1983 West Dorset District Council election

The 1983 West Dorset District Council election was held on Thursday 5 May 1983 to elect councillors to West Dorset District Council in England. It took place on the same day as other district council elections in the United Kingdom. The entire council was up for election, following boundary changes that reduced the number of wards by two, but altogether the number of seats remained the same.[1] Subsequent elections for the council would be elected by thirds following the passing a resolution under section 7 (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

1983 West Dorset District Council election
← 1979 5 May 1983 (1983-05-05) 1984 →

All 55 seats to West Dorset District Council
28 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Ind
Con
All
Party Independent Conservative Alliance
Last election 37 seats, 42.1% 7 seats, 20.9% 8 seats, 24.8%
Seats won 30 15 6
Seat change Decrease 7 Increase 8 Decrease 2
Popular vote 7,666 10,923 8,871
Percentage 26.0% 37.1% 30.1%
Swing Decrease 16.1% Increase 16.2% Increase 5.3%

  Fourth party Fifth party
 
IndC
Lab
Party Ind. Conservative Labour
Last election 1 seat, 0.6% 2 seats, 10.8%
Seats won 3 1
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 1
Popular vote N/A 2,009
Percentage N/A 6.8%
Swing Decrease 0.6% Decrease 4.0%

Council control before election

Independent

Council control after election

Independent

The 1983 election saw the Independent councillors lose seats but maintain their majority control on the Council.

Ward results edit

Beaminster edit

Beaminster (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent A. Hudson * unopposed N/A N/A
Independent R. Bugler * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 2,794
Independent hold
Independent hold

Bothenhampton edit

Bothenhampton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Conservative D. Cracknell unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,502
Ind. Conservative gain from Independent

Bradford Abbas edit

Bradford Abbas[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent E. Garrett * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,342
Independent hold

Bradpole edit

Bradpole[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Conservative R. Coatsworth * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,464
Ind. Conservative hold Swing

Bridport North edit

Bridport North (3 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance A. Tiltman * 780 37.3 N/A
Conservative D. Stebbings 682 32.6 N/A
Labour D. Cash 629 30.1 N/A
Alliance P. Foote 441
Alliance H. Draper 353
Turnout 67.5 N/A
Registered electors 3,096
Alliance win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Bridport South edit

Bridport South (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent C. Samways * unopposed N/A N/A
Alliance A. Bell * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 2,465
Independent win (new seat)
Alliance win (new seat)

Broadmayne edit

Broadmayne[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance B. Course * 354 53.8 –11.1
Conservative I. Cobbold 304 46.2 +11.1
Majority 50 7.6 –22.3
Turnout 52.7 —26.2
Registered electors 1,249
Alliance hold Swing

Broadwindsor edit

Broadwindsor[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent C. Coate * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,049
Independent hold

Burton Bradstock edit

Burton Bradstock[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent R. Bailey * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,137
Independent hold

Caundle Vale edit

Caundle Vale[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent N. White * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,048
Independent hold

Cerne Valley edit

Cerne Valley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Dione Digby, Lady Digby * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,075
Independent hold

Charminster edit

Charminster[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent E. Hanford * 270 42.3 N/A
Conservative B. Woodhouse 252 39.4 N/A
Alliance G. Halliwell 117 18.3 N/A
Majority 18 2.9 N/A
Turnout 49.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,255
Independent hold

Charmouth edit

Charmouth[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent J. Cockerill 441 65.8 N/A
Independent J. Robinson 229 34.2 N/A
Majority 212 31.6 N/A
Turnout 52.2 N/A
Registered electors 1,284
Independent gain from Independent

Chesil Bank edit

Chesil Bank[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent M. Pengelly * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,269
Independent hold

Chickerell edit

Chickerell (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative E. Edwards-Stuart * 643 63.9 N/A
Independent W. McCarthy * 364 N/A
Independent P. Brown 185 N/A
Independent E. Davies 172 N/A
Turnout 34.6 N/A
Registered electors 2,912
Conservative hold
Independent hold

Dorchester East edit

Dorchester East (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance Enid Stella Jones * 588 38.8 N/A
Conservative C. Lucas * 499 32.9 N/A
Alliance D. Smith 428
Conservative J. Graham 310
Labour E. Adams 123 8.1 N/A
Labour P. Warner 121
Turnout 66.8 N/A
Registered electors 2,269
Alliance win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Dorchester North edit

Dorchester North (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent L. Phillips * 678 N/A
Conservative C. Thatcher 499 31.6 N/A
Alliance J. Walker 262 16.6 N/A
Alliance T. Harries 262
Labour J. Hertslet 141 8.9 N/A
Turnout 70.0 N/A
Registered electors 2,258
Independent win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Dorchester South edit

