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Elections to West Sussex County Council were held on 1 May 1997 alongside a parliamentary general election. The whole council was up for election, and the Conservative Party regained control of the council from the Liberal Democrats who had governed since 1993 as a minority administration . Turnout across the county ranged from 57.7% in Richmond to 78.6% in Lindfield.

Election Result

West Sussex County Council Election Result 1997[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 37 52.11 42.90 177,848
  Liberal Democrats 24 33.80 33.10 137,191
  Labour 9 12.68 21.49 89,099
  Independent 1 1.41 1.68 6,494
  Green 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.72 2,999
  Referendum 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.08 327
  Worth Area Party 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.03 110

Results by electoral division

Adur

Kingston Buci
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sydney Little 1,859 37.2
Conservative Paul Sims 1,639 32.9
Labour Co-op Nigel Sweet 1,491 29.9
Majority 220
Turnout 72.3
Lancing
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Clifford Robinson 2,866 46.2
Conservative Simon Craghill 2,070 33.3
Labour James Largue 1,271 20.5
Majority 794
Turnout 74.2
Saltings
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Jones 2,562 45.2
Liberal Democrats Jemima Robinson 2,372 41.9
Labour Co-op Richard Knight 733 12.9
Majority 190
Turnout 69.9
Shoreham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Elliott 3,109 46.6
Liberal Democrats Anthony Burtenshaw 2,094 31.4
Labour Co-op Geoffrey Howitt 1,463 21.9
Majority 1,015
Turnout 76.6
Sompting
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Brookes 1,992 41.4
Conservative Mark McCarthy 1,492 31.4
Labour Edward Luxford 1,331 21.9
Majority 500
Turnout 71.6
Southwick
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Brian Whipp 1,856 35.8
Conservative Robert Dunn 1,827 35.3
Liberal Democrats Derek Deedman 1,497 28.9
Majority 29
Turnout 74.5

Arun

Arun East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Sedgwick 3,165 63.6
Liberal Democrats John Hughes 1,326 26.7
Labour Frank Levy 482 9.7
Majority 1,839
Turnout 78.1
Arundel and Angmering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Winn 3,149 51.8
Liberal Democrats John Barstow 1,707 28.1
Labour David Jones 1,221 20.1
Majority 1,442
Turnout 74.3
Bersted
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sylvia Olliver 2,577 38.5
Conservative Gary Boucher 2,171 32.4
Labour Jan Cosgrove 1,948 29.1
Majority 406
Turnout 67.5
Bognor Regis
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robin Brown 2,768 44.6
Liberal Democrats Kenneth Scutt 2,444 39.4
Labour Gail Walker 995 16.0
Majority 324
Turnout 67.8
Felpham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Dominica Smith 3,035 54.6
Liberal Democrats Walter Vanner 1,621 29.2
Labour Alison McIsacc 899 16.2
Majority 1,432
Turnout 70.5
Fontwell
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Harold Hall 3,199 56.4
Liberal Democrats Simon McDougall 1,896 33.4
Labour Thomas Oxtoby 576 10.2
Majority 1,297
Turnout 72.3
Hotham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Catherine Morrish 1,975 39.7
Conservative Luke Parker 1,610 32.4
Labour Derek Fane 1,388 27.9
Majority 365
Turnout 63.3
Littlehampton North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George O'Neill 2,113 44.9
Conservative John Forster 1,508 32.0
Liberal Democrats David Jones 1,087 23.1
Majority 606
Turnout 63.7
Littlehampton Town
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Elizabeth Newell 2,022 34.0
Liberal Democrats Barbara Roberts 1,730 29.1
Labour David Dyball 1,711 28.7
Independent Andrew Hawkes 492 8.3
Majority 292
Turnout 63.7
Middleton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Betteridge 2,566 45.5
Liberal Democrats John Matthews 1,989 35.3
Labour Peter Found 884 15.7
Independent Marjorie Widdowson 202 3.6
Majority 577
Turnout 71.9
Nyetimber
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Gillings 3,409 49.7
Liberal Democrats Francis Oppler 1,914 27.9
Labour Michael Jones 1,531 22.3
Majority 1,576
Turnout 73.6
Preston Manor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Moor 3,610 54.7
Liberal Democrats John Richards 2,070 31.4
Labour Peter Nightingale 914 13.9
Majority 1,540
Turnout 73.6
Rustington West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats James Walsh 2,802 45.2
Conservative Phillipa Bower 2,563 41.3
Labour John Singleton 835 13.9
Majority 239
Turnout 73.6

