# 1982 North Hertfordshire District Council election

The 1982 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 6 May 1982, at the same time as other local elections across England and Scotland. There were 16 out of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council up for election, being the usual third of the council.
Only one seat changed party, being a Conservative win from Labour in Letchworth South East ward. The council remained under Conservative control. The new SDP–Liberal Alliance took over 26% of the vote but did not secure any seats. The Labour vote fell by over 20% compared to the 1980 election.

## Overall results

The overall results were as follows:
1982 North Hertfordshire District Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Conservative | 11 | 1 | 68.8 | 21 | 32 | 64.0 | 13,436 | 41.3 | -0.9 |
| | Labour | 3 | 1 | 18.8 | 11 | 14 | 28.0 | 8,892 | 27.3 | -20.4 |
| | Alliance | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 8,477 | 26.1 | +22.3 |
| | Ratepayers | 1 | | 6.3 | 1 | 2 | 4.0 | 1,159 | 3.6 | +0.9 |
| | Independent | 1 | | 6.3 | 1 | 2 | 4.0 | 518 | 1.6 | +0.1 |
| | Ecology | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 58 | 0.2 | -1.9 |

## Ward results

The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election.
Baldock ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Clarke | 986 | 40.5 | +5.9 |
| | Labour | Roger McFall | 766 | 31.5 | −25.1 |
| | Alliance | Michael Pritchett | 625 | 25.7 | +25.7 |
| | Ecology | Stephen Toogood | 58 | 2.4 | −6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,203 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +15.5 | |
Codicote ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Denis Winch* | 744 | 76.2 | +3.3 |
| | Labour | Andrew Wright (Andy Wright) | 233 | 23.8 | −3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,267 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.3 | |
Hitchin Bearton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Norman Frost | 877 | 39.9 | −7.2 |
| | Labour | Harold Smith (Harry Smith) | 796 | 36.2 | −16.7 |
| | Alliance | Harry Shipley | 524 | 23.9 | +23.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 49.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,421 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.8 | |
Hitchin Highbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Archie Kingston-Splatt (Bill Kingston-Splatt) | 1,298 | 54.9 | −11.8 |
| | Alliance | Brian Abrahams | 785 | 33.2 | +33.2 |
| | Labour | Keith Ruff | 283 | 12.0 | −11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,066 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -22.5 | |
Hitchin Oughton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jim Reilly* | 919 | 48.1 | −21.4 |
| | Conservative | Derrick Ashley | 595 | 31.2 | +3.8 |
| | Alliance | Sarah Hall | 396 | 20.7 | +20.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,537 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -12.6 | |
Hitchin Priory ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bob Flatman* | 936 | 65.0 | −18.6 |
| | Alliance | Wilfred Aspinall | 406 | 28.2 | +28.2 |
| | Labour | Liz Billing | 98 | 6.8 | −9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 51.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,802 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -23.4 | |
Hitchin Walsworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ratepayers | Brian Worbey* | 1,130 | 44.9 | +11.3 |
| | Labour | Barry Sharp | 756 | 30.1 | −22.0 |
| | Alliance | Robert Lord (Bob Lord) | 629 | 25.0 | +14.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,729 | | |
| | Ratepayers hold | Ratepayers hold | Swing | +16.7 | |
Kimpton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Francis Thompson | 518 | 81.3 | +27.3 |
| | Labour | Owen Swain | 119 | 18.7 | +11.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,655 | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | +7.8 | |
Knebworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gordon Dumelow* | 927 | 58.0 | −0.5 |
| | Alliance | Derek Scott | 324 | 20.3 | +20.3 |
| | Labour | Kay Kelly | 318 | 19.9 | −21.6 |
| | Ratepayers | Dennis Bols | 29 | 1.8 | +1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 50.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,158 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -10.4 | |
Letchworth East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Stan Wilmer* | 901 | 40.4 | −21.5 |
| | Alliance | William Armitage | 713 | 32.0 | +32.0 |
| | Conservative | David Langridge | 617 | 27.7 | −10.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 53.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,162 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -26.8 | |
Letchworth Grange ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Don Kitchiner* | 912 | 38.4 | −25.9 |
| | Alliance | James Bray | 822 | 34.7 | +34.7 |
| | Conservative | Jean Sherwood | 638 | 26.9 | −8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,179 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -30.3 | |
Letchworth South East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Norman Prior | