2003 West Dorset District Council election

The 2003 West Dorset District Council election was held on Thursday 1 May 2003 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 the number of wards were reduced by five, and the number of seats reduced from 55 to 48.^[1]

2003 West Dorset District Council election

← 1999 1 May 2003 (2003-05-01) 2007 →
All 48 seats to West Dorset District Council 25 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Con LD Ind Party Conservative Liberal Democrats Independent Last election 22 seats, 35.6% 15 seats, 35.0% 14 seats, 18.7% Seats won 25 12 11 Seat change 3 3 3 Popular vote 17,967 11,937 7,500 Percentage 45.5% 30.2% 19.0% Swing 9.9% 4.8% 0.3%
Map showing the results of the 2003 West Dorset District Council elections.
Council control before election No overall control Council control after election Conservative

The 2003 election saw the Conservatives take majority control of the District Council.^[2]

Ward results

Beaminster

Beaminster (2 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Caroline Lucy Payne	unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative	V. Ivory *	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			3,213
	Liberal Democrats hold
	Conservative hold

Bradford Abbas

Bradford Abbas^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	E. Garrett *	390	66.1	+7.8
	Liberal Democrats	S. Longdon	200	33.9	+14.6
Majority			190	32.2	–3.7
Turnout				38.6	–9.1
Registered electors			1,541
	Independent hold		Swing

Bradpole

Bradpole^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ronald William Coatsworth *	406	78.5	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	G. Fifield	111	21.5	N/A
Majority			295	57.1	N/A
Turnout				31.0	N/A
Registered electors			1,673
	Conservative gain from Independent

Bridport North

Bridport North (2 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R. Stoodley	445	31.5	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Christopher Martin Ray	393	27.8	N/A
	Conservative	Keith Allan Day	333	–
	Labour	R. Nicholls	325	23.0	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	K. Wallace	305	–
	Independent	J. Shaw	250	17.7	N/A
Turnout				33.6	N/A
Registered electors			3,389
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Bridport South & Bothenhampton

Bridport South & Bothenhampton (3 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	S. Brown *	842	29.8	N/A
	Independent	D. Tett	715	25.3	N/A
	Conservative	G. Pritchard *	599	–
	Labour	C. Wild *	556	19.7	N/A
	Conservative	H. Samuel	347	–
	Liberal Democrats	A. Harrison	339	12.0	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	S. Bagnall	325	–
	Green	L. Sea	272	9.6	N/A
	Dorset Stop The War	D. Partridge	102	3.6	N/A
Turnout				37.7	N/A
Registered electors			4,409
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Broadmayne

Broadmayne^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	A. Thacker *	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,559
	Independent hold

Broadwindsor

Broadwindsor^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	L. Sewell *	384	58.4	–5.5
	Liberal Democrats	D. Prysor-Jones	273	41.6	+5.5
Majority			111	16.9	–10.9
Turnout				45.6	+1.6
Registered electors			1,447
	Conservative hold		Swing

Burton Bradstock

Burton Bradstock^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	M. Parsons	637	67.2	+26.2
	Conservative	M. Pritchard *	311	32.8	–26.2
Majority			326	34.4	N/A
Turnout				59.1	+2.9
Registered electors			1,608
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing

Cam Vale

Cam Vale^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	S. Friar *	456	59.1	N/A
	Conservative	P. Sargent *	315	40.9	N/A
Majority			141	18.3	N/A
Turnout				46.7	N/A
Registered electors			1,652
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Charminster & Cerne Valley

Charminster & Cerne Valley (2 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	S. East *	1,012	74.2	N/A
	Conservative	A. Horsington	984	–
	Independent	L. Clarke	352	25.8	N/A
Turnout				41.0	N/A
Registered electors			3,334
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Charmouth

Charmouth^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D. Newson *	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,475
	Independent hold

Chesil Bank

Chesil Bank^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	T. Bartlett	494	61.1	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	I. Lewis	315	38.9	N/A
Majority			179	22.1	N/A
Turnout				45.6	+0.8
Registered electors			1,788
	Conservative gain from Independent		Swing

Chickerell

Chickerell (3 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	I. Gardner *	578	42.2	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	M. Rogers	557	–
	Conservative	M. Jolliffe	533	38.9	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	R. Denton-White	461	–
	Conservative	M. Dunseith	452	–
	Conservative	J. Wilson	392	–
	Independent	D. Smithson	259	18.9	N/A
Turnout				28.6	N/A
Registered electors			4,332
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Chideock & Symondsbury

Chideock & Symondsbury^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. Summers *	386	67.5	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	P. Morgan-Smith	186	32.5	N/A
Majority			200	35.0	N/A
Turnout				39.0	N/A
Registered electors			1,468
	Conservative win (new seat)

