1979 Chichester District Council election
← 1976 3 May 1979 1983 →
All 50 seats to Chichester District Council
26 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Party Conservative Liberal
Last election 36[a] 11[a]
Seats won 27 1
Seat change Decrease6[b] Increase10[b]
Popular vote 25,365 17,894
Percentage 40.0% 28.1%
Council control before election

Conservative

 Council control after election

Conservative

Elections to Chichester District Council in West Sussex, United Kingdom were held on 3 May 1979, the same day as the general election.

The whole council was up for election and resulted in a Conservative majority.

Boundary changes

Boundary changes resulted in the creation of three new wards: Chichester North, Selsey North and Selsey South. The number of councillors representing Chichester West and Southbourne were reduced, from 5 to 3 and 4 to 3 respectively. The Selsey ward was abolished.

Boundary changes in effect from May 1979
Old wards New wards
Chichester East Chichester North‡
Chichester West
Selsey* Selsey North‡
Selsey South‡
* Abolished ‡ New creation

Election result

Chichester District Council Election Result 1979[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 27 2 8 Decrease6 54.0 40.0 25,365 –9.5
  Liberal 11 10 0 Increase10 22.0 28.1 17,894 +6.9
  Independent 7 1 2 Decrease1 14.0 11.5 7,325 +1.4
  Residents 3 0 1 Decrease1 6.0 9.6 6,106 –4.1
  Ind. Conservative 2 2 0 Increase2 4.0 3.6 2,278 N/A
  Labour 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 4.7 2,996 +2.6
  Ind. Ratepayers 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 1.4 905 –2.0
  SPA (UK) 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 1.3 833 N/A
↓
27 11 7 3 2
Conservative Liberal Independent Res. I.C.

