councillors would retire in thirds starting from the 1978 election.

The councillor polling the lowest number of votes in each ward would stand for re-election in 1978. The councillor who polled the next highest number of votes would stand in 1979 and the councillor with the highest number of votes would stand in 1980.

This arrangement resulted in an electoral curiosity in Rosedale Ward where 2 of the successful candidates at this election polled exactly the same number of votes.

To determine who would "retire" in 1978 after a 2-year term of office, the successful candidates cut a pack of playing cards with the lowest card "losing"

Councillor Robert Donoghue (Conservative) drew a 6 and Councillor Mark Farrington (Labour) drew a 5.

Accordingly, Councillor Farrington was determined to have been placed 3rd in the election and stood for re-election in 1978 after a 2-year term of office.

The new political balance of the borough council was

Shortly after the election Councillor Dan Hickman (Goffs Oak Ward) left the Conservative Group and sat as an Independent Member resulting in a revised political balance of:

Ward results

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Broxbourne Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J Fiddy 1,258 27.34
Conservative J E Ball 1,214 26.38
Conservative D C Smith 1,213 26.36
Labour J F Cole 343 7.46
Labour E Wilkinson 295 6.42
Labour C L Robbins 278 6.04
Turnout 4,601 36.00
Bury Green Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative B G Griffiths 888 18.37
Conservative M Franklin 801 16.57
Conservative S G Johnson 748 15.48
Labour W P Gardiner 675 13.97
Labour J W Payne 672 13.90
Labour C J Robbins 661 13.68
Liberal G C Norris 147 3.04
Liberal L A Richman 124 2.57
Liberal J H Tait 117 2.42
Turnout 4,833 38.00
Cheshunt Central Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative D E Breeze 1,077 24.94
Conservative L C Parker 1,061 24.57
Conservative G F Batchelor 1,059 24.53
Labour Dr A J Fletcher 417 9.66
Labour C N Adcock 365 8.45
Labour D M Hajdu 339 7.85
Turnout 4,318 44.00
Cheshunt North Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative G D Game 964 19.77
Conservative D Moody 940 19.27
Conservative D F Poole 906 18.58
Labour C Jarman 497 10.19
Labour T M Evans 492 10.09
Labour S N Slavny 431 8.83
Liberal J H S Gould 231 4.74
Liberal B R Wade 215 4.41
Liberal D G Nye 201 4.12
Turnout 4,877 39.00
Flamstead End Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative P C Sampson 961 21.50
Conservative J G E Swannell 942 21.08
Conservative L W Goodman 845 18.91
Labour P R Whitthread 531 11.88
Labour J A Moulder 482 10.79
Labour A J C Piddington 440 9.84
Liberal J E Collins 135 3.02
Liberal L E Collins 133 2.98
Turnout 4,469 47.00
Goffs Oak Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative M H T Janes 1,162 29.01
Conservative J M Sanderson 1,105 27.58
Conservative D T Hickman 1,084 27.06
Labour T Mutter 243 6.07
Labour C A Flanders 214 5.34
Labour H W Peat 198 4.94
Turnout 4,006 48.00
Hoddesdon North Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J S Hastings 1,242 26.11
Conservative G C B Walker 1,200 25.23
Conservative R A S Key 1,183 24.87
Labour A P Hillyard 397 8.35
Labour J M Pye 371 7.80
Labour M Love 363 7.64
Turnout 4,756 36.00
Hoddesdon Town Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative P C Madsen 710 19.68
Conservative K A Sandison 669 18.54
Conservative B D G Fallace 664 18.40
Labour G Andrews 385 10.67
Labour I R Barrett 360 9.98
Labour C Rochester 307 8.51
Liberal R A Bomber 276 7.65
Liberal R T Chilton 237 6.57
Turnout 3,608 32.00
Rosedale Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H Ross 281 17.37
Conservative R J Donoghue 274 16.93
Labour M Farrington 274 16.93
Conservative A S A Ebeling 269 16.63
Labour S I Farrington 262 16.19
Conservative L A Fortune 258 15.95
Turnout 1,618 48.00
Rye Park Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative G J Conway 783 18.23
Labour J H Davis 761 17.72
Conservative A P Bridgeman 713 16.60
Conservative I M Hastings 705 16.41
Labour T K Pearson 684 15.93
Labour M J Pye 649 15.11
Turnout 4,295 37.00
Theobalds Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative M R Linscott 996 21.79
Conservative G F Ebeling 964 21.09
Conservative H J Collins 936 20.48
Labour J Carter 581 12.71
Labour Lady A J Bailey 553 12.10
Labour R A Paice 541 11.83
Turnout 4,571 40.00
Waltham Cross North Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative T C A Askew 724 18.86
Conservative D Forbes-Buckingham 680 17.71
Conservative N M Sanderson 664 17.29
Labour E L Carter 632 16.46
Labour I J Evans 598 15.57
Labour L A Levoi 542 14.11
Turnout 3,840 45.00
Waltham Cross South Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P R Young 848 20.13
Labour M S Oliver 796 18.88
Labour J K Paice 789 18.72
Conservative J F T Swannell 639 15.16
Conservative F Dolan 597 14.16
Conservative M J Dowsett 546 12.95
Turnout 4,215 37.00
Wormley / Turnford Ward Result 3 Seats 6 May 1976
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative G Cookson 564 22.15
Conservative O G Alderman 532 20.90
Conservative B F Hill 513 20.15
Labour J Carnfield 337 13.24
Labour A J Cooper 317 12.45
Labour E J Nicholls 283 11.11
Turnout 2,546 41.00

References

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  1. ^ "LGBCE - Initial Electoral Reviews". www.lgbce.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 December 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  • Lea Valley Mercury Friday 14 May 1976 edition
  • Cheshunt & Waltham Telegraph Friday 14 May 1976 edition