Dorchester East

Dorchester East (2 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Enid Stella Jones *	734	59.1	+6.8
	Liberal Democrats	T. Harries *	620	–
	Conservative	R. Thorogood	508	40.9	+15.7
	Conservative	B. Parkhurst	503	–
Turnout				36.0	+4.1
Registered electors			3,548
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Dorchester North

Dorchester North (2 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Andrew James Canning	550	38.8	+4.7
	Independent	A. Beard	481	33.9	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	R. Tarr	459	–
	Conservative	A. Parry	386	27.2	+7.7
	Conservative	J. Bell	362	–
Turnout				42.0	+2.2
Registered electors			2,938
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Dorchester South

Dorchester South (2 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	M. Rennie *	760	57.1	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	R. Potter	639	–
	Conservative	R. Martindale	572	42.9	N/A
	Conservative	J. Halewood	567	–
Turnout				40.0	N/A
Registered electors			3,312
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Dorchester West

Dorchester West (2 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D. Barrett *	757	40.5	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	David Trevor Jones *	705	37.7	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	T. Parsley	616	–
	Conservative	I. Birt	406	21.7	N/A
Turnout				42.0	N/A
Registered electors			3,381
	Independent win (new seat)
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Frome Valley

Frome Valley^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	M. Penfold *	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,656
	Independent hold

Halstock

Halstock^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	T. Frost *	462	63.3	–1.5
	Liberal Democrats	B. Dearlove	268	36.7	+1.5
Majority			194	26.6	–2.9
Turnout				49.0	+3.1
Registered electors			1,504
	Independent hold		Swing

Loders

Loders^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M. Roberts	298	50.1	N/A
	Independent	A. Brown	172	28.9	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	V. Barnes	125	21.0	N/A
Majority			126	21.2	N/A
Turnout				41.5	N/A
Registered electors			1,437
	Conservative hold

Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis (2 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	O. Lovell *	510	–	N/A
	Conservative	K. Meech *	452	47.0	N/A
	Independent	P. Hicks	438	–	N/A
	Independent	S. Williams	397	–	N/A
Turnout				33.3	N/A
Registered electors			3,131
	Independent win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Maiden Newton

Maiden Newton^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	N. Patmore	357	51.6	N/A
	Conservative	P. Gregson	335	48.4	+20.8
Majority			22	3.2	N/A
Turnout				44.9	–0.6
Registered electors			1,549
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Marshwood Vale

Marshwood Vale^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	I. Gillespie *	407	50.8	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	H. Thomas *	394	49.2	N/A
Majority			13	1.6	N/A
Turnout				55.8	N/A
Registered electors			1,440
	Conservative win (new seat)

Netherbury

Netherbury^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	A. Alford	399	62.1	+10.1
	Liberal Democrats	R. Pawley	244	37.9	–10.1
Majority			155	24.1	+20.0
Turnout				43.0	–
Registered electors			1,512
	Conservative hold		Swing

Owermoigne

Owermoigne (2 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	T. Seall *	662	52.5	+6.2
	Conservative	D. Smy *	626	–
	Independent	R. Russell	600	47.5	N/A
Turnout				42.5	+2.6
Registered electors			2,774
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

Piddle Valley

Piddle Valley^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	S. Barker	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,618
	Conservative hold

Puddletown

Puddletown^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	T. Pearce	290	36.4	+0.7
	Conservative	G. Harries *	277	34.8	–4.7
	Independent	I. Mayo *	229	28.8	N/A
Majority			13	1.6	N/A
Turnout				45.7	+3.0
Registered electors			1,762
	Independent gain from Conservative		Swing

Queen Thorne

Queen Thorne^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Andrew Gould	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,602
	Conservative gain from Independent

Sherborne East

Sherborne East (2 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Terence Peter Farmer *	628	43.7	+9.1
	Conservative	M. Clark	567	–
	Green	Jenny Susan Greene	467	32.5	N/A
	Labour	Robert James Bygrave	343	23.9	+3.8
Turnout				34.0	–6.4
Registered electors			3,308
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative gain from Independent		Swing

Sherborne West

Sherborne West (2 seats)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter Robert Shorland *	731	56.4	N/A
	Conservative	Marjorie Snowden	660	–
	Liberal Democrats	Robin Andrew Shane Legg *	564	43.6	N/A
Turnout				33.6	N/A
Registered electors			3,509
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Winterborne St Martin

Winterborne St Martin^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Stephen John Slade *	448	46.5	+18.7
	Liberal Democrats	D. Rickard	239	34.8	+5.7
Majority			209	30.4	+13.0
Turnout				41.6	–1.6
Registered electors			1,663
	Independent hold		Swing

Yetminster

Yetminster^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	G. House *	386	69.8	–0.7
	Liberal Democrats	S. Hewson	167	30.2	+0.7
Majority			219	39.6	–1.4
Turnout				41.3	–1.7
Registered electors			1,343
	Conservative hold		Swing