Chichester

Bourne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Dunn 2,503 40.5
Liberal Democrats Roy Ford 1,894 30.6
Independent Stanley Bray 986 15.9
Labour Roger Humphrey 801 13.0
Majority 609
Turnout 73.6
Chichester East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Colin Tupper 2,246 45.7
Conservative Jane Chevs 1,742 35.5
Labour Timothy Weeks 925 18.8
Majority 506
Turnout 68.5
Chichester North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alan Phillips 2,386 45.5
Liberal Democrats Edith Pingree 2,232 42.6
Labour James Moran 625 11.9
Majority 56
Turnout 76.2
Chichester South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Rankin 2,589 44.1
Conservative Mary-Louise Bassett 2,338 39.8
Labour Geoffrey Jones 943 16.1
Majority 251
Turnout 73.0
Chichester West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kathryn Ward 2,947 46.2
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Wright 2,500 39.2
Labour Ian Edwards 926 14.5
Majority 447
Turnout 76.3
Fernhurst
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Terence Pemberton 3,034 50.5
Liberal Democrats Helena Lang 2,395 39.9
Labour David Morrison 576 9.6
Majority 639
Turnout 72.3
Midhurst
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Colin Walker 3,753 55.9
Liberal Democrats Robert Devreux 2,090 31.1
Labour Bernard Hollowood 874 13.0
Majority 1,763
Turnout 74.3
Petworth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sarah Greenwell 3,755 56.4
Independent Brian Hooton 1,779 26.7
Labour Andrew Young 1,128 16.9
Majority 1,976
Turnout 76.8
Selsey and Sidlesham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Jones 2,796 48.9
Labour Terrence Prince 1,394 24.4
Liberal Democrats Michael Shone 1,331 23.3
Green Eric Paine 191 3.3
Majority 1,402
Turnout 69.9
The Witterings
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Daws-Chew 3,521 54.2
Liberal Democrats Simon Green 2,150 33.1
Labour John Feeney 830 12.8
Majority 1,369
Turnout 72.2

Crawley

Bewbush
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Janet Scully 3,771 70.6
Conservative Lee Burke 1,569 29.4
Majority 2,202
Turnout 66.9
Broadfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Briggs 3,012 59.1
Conservative David Bowen 1,458 28.6
Liberal Democrats Linda Hamilton 627 12.3
Majority 1,552
Turnout 64.0
Furnace Green
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Smith 3,839 44.8
Labour Anne Todd 3,521 41.1
Liberal Democrats Darren Wise 1,209 14.1
Majority 318
Turnout 71.9
Gossops Green
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Anthony Edwards 2,628 51.8
Conservative Geoffrey Clarke 1,749 34.5
Liberal Democrats Josephine Hart 696 13.7
Majority 879
Turnout 71.9
Ifield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Mortimer 2,532 59.4
Conservative Corrine Bowen 1,181 27.7
Liberal Democrats Howard Llewelyn 548 12.9
Majority 1,351
Turnout 71.2
Langley Green
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James Smith 3,292 68.2
Conservative Sthphen Wilkinson 1,140 23.6
Liberal Democrats Vipin Patel 392 8.1
Majority 2,152
Turnout 71.9
Northgate Three Bridges
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Buck 2,854 50.9
Conservative Colin Coyston 1,585 28.2
Liberal Democrats Barry Hamilton 1,172 20.9
Majority 1,269
Turnout 74.5
Pound Hill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Dewdney 2,804 48.9
Labour Raymond Calcot 1,954 34.1
Liberal Democrats Martin Hart 866 15.1
Worth Area Party Peter Temple-Smithson 110 1.9
Majority 850
Turnout 75.0
Tilgate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Douglas Mayne 3,342 61.9
Conservative David Withall 1,372 25.4
Liberal Democrats Richard Miller 686 12.7
Majority 1,970
Turnout 73.6