Ward results

Birdham (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative J. Darley Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,432
Conservative hold
Bosham (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative H. Rycroft 1,332 36.8 N/A
Independent D. Yden 1,254 34.6 N/A
Independent J. Lillywhite 1,037 28.6 N/A
Turnout 3,623 75.3 N/A
Registered electors 3,099
Conservative hold Swing
Independent hold Swing
Boxgrove (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative E. Kirkby-Bott Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,334
Conservative hold
Bury (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative C. Roberts Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,238
Conservative hold
Chichester East (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal A. French 1,194 40.9 +12.3
Conservative P. Combes 1,184 35.4 –12.9
Liberal C. Tupper 1,183
Liberal E. French 1,066
Conservative M. Gowing 910
Conservative D. Myers 894
Labour D. Morrison 725 23.7 +10.7
Labour T. Rooth 642
Labour P. Norris 629
Turnout 8,428 71.9 +28.5
Registered electors 4,379
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
Chichester North (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal J. Rankin 1,307 51.0 N/A
Conservative T. France 1,289 49.0 N/A
Liberal L. Eyles 1,266
Liberal A. Bird 1,263
Conservative E. Craig 1,219
Conservative D. Hoult 1,183
Turnout 7,527 74.1 N/A
Registered electors 3,778
Liberal win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Liberal win (new seat)
Chichester South (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal P. Weston 1,743 63.6 +13.9
Liberal K. Smith 1,549
Liberal A. Scicluna 1,546
Conservative A. Black 1,003 36.4 –13.9
Conservative J. Rankin 925
Conservative F. Robertson 839
Turnout 7,605 71.8
Registered electors 4,054
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
Liberal hold Swing
Chichester West (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal L. Holden 1,627 53.2 +21.8
Liberal M. Clough 1,564
Liberal S. Lawrence 1,470
Conservative W. Doody 1,455 46.8 –14.5
Conservative U. Hogg 1,413
Conservative A. Slade 1,240
Turnout 8,769 72.5 +28.4
Registered electors 4,723
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
Donnington (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative J. Laird Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,428
Conservative hold
Easebourne (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative J. Wood 647 61.4 –8.0
Labour A. Groves 406 38.6 +8.0
Turnout 1,053 71.8 +29.6
Registered electors 1,477
Conservative hold Swing
East Wittering (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative C. Craven Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 2,370
Conservative hold
Fernhurst (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent M. Gilbert 1,047 40.3 +16.5
Conservative S. Hamilton 792 30.5 +4.5
Independent C. Barkman 757 29.2 N/A
Turnout 2,596 72.1 +21.1
Registered electors 2,319
Independent hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Funtington (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent D. Gauntlett Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,821
Independent hold
Graffham (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent K. Murray Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,466
Independent hold
Harting (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative H. Booker Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,387
Conservative hold
Hunston (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative M. Nicholson 764 59.6 N/A
Liberal W. Sherlock 518 40.4 N/A
Turnout 1,282 74.3 N/A
Registered electors 1,738
Conservative hold Swing
Lavant (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal F. Heald 598 54.5 +16.9
Conservative F. Longmore 499 45.5 –5.5
Turnout 1,097 73.0 +24.0
Registered electors 1,484
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing
Linchmere (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative R. Gibson Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,194
Conservative gain from Independent
Lodsworth (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative R. Hancock Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,415
Conservative hold
Midhurst (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent P. Burne 1,525 34.7 N/A
Ind. Conservative D. Mott 1,260 28.6 N/A
Conservative P. Stonehouse 586 26.3 N/A
Conservative M. Smith 572 N/A
Labour P. Pritchard 455 10.3 N/A
Turnout 4,398 74.8 N/A
Registered electors 3,395
Independent hold Swing
Ind. Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Oving (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative N. Best 638 62.9 +4.8
Independent J. Stapleford 377 37.1 N/A
Turnout 1,015 71.3 +36.6
Registered electors 1,401
Conservative hold Swing
Petworth (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative C. Linton Unopposed
Conservative J. Duncton Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 2,851
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
Plaistow (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative P. Luttman-Johnson Unopposed
Conservative T. Micklem Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 3,024
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
Rogate (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative R. Alexander 816 75.7 N/A
Independent A. Jackson 262 24.3 N/A
Turnout 1,078 75.1 N/A
Registered electors 1,427
Conservative hold Swing
Selsey North (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative B. Ager Unopposed
Conservative T. Robinson Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 3,231
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Selsey South (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Conservative P. Hammond 1,018 27.9 N/A
Conservative J. Whiteman 925 49.2 N/A
Conservative R. Seaman 868 N/A
SPA H. Van Raat 833 22.9 N/A
Turnout 3,644 74.9 N/A
Registered electors 2,957
Ind. Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Sidlesham (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent A. Petrie-Hay 572 80.5 N/A
Labour R. Norris 139 19.5 N/A
Turnout 711 74.1 +21.1
Registered electors 959
Independent gain from Residents Swing
Southbourne (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Residents L. Denby 2,322 62.4 –8.3
Residents I. Sutherland 1,952
Residents C. Singer 1,832
Conservative P. Warren 986 28.4 +17.3
Conservative P. Blake 950
Conservative M. Higgins 842
Ind. Ratepayers G. Feltham 489 9.2 –9.0
Ind. Ratepayers D. Feltham 416
Turnout 9,789 74.3 +27.4
Registered electors 4,742
Residents hold Swing
Residents hold Swing
Residents hold Swing
Stedham (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative A. Burdett Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,556
Conservative hold
Stoughton (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent J. Mann Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,321
Independent hold
West Wittering (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative H. Allen Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 2,271
Conservative hold
Westbourne (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative S. Bray 594 54.6 –1.4
Independent D. Rudkin 494 45.4 N/A
Turnout 1,088 73.7 +25.0
Registered electors 1,476
Conservative hold Swing
Wisborough Green (1 seat)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative J. Illius Unopposed
Turnout 0 0.0 N/A
Registered electors 1,858
Conservative hold

Notes

  1. ^ a b Based on pre-1979 boundaries.
  2. ^ a b Indicates boundary change—so this is a nominal figure.

References

  1. ^ Colin Rallings; Michael Thrasher (June 2015). "Chichester District Council Election Results 1973-2011" (PDF). The Elections Centre, Plymouth University.
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