2018 North Hertfordshire District Council election
← 2016 3 May 2018 (2018-05-03) 2019 →
19 of 49 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council
25 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Con
Lab
LD
Leader Lynda Needham Frank Radcliffe Paul Clark
Party Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats
Seats before 34 12 3
Seats after 29 14 6
Seat change Decrease5 Increase2 Increase3
Popular vote 12,390 9,683 6,445
Percentage 39.6% 31.0% 20.6%
Leader before election

Lynda Needham
Conservative

Leader after election

Lynda Needham
Conservative

The 2018 North Hertfordshire Council election was held on 3 May 2018, at the same time as other local elections across England. Of the 49 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council, 19 were up for election, being the usual third of the council plus a by-election in Letchworth Grange ward.[1][2]

The Conservatives lost five seats at the election, three to the Liberal Democrats and two to Labour, but retained their majority on the council, with Conservative leader Lynda Needham continuing to serve as leader of the council. The Labour group leader prior to the election was Frank Radcliffe, but he did not stand for re-election and was replaced after the election by Martin Stears-Handscomb.[3]

Overall results

The overall results were as follows:[4]

2018 North Hertfordshire District Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 8 Decrease 5 42.1 21 29 59.2 12,390 39.6 -0.5
  Labour 8 Increase 2 42.1 6 14 28.6 9,683 31.0 +3.7
  Liberal Democrats 3 Increase 3 15.8 3 6 12.2 6,445 20.6 +5.6
  Green 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 2,293 7.3 -1.3
  Independent 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 332 1.1 0.0
  UKIP 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 109 0.3 -7.6

Ward results

The results for each ward were as follows. Where the previous incumbent was standing for re-election they are marked with an asterisk(*). A double dagger(‡) indicates a sitting councillor contesting a different ward.[5]

Baldock Town ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jim McNally* 970 50.7% +2.0
Labour Alec Maguire 579 30.3% +9.8
Liberal Democrats Richard William Winter 253 13.2% +5.7
Green Heidi Shona Mollart-Griffin 106 5.5% -3.6
Turnout 1,913 34.1%
Conservative hold Swing -3.9
Codicote ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Moody 524 57.0% +4.2
Independent Tom Brindley 172 18.7% +18.7
Labour Richard Paul Downey 136 14.8% +1.5
Liberal Democrats Luke William Devenish 49 5.3% +5.3
Green Rosemary Bland 38 4.1% -5.1
Turnout 919 43.6%
Conservative hold Swing -7.2
Hitchin Bearton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Val Bryant 1,212 56.3% +8.2
Conservative John William Skeeles 474 22.0% -4.9
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Daniel Clayden 287 13.3% +0.7
Green William Barry Lavin 168 7.8% -3.5
Turnout 2,153 35.6%
Labour hold Swing +6.6
Hitchin Highbury ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sam S. Collins 1,266 47.6% +2.8
Conservative Dominic John Crean Griffiths 801 30.1% -2.6
Labour Conor Brogan 443 16.6% +1.0
Green Diana J. Newson 148 5.6% -0.3
Turnout 2,661 45.0%
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +2.7
Hitchin Oughton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Clare Helen Billing 591 54.2% +22.4
Conservative Rebecca Robyn Reidy 312 28.6% +9.1
Liberal Democrats Louise Jane Peace 100 9.2% -9.3
Green Mary Karin Marshall 83 7.6% +2.4
Turnout 1,090 31.3%
Labour hold Swing +6.6
Hitchin Priory ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Mark Harwood ‡ 660 40.9% -0.7
Liberal Democrats George Edmund Osborn 512 31.7% +8.9
Labour Dave Winstanley 308 19.1% +6.4
Green Des Stephens 123 7.6% +1.0
Turnout 1,615 45.5%
Conservative hold Swing -4.8
Hitchin Walsworth ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mike Hughson 1,114 48.1% +9.5
Conservative Alan John Millard* 693 29.9% -2.0
Green Richard Alexander Cano 272 11.7% -1.6
Liberal Democrats Andrew Ircha 230 9.9% +3.6
Turnout 2,317 40.0%
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.8
Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Faye Susan Frost* 1,279 63.0% +7.2
Labour Anton Jungreuthmayer 369 18.2% +6.1
Green David Geoffrey Ashton 200 9.9% +0.9
Liberal Democrats Marilyn Margaret Parkin 181 8.9% -1.3
Turnout 2,030 35.9%
Conservative hold Swing +0.6
Kimpton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Cyril Bishop* 426 62.6% -2.7
Liberal Democrats Mike Lott 99 14.6% +14.6
Labour Tom Hogan 97 14.3% -0.2
Green Simon Wightman 52 7.6% -11.6
Turnout 680 39.0%
Conservative hold Swing -8.6
Knebworth ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Lisa Nash 957 51.0% +41.2
Conservative Steve Hemingway* 742 39.6% -22.9
Labour Klazina Hofmann 141 7.5% -13.9
Green Nick Newson 29 1.5% -4.0
Turnout 1,876 47.0%
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +32.0
Letchworth East ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sue Ngwala 763 51.4% +13.2
Conservative Andrew Clare 369 24.9% -1.4
Independent Paul Ross 160 10.8% +0.5
Liberal Democrats Liam McKenna 114 7.7% +1.2
Green Bernard Charles Michael Lee 71 4.8% -4.8
Turnout 1,483 34.9%
Labour hold Swing +7.3
Letchworth Grange ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Daniel Peter Mark Allen 917 43.4% +8.5
Labour Helen Caroline Oliver 912 43.2% +8.3
Conservative Morgan William Derbyshire 798 37.8% +4.5
Conservative Matthew Frazer Berman 747 35.4% +2.1
Liberal Democrats Amy Elizabeth Finch 240 11.4% +3.6
Liberal Democrats Aidan Sparrowhawk 198 9.4% +1.6
Green Elizabeth Susan Hancock 166 7.9% +1.5
Turnout 2,112 39.9%
Labour hold Swing +2.0
Labour hold Swing

