Ashford Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Ashford in Kent, England. The council is elected every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2019, 47 councillors have been elected from 39 wards.[1]

Political control

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:[2]

Party in controlYears
No overall control1973–1976
Conservative1976–1979
No overall control1979–1983
Conservative1983–1995
No overall control1995–2003
Conservative2003–2022
No overall control[3]2022–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1999 have been:[4]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Paul Clokie Conservative199913 May 2010
Paul Bartlett Conservative13 May 20109 Nov 2010
Peter Wood Conservative9 Nov 20101 Mar 2013
Gerry Clarkson Conservative18 Apr 20137 May 2023
Noel Ovenden Ashford Ind.30 May 2023

Council elections

Borough result maps

By-election results

1995-1999

Tenterden East By-Election 11 December 1997
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 387 58.9 -3.7
Liberal Democrats 147 22.4 -15.0
Labour 123 18.7 +18.7
Majority 240 36.5
Turnout 657
Conservative hold Swing

2003-2007

Charing By-Election 16 February 2006[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerald Clarkson 419 71.7 +4.3
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Heuch 126 21.6 -11.0
Labour Malcolm Horton 39 6.7 +6.7
Majority 293 50.1
Turnout 584 30.1
Conservative hold Swing

2011-2015

Beaver by-election 24 November 2011[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cengizhan Cerit 249 27.69
Liberal Democrats Jack Cowen 173 19.24
Ashford Independents Laura Lawrence 111 12.34
Green Mark Reed 26 2.89
Labour Rebecca Rutter 336 37.37
Majority 87 9.67
Turnout 899 20.5 -13.25
Labour hold
Tenterden South by-election 12 July 2012 [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dara Farrell 36 5.92 +5.92
Conservative Jill Hutchinson 277 45.55 -12.28
Ashford Independents Roy Isworth 179 29.44 -11.02
UKIP Thomas Taylor 72 11.84 +11.84
Liberal Democrats Christopher Took 40 6.57 +6.57
Majority 98 16.11 -1.26
Turnout 608 31.13 -17.48
Conservative hold
Beaver by-election 28 February 2013[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jill Britcher 296 35.83 -1.54
Liberal Democrats Jack Cowen 79 9.56 -9.68
Independent John Holland 34 4.11 +4.11
Ashford Independents Palma Laughton 85 10.29 -2.05
Conservative Jane Martin 158 19.12 -8.57
Green Mark Reed 19 2.3 -0.59
UKIP Angharad Yeo 155 18.76 +18.76
Majority 138 16.7 +7.03
Turnout 826 19.4 -1.1
Labour hold
Saxon Shore by-election 2 May 2013 [13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UKIP Christopher Cooper 410 27.66
Conservative Jane Martin 759 51.21
Green Geoffrey Meaden 129 8.7
Labour Thomas Reed 174 11.74
Majority 349 23.54
Turnout 1482 35.67 -16.98
Conservative hold
Wye by-election 6 March 2014 [14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ken Blanshard 13 1.73 -7.07
Conservative Ian Cooling 240 31.95 -6.82
UKIP Elaine Evans 97 12.91 +3.32
Labour Dylan Jones 22 2.92 -8.15
Green Geoffrey Meaden 55 7.32 +7.32
Ashford Independents Noel Ovenden 323 43 +4.23
Majority 83 11.05
Turnout 751 41 -14.46
Ashford Independents gain from Conservative Swing

The 2014 Wye by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Steve Wright.

2015-2019

Aylesford Green by-election 19 November 2015[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Adrian Gee-Turner 42 8.91 +8.91
Conservative Alexander Howard 110 23.35 -20.27
Ashford Independents Christine Kathawick-Smith 92 19.53 +19.53
Labour Gordon Miller 106 22.5 -30.92
Green Thom Pizzey 10 2.12 +2.12
UKIP Harriet Yeo 109 23.14 +23.14
Majority 1 0.21
Turnout 471 19.01 -34.67
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Beaver by-election 4 August 2016[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UKIP Ryan Macpherson 373 42.1 +11.6
Labour Caroline Harris 243 27.4 -3.3
Conservative Jo Gideon 240 27.1 +0.2
Green Liz Wright 31 3.5 -3.8
Majority 130 14.7
Turnout 890 21.3 -34.64
UKIP gain from Labour Swing

The 2016 Beaver by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Jill Britcher.

