Central (Croydon ward)

Central was an electoral ward in the London Borough of Croydon from 1965 to 1978. The ward was first used in the 1964 elections and last used for the 1974 elections. It returned three councillors to Croydon London Borough Council. The ward covered central Croydon. For elections to the Greater London Council, the ward was part of the Croydon electoral division from 1965 and then the Croydon Central division from 1973. Vivian Bendall, who was a councillor for the ward throughout its existence, became MP for Ilford North in 1978.

Central
Former electoral ward for the Croydon London Borough Council
Borough	Croydon
County	Greater London
Population	12,940 (1966 estimate)
Electorate	11,043 (1964) 10,438 (1968) 11,608 (1971) 11,632 (1974)
Major settlements	Croydon
Area	1,135.7 acres (4.596 km2)
Former electoral ward
Created	1965
Abolished	1978
Councillors	3

External image
Map showing Central ward boundaries from 1965 to 1978

List of councillors

Term	Councillor	Party
1964–1968	John Aston		Conservative
1964–1978	Vivian Bendall		Conservative
1964–1968	A. Lawton		Conservative
1968–1978	Robert Coatman		Conservative
1968–1974	J. Haywood		Conservative
1974–1978	I. McLeod		Conservative

Croydon council elections

1974 election

The election took place on 2 May 1974.^[1]

1974 Croydon London Borough Council election: Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Vivian Bendall	2,883
	Conservative	Robert Coatman	2,875
	Conservative	I. McLeod	2,845
	Labour	F. Bailey	874
	Labour	E. Hall	865
	Labour	A. Jones	831
	Liberal	M. Allan	540
	Liberal	A. Moss	511
	Liberal	J. Wheaver	483
Majority			1,971
Turnout				38.0	2.2
Registered electors			11,632
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

1971 election

The election took place on 13 May 1971.^[2]

1971 Croydon London Borough Council election: Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Coatman	2,882
	Conservative	Vivian Bendall	2,865
	Conservative	J. Hayward	2,863
	Labour	B. Fisher	1,156
	Labour	F. Bailey	1,150
	Labour	E. Hall	1,126
Turnout				35.8	0.3%
Registered electors			11,608
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

1968 election

The election took place on 9 May 1968.^[3]

1968 Croydon London Borough Council election: Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Coatman	3,094
	Conservative	Vivian Bendall	3,088
	Conservative	J. Haywood	3,034
	Labour	F. Bailey	530
	Labour	E. Hall	501
	Labour	A. Packham	474
Turnout				35.5	1.8
Registered electors			10,438
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing

1964 election

The election took place on 7 May 1964.^[4]

1964 Croydon London Borough Council election: Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Aston	2,558
	Conservative	Vivian Bendall	2,450
	Conservative	A. Lawton	2,423
	Labour	E. Hall	1,273
	Labour	E. Sutcliffe	1,241
	Labour	H. Stopps	1,181
	Liberal	A. Sandison	315
	Liberal	H. Quemby	234
	Liberal	B. Morgan	216
Turnout			4,116	37.3
Registered electors			11,043
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

References

1. "London Borough Council Elections: 2 May 1974" (PDF). London Datastore. Greater London Council. 1974. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
2. "London Borough Council Elections: 13 May 1971" (PDF). London Datastore. Greater London Council. 1971. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
3. "London Borough Council Elections: 9 May 1968" (PDF). London Datastore. Greater London Council. April 1969. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
4. "London Borough Council Elections: 7 May 1964" (PDF). London Datastore. London County Council. November 1964. Retrieved 5 January 2025.