Local Election Results

Turnout for this local election was predictably low, with Duffield having the highest turnout at 46.6%.  Belper managed just 38%.  The borough average was 34.4% This means that just over a third of those registered to vote decided the results.  Two thirds remain unrepresented.

Before the election, the Conservative Party held a majority of one seat on Amber Valley Borough Council, with 23 councillors to Labour’s 22 councillors.  No other parties were represented.

Following this election, the Conservative Party now have a majority of five seats.  Labour gained Belper East from the Conservatives but the Conservatives gained Heanor East, Heanor West and Ripley from Labour. Conservative councillors = 25, Labour councillors = 20.  This means that all Conservative proposals are likely to be passed when voted on.  No other political parties are represented on the council.

Labour did better in votes overall than previous years, despite the shift on the council caused by Heanor and Ripley.  Liberal Democrat support is picking up again, albeit very slowly, and the Green Party maintained an overall average with some increases and decreases. Belper voting remains largely Labour following shifts in recent years.  This is not reflected in the voting of the larger area of Amber Valley and the council stays Conservative, which it has done for all but one year of this century.  This is in part due to voting being split into thirds across the borough and only 15 seats being fought for at any one election.

The biggest surprise was Heanor West ousting Labour’s Paul Jones in favour of Conservative Stephen Grainger, after 28 years of council service.

The Conservative Party are wording their gains as an endorsement by the people, but some of these wins were narrow margins and equal just 260 voters.

It should be noted that Langley Mill and Aldercar had a candidate, Timothy Knowles, from the far right party National Front (notorious for violent racism) and it did get 30 votes, although this was less than each of the other three parties.

In alphabetical order, these are the full results for the area:

ALFRETON – Lab hold

John Walker (LAB) 993

Colin Boyce (CON) 555

Leo Swarvett (GREEN) 75

Kate Smith (LD) 49

Turnout: 27.16%

 

BELPER EAST – Lab gain

Fay Atkinson (LAB) 812

Julie Wozniczka (GREEN) 79

Turnout: 37.95%

 

 

BELPER SOUTH– Lab hold

Timothy Robert Sutton (CON) 629

Sue Macfarlane (GREEN) 130

Steve Benjamin Ralph White (IND) 71

Richard Alan Salmon (LD) 60

Turnout: 38.17%

 

 

CODNOR & WAINGROVES – Lab hold

Isobel Harry (LAB) 689

Matthew George Johnson Murray (CON) 615

Jeremy Miles (LD) 43

Turnout: 34.71%

 

 

DUFFIELD – Con hold

Chris Short (CON) 898

Dave Wells (GREEN) 637

Patrick William Mountain (LAB) 225

Andrew Nove (LD) 110

Turnout: 46.40%

 

 

HEANOR & LOSCOE – Lab hold

Hannah Mary Stirland (LAB) 654

Sue Iliffe (CON) 620

James Major John Brooks (GREEN) 60

John Morrisey (LD) 29

Turnout: 33.58%

 

 

HEANOR EAST – Con gain

Henry Thompson (CON) 669

Frank Carmichael (LAB) 583

Jerry Marler (LD) 92

Turnout: 29.94%

 

 

HEANOR WEST – Con gain

Steven Grainger (CON) 698

Paul Jones (LAB) 670

Lian Pizzey (GREEN) 78

Chris Oakley (LD) 49

Turnout: 31.73%

 

 

IRONVILLE & RIDDINGS – Lab hold

Paul James Smith (LAB) 917

Pete Clark (CON) 773

George William Turner (LD) 66

Turnout: 37.42%

 

 

KILBURN, DENBY & HOLBROOK – Con hold

Trevor Mark Ainsworth (CON) 1345

Sam Hart (LAB) 785

Susan Marie Allen (LD) 113

Steve Kennedy (GREEN) 99

Turnout: 36.75%

 

 

LANGLEY MILL & ALDERCAR – Lab hold

Eileen Hamilton (LAB) 535

Victoria Jane Stevenson (CON) 488

Joanna Jones (LD) 45

Timothy Knowles (NATIONAL FRONT) 30

Turnout: 27.08%

 

RIPLEY– Con gain

Sean David Carter (CON) 1207

Roland Emmas-Williams (LAB) 1061

William Macfarlane (GREEN) 75

Richard Smeeton (LD) 89

Turnout: 34.18%

 

SHIPLEY PARK, HORSLEY & HORSLEY WOODHOUSE – Con hold

Richard Henry Iliffe (CON) 1172

Christine Elizabeth Venables (LAB) 436

Jacob Matthew Holt (LD) 117

Tina Pritchard (GREEN) 97

Turnout: 37.96%

 

SOMERCOTES – Lab hold

Brian John Lyttle (LAB) 789

Kathy Victoria Moss (CON) 358

Colin Thompson (LD) 37

Turnout: 26.46%

 

SWANWICK – Con hold

David Wilson (CON) 1013

Charlie Robinson (LAB) 457

Joel Ross Hunt (LD) 119

Steve Elliott (GREEN) 110

Turnout: 39.04%

Photo copyright: BBC via Local Democracy Reporting Service.