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West Dorset District Council in Dorset, England existed from 1974 to 2019. The council was abolished and subsumed into Dorset Council in 2019.
Political control
The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority prior to the district coming into effect the following year. From 1973 until its abolition in 2019 political control of the council was held by the following parties:
| Party | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | 1973–1987 | |
| No overall control | 1987–2003 | |
| Conservative | 2003–2019 | |
Leadership
The leaders of the council from 2001 until the council's abolition in 2019 were:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwyn Pritchard | Conservative | May 2001 | May 2004 | |
| Robert Gould | Conservative | May 2004 | 8 Jan 2015 | |
| Anthony Alford | Conservative | 8 Jan 2015 | 31 Mar 2019 | |
Council elections
- 1973 West Dorset District Council election
- 1976 West Dorset District Council election
- 1979 West Dorset District Council election
- 1983 West Dorset District Council election (New ward boundaries)
- 1984 West Dorset District Council election
- 1986 West Dorset District Council election
- 1987 West Dorset District Council election
- 1991 West Dorset District Council election (District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)
- 1995 West Dorset District Council election
- 1999 West Dorset District Council election
| Year | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | Independent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 25 | 12 | 11 | (New ward boundaries) |
| 2007 | 26 | 16 | 6 | |
| 2011 | 32 | 11 | 5 | |
| 2015 | 30 | 12 | 0 | (New ward boundaries) |
District result maps
-
2003 results map
-
2007 results map
-
2011 results map
-
2015 results map
By-election results
By-elections occur when seats become vacant between council elections. Below is a summary of by-elections from 1997 to 2019; full by-election results can be found by clicking on the by-election name.
| By-election | Date | Incumbent party | Winning party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thorncombe by-election | 17 April 1997 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
| Bridport South by-election (2 seats) | 1 May 1997 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Independent | Conservative | ||||
| Yetminster by-election | 1 May 1997 | Liberal Democrats | Conservative | ||
| Chickerell by-election | 10 July 1997 | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Cam Vale by-election | 2 May 2013 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
| Piddle Valley by-election | 13 April 2017 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
| Lyme Regis & Charmouth by-election | 14 September 2017 | Conservative | Independent | ||
| Bridport North by-election | 22 February 2018 | Liberal Democrats | Conservative | ||
References
- ^ "England council elections". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 26 November 2024. (Put "West Dorset" in search box to see specific results.)
- "Gwyn voted leader of council". Dorset Echo. 14 May 2001. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- "Admiral's parting shot". Dorset Echo. 14 May 2004. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- "New West Dorset District Council leader announced". Dorset Echo. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- The District of West Dorset (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1980
- legislation.gov.uk - The Dorset and Somerset (County Boundaries) Order 1991. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
- "West Dorset". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- legislation.gov.uk - The District of West Dorset (Electoral Changes) Order 2002. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
- "West Dorset". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- "Results of the election to West Dorset District Council 2015". dorsetforyou.com. West Dorset District Council. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- legislation.gov.uk - The West Dorset (Electoral Changes) Order 2015. Retrieved on 3 November 2015.
- "Local Authority Byelection Results". Retrieved 8 May 2016.