Horsham

Billingshurst
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tara Podger 2,116 44.1
Liberal Democrats Geoffrey Lawes 1,706 35.5
Labour Philip Gander 650 13.5
Referendum Robert Lomas 327 6.8
Majority 410
Turnout 72.0
Henfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Cantello 3,587 58.3
Liberal Democrats Marcus Heawood 1,607 26.1
Labour Susan Erlam 961 15.6
Majority 1,970
Turnout 74.9
Holbrook
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Neil Matthewson 4,207 51.9
Liberal Democrats Derek Brundish 2,639 32.6
Labour Raymond Chapman 1,254 15.5
Majority 1,568
Turnout 73.7
Hurst
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Nigel Dennis 2,207 45.9
Conservative Peter Tobutt 2,043 42.5
Labour Joan Thurston 559 15.6
Majority 164
Turnout 71.1
Pulborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Carmel Cain 5,093 74.0
Labour Christine Rees 1,788 26.0
Majority 3,305
Turnout 73.3
Riverside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Morwen Millson 2,790 46.6
Conservative Barbara Palmer 2,405 40.2
Labour George Burton 788 13.2
Majority 385
Turnout 72.6
Roffey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jacobus Clausen 2,606 40.8
Conservative Brian Watson 2,603 40.7
Labour Roger Brown 1,179 18.5
Majority 3
Turnout 74.0
Southwater
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Mary Beeson 3,303 44.6
Conservative Trevor Boud 3,135 42.3
Labour Diane Dumbrill 968 13.1
Majority 168
Turnout 73.8
Steyning
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Campbell 2,956 47.3
Conservative Anthony Dennis 2,649 42.4
Labour Julia Bridgewater 639 10.2
Majority 307
Turnout 74.2
Storrington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Frank Wilkinson 2,781 51.3
Liberal Democrats Kenneth Bates 2,042 37.7
Labour David Wickham 594 11.0
Majority 739
Turnout 72.8
Warnham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Norman Horton 2,666 50.9
Liberal Democrats David Wright 1,990 38.0
Labour Eric Brady 583 11.1
Majority 676
Turnout 74.6