Dorchester South (3 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative P. Seaton * 1,077 56.0 N/A
Alliance D. Maggs 847 44.0 N/A
Conservative J. Hebb 820
Conservative D. Lang 782
Alliance H. Nicholson * 781
Alliance S. Pritchard 774
Turnout 52.6 N/A
Registered electors 3,657
Conservative win (new seat)
Alliance win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Dorchester West edit

Dorchester West (3 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative G. Powell * 743 46.8 N/A
Conservative G. Duke 561
Conservative F. Alderman * 548
Liberal E. Boothman * 544 34.2 N/A
Liberal D. Bowring 509
Liberal David Trevor Jones * 500
Labour D. Watson 302 19.0 N/A
Labour T. Warren 284
Labour J. Yeomans 241
Turnout 75.5 N/A
Registered electors 2,106
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Frome Valley edit

Frome Valley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent B. Bryant * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,031
Independent hold

Halstock edit

Halstock[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent T. Frost * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,176
Independent hold

Holnest edit

Holnest[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent M. Cockburn * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,169
Independent hold

Loders edit

Loders[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent D. Fry unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,011
Independent gain from Independent

Lyme Regis edit

Lyme Regis (3 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent J. Broom * 823
Independent D. Applebee 819
Independent J. Nuttall * 729
Conservative V. Homyer * 531 39.2 N/A
Turnout 46.7 –30.9
Registered electors 2,902
Independent hold Swing
Independent gain from Independent Swing
Independent hold Swing

Maiden Newton edit

Maiden Newton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent H. Haward * 497 67.0 N/A
Alliance N. Patmore 245 33.0 N/A
Majority 252 34.0 N/A
Turnout 73.4 N/A
Registered electors 1,011
Independent hold

Netherbury edit

Netherbury[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Peake 409 62.3 N/A
Independent C. Poole * 247 37.7 N/A
Majority 162 24.6 N/A
Turnout 49.1 N/A
Registered electors 1,335
Conservative gain from Independent

Owermoigne edit

Owermoigne (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Alliance P. Gill unopposed N/A N/A
Independent R. Symes * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 2,235
Alliance win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)

Piddle Valley edit

Piddle Valley[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Conservative A. Read unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,218
Ind. Conservative gain from Independent

Puddletown edit

Puddletown[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent A. Bowden 440 72.4 N/A
Labour S. Riddell 168 27.6 –5.4
Majority 272 44.8 N/A
Turnout 54.7 —20.8
Registered electors 1,111
Independent gain from Independent Swing

Queen Thorne edit

Queen Thorne[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent J. Brewer * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,139
Independent hold

Sherborne East edit

Sherborne East (2 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent E. Dyke * unopposed N/A N/A
Independent K. Luxmoore unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 2,634
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)

Sherborne West edit

Sherborne West (3 seats)[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent E. King * 927 N/A
Conservative S. Waddington 792 32.4 N/A
Conservative P. Jenkins 766
Alliance S. Somerville 728 29.8 N/A
Turnout 60.7 N/A
Registered electors 4,031
Independent win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Symondsbury edit

Symondsbury[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative G. Summers * 360 66.5 N/A
Alliance B. Wheeler 181 33.5 N/A
Majority 179 33.0 N/A
Turnout 42.3 N/A
Registered electors 1,278
Conservative gain from Independent

Thorncombe edit

Thorncombe[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent P. Atyeo * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,038
Independent hold

Tolpuddle edit

Tolpuddle[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent M. Kraft * 333 80.4 N/A
Alliance J. Hallett 81 19.6 N/A
Majority 252 60.8 N/A
Turnout 54.7 N/A
Registered electors 757
Independent hold

Whitchurch Canonicorum edit

Whitchurch Canonicorum[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative C. Gibson 445 82.3 N/A
Alliance P. Lathey 96 17.7 N/A
Majority 349 64.6 N/A
Turnout 46.8 N/A
Registered electors 1,157
Conservative gain from Independent

Winterborne St Martin edit

Winterborne St Martin[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent S. Slade * 512 70.9 +2.6
Conservative T. Shorter 210 29.1 N/A
Majority 302 41.8 N/A
Turnout 40.8 –42.5
Registered electors 1,771
Independent hold Swing

Yetminster edit

Yetminster[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative W. Anderson * unopposed N/A N/A
Registered electors 1,204
Conservative hold

References edit

  1. ^ The District of West Dorset (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1980
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al "West Dorset District Council Election Results 1973-2011" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 23 April 2020.