The by-election in Letchworth Grange ward was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Clare Billing in order to contest Hitchin Oughton ward instead.[6]

Letchworth South East ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Kate Aspinwall 758 39.0% +7.0
Conservative John Leo Dobson Booth* 750 38.6% -0.1
Liberal Democrats Barry Peter Neale 229 11.8% +4.7
UKIP Sidney Arthur Start 109 5.6% -10.6
Green Tim Lee 91 4.7% -0.5
Turnout 1,943 36.5%
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +3.6
Letchworth South West ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mike Rice* 1,045 43.6% -5.2
Liberal Democrats Sean Prendergast 642 26.8% +23.0
Labour Jean Andrews 516 21.5% +1.9
Green Maryla Josephin Hart 182 7.6% -1.8
Turnout 2,397 40.7%
Conservative hold Swing -14.1
Letchworth Wilbury ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gary Grindal* 841 58.0% +20.0
Conservative John Peter Hamilton Merry 387 26.7% -10.4
Green Ian Huw John Clayfield 141 9.7% -3.3
Liberal Democrats Brian John Evans 73 5.0% +5.0
Turnout 1,449 37.7%
Labour hold Swing +15.2
Royston Heath ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ruth Brown 864 44.7% +31.4
Conservative Fiona Ronan Hill* 786 40.7% -10.1
Labour Ken Garland 198 10.3% -6.0
Green Katherine Marie Shann 74 3.8% -3.2
Turnout 1,931 42.9%
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +20.7
Royston Meridian ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Bill Davidson* 789 55.1% -7.8
Green Karen Harmel 253 17.7% +8.4
Labour Jess Finn 246 17.2% +2.7
Liberal Democrats David Matthew Lambert 135 9.4% -3.0
Turnout 1,432 35.6%
Conservative hold Swing -8.1
Royston Palace ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ben Lewis* 585 43.3% +0.2
Labour Rob Inwood 454 33.6% +10.0
Liberal Democrats Peter Martin Rice 214 15.8% +7.0
Green Angela Clark 96 7.1% +0.5
Turnout 1,351 32.4%
Conservative hold Swing -4.9

Changes 2018–2019

Paul Marment, elected in 2015 as a Conservative councillor for Letchworth Grange ward, defected to the Liberal Democrats in August 2018.[7]

References

  1. ^ "The District of North Hertfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2006", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2006/3112, retrieved 4 March 2023
  2. ^ "North Hertfordshire District Council". BBC News. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  3. ^ Asher, J. P. (4 May 2018). "North Herts District Council elections 2018: Lib Dem and Labour gains as Conservatives lose five seats". The Comet. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  4. ^ Andrew, Teale. "Local Election Results 2018: North Hertfordshire". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Election Results 2018". North Hertfordshire District Council. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  6. ^ Asher, J. P. (9 April 2018). "North Herts District Council 2018 election candidates confirmed". The Comet. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  7. ^ Asher, J. P. (17 August 2018). "Letchworth Conservative councillor defects to Lib Dems". The Comet. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
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