Mid Sussex

Burgess Hill Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Angela Chapman 3,258 45.8
Conservative Peter Burgess 2,532 35.6
Labour Paul Mitchell 1,170 16.4
Green Hugh Stevens 155 2.2
Majority 906
Turnout 76.9
Burgess Hill East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Heather Ross 2,903 51.3
Conservative Michael Greenhow 1,964 34.7
Labour Lesley Whiting 664 11.7
Green Ruth Stevens 128 2.3
Majority 939
Turnout 77.2
Cuckfield Rural
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Dennis 3,066 51.8
Liberal Democrats Jack Slaughter 1,763 29.8
Labour Frederick Harrison 774 13.1
Green Josephine Came 317 5.4
Majority 1,303
Turnout 78.0
East Grinstead East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Margaret Collins 2,645 45.6
Conservative Margaret Ball 2,239 38.6
Labour Margaret Scott 692 11.9
Green Adrian Salmon 226 3.9
Majority 407
Turnout 76.9
East Grinstead South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Andrew Brock 2,470 44.1
Conservative Allan Beal 2,429 43.3
Labour David Dickson 705 12.6
Majority 41
Turnout 76.7
Hassocks and Burgess Hill West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Tony Balsdon 3,238 46.2
Conservative David Terry 2,494 35.6
Labour Patricia Ashcroft 1,102 15.7
Green Carol Filby 169 2.4
Majority 744
Turnout 77.3
Haywards Heath East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joan Gayler 1,947 35.1
Labour Mervyn Hamilton 1,743 31.4
Liberal Democrats Julia Brown 1,735 31.3
Green Edward Hasley 125 2.3
Majority 204
Turnout 78.2
Haywards Heath West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Brian Hall 2,557 46.6
Conservative John Wilson 1,937 35.3
Labour Paddy Henry 835 15.2
Green Simon Anderson 156 2.8
Majority 620
Turnout 77.5
Imberdown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Phillip Coote 3,573 46.3
Liberal Democrats Dorothy Hatswell 2,747 35.6
Labour Roger Burgess 1,179 15.3
Green Stephanie Gibson 223 2.9
Majority 826
Turnout 76.6
Lindfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Johnson 2,789 48.2
Liberal Democrats Anne-Marie Lucraft 2,019 34.9
Labour Nicholas Lightbody 761 13.2
Green Peter Weymss-Gorman 215 3.7
Majority 770
Turnout 78.6
Mid Sussex North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Acraman 3,288 53.2
Liberal Democrats Nicholas Dennis 1,379 22.3
Labour Joe Mitchell 1,291 20.9
Green Maurice Weeler 223 3.6
Majority 1,909
Turnout 74.2
Mid Sussex South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Barrington Mack 3,112 56.0
Liberal Democrats Anthony Davies 1,477 26.6
Labour Maureen Ryan 795 14.3
Green Nadia Seefreid 176 3.2
Majority 1,635
Turnout 78.1

Worthing

Broadwater
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Amanda Claire 2,362 46.3
Conservative Celia Bettelley 1,769 34.7
Labour Michael Wooley 974 19.1
Majority 1,592 31.2
Turnout 5,105 69.9
Cissbury
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Collingwood O'Neill 3,241 51.8
Liberal Democrats George Miller 2,441 39.0
Labour Teana Ashley 577 9.2
Majority 800
Turnout 74.0
Durrington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Nicholas Rodgers 2,400 44.0
Conservative Patricia Farrel 2,326 42.6
Labour Karen Hammond 734 13.4
Majority 74
Turnout 71.1
East Worthing
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Irene Richards 2,009 41.0
Conservative Tony Jackson 1,737 35.4
Labour Colin Marshall 996 20.3
Green Joan Glass 161 3.3
Majority 272
Turnout 62.7
Goring-by-Sea
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Forshaw 3,351 54.2
Liberal Democrats Stewart McGurn-Stewart 2,134 34.5
Labour Olive Rand 696 11.3
Majority 2,217
Turnout 71.9
Maybridge
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Green 2,300 45.7
Conservative Paul Bleasdale 1,769 35.2
Labour Peter Balderstone 961 19.1
Majority 531
Turnout 72.0
Richmond
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Livermore 1,654 41.2
Liberal Democrats Cyril Selby 1,519 37.8
Labour John Hammond 665 16.6
Green Derek Colkett 179 4.5
Majority 135
Turnout 57.7
Salvington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Clement Stevens 2,601 46.1
Liberal Democrats Dennis Rowley 2,327 41.3
Labour Jean Wicks 713 12.6
Majority 229
Turnout 72.3
West Parade
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Esther Giddins 3,177 53.6
Liberal Democrats Helen Brown 1,789 30.2
Labour Julie Balderstone 780 13.2
Green Lucielle Cokett 185 3.1
Majority 1,388
Turnout 69.5
West Tarring
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Rose 2,432 48.5
Conservative Henry Kemp 1,657 33.0
Labour John Parr 759 15.1
Green Stuart Colgate 170 3.4
Majority 585
Turnout 66.8

References

  1. ^ "West Sussex County Council Election Results 1973-2009" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
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