Victoria by-election 8 June 2017[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats James Galloway 260 11.04
UKIP Serge Goldenberg-Kosbab 181 7.68
Green Maria Pizzey 99 4.2
Conservative David Robey 753 31.98
Labour John Charles Suddards 1052 44.68
Majority 299 12.7
Turnout 2354 56.81 -0.29
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Bockhanger by-election 8 June 2017[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Euan Anckorn 415 31.27 -1.2
Green Steve Campkin 97 7.3 +7.3
Conservative Simon Howard-Smith 697 52.52 +12
UKIP Liah Macpherson 113 8.51 +8.51
Majority 282 21.25 +10.7
Turnout 1327 64.07 +1.92
Conservative hold Swing
Kennington by-election 25 October 2018[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ashford Independents Ian McAllister Anderson 227 38.02 +23.1
Conservative Nathan Iliffe 247 41.37 -6.6
Labour Dylan Jones 85 14.23 +6
Green Peter Morgan 36 6 +6
Majority 20 3.35
Turnout 597 32.8 -43.25
Conservative hold Swing

The 2018 Kennington by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Phil Sims.

2019-2023

Downs North by-election 18 July 2019[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ashford Independents Rachael Carley 67 10.38 +10.38
Conservative Charles Dehnel 229 35.5 -11.9
Liberal Democrats Adrian Gee-Turner 70 10.85 -7.8
Green Geoffery Meaden 190 29.45 +5.9
UKIP Philip Meads 22 3.41 +3.41
Labour Carly Ruppert Lingham 17 2.63 -7.7
Independent Sarah Williams 49 7.59 +7.59
Majority 39 6
Turnout 645 32.52 -3.1
Conservative hold Swing

The 2019 Downs North by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Stephen Dehnel.

Park Farm North by-election 12 March 2020[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ashford Independents Trish Cornish 247 60.2 +60.2
Labour Garry Harrison 29 7 -12.9
Conservative Aline Hicks 115 28 -33.5
Green Thom Pizzey 11 2.6 +2.6
Liberal Democrats Samuel Strolz 8 1.9 -16.7
Majority 132 32.1
Turnout 410 22.05 -5.2
Ashford Independents gain from Conservative Swing

The 2020 Park Farm North by-election was triggered by the election of Councillor Jo Gideon to the UK Parliament as MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central.

Beaver by-election 6 May 2021[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Trevor Brooks 469 41.9
Independent Garry Harrison 105 9.4
Labour Dylan Jones 402 36
Green Thom Pizzey 70 6.2
Liberal Democrats Jacqueline Stamp 64 5.7
Majority 66 5.9
Turnout 1115 23.47 -0.6
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

The 2021 Beaver by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Alex Ward.

Downs North by-election 19 August 2021[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Geoffery Meaden 273 51.8 +20.8
Liberal Democrats Carol Wilcox 15 2.8 -8.6
Conservative Sarah Williams 239 45.5 +7.9
Majority 34 6.4
Turnout 529 25.96 -5.6
Greens gain from Conservative Swing

The 2021 Downs North by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Charles Dehnel.

Highfield by-election 16 December 2021[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ashford Independents Barry Ball 101 21.1 -7
Green Dawnie Nilsson 191 39.9 +21.5
Labour Terry Pavlou 23 4.8 +4.8
Conservative James Ransley 163 34.1 -6.5
Majority 28 5.8%
Turnout 478 23.66 -11.39
Greens gain from Conservative Swing

The 2021 Highfield by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Gerald White.

References

  1. ↑ "Role of a Councillor". Ashford.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  2. ↑ "England council elections". BBC News Online. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  3. ↑ Jee, Alex (27 May 2022). "Conservatives lose control of Ashford Borough Council after Tenterden representative Callum Knowles becomes independent". Kent Online. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  4. ↑ "Council minutes". Ashford Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  5. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  7. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  8. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Ashford (Electoral Changes) Order 2017. Retrieved on 27 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Ashford Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  10. ↑ John, Bunnett (25 November 2011). "Declaration of Result of Poll - Election of a Borough Councillor for Beaver (Ashford) Ward" (PDF). Ashford Borough Council.
  11. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Tenterden South ashford.gov.uk
  12. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Beaver (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
  13. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Saxon Shore ashford.gov.uk
  14. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Wye Ward ashford.gov.uk
  15. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Aylesford Green (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
  16. ↑ "Beaver Ward by-election: Ukip steals labour seat in Ashford". 4 August 2016.
  17. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Victoria (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
  18. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Bockhanger (Ashford) ashford.gov.uk
  19. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Kennington (Ashford) Ward of Ashford Borough Council ashford.gov.uk
  20. ↑ Election of a Borough Councillor for Downs North ashford.gov.uk
  21. ↑ Election results ashford.gov.uk
  22. ↑ "View the 2021 Beaver Ward Election results".
  23. ↑ Declaration of results ashford.gov.uk
  24. ↑ Declaration of by-election results ashford.gov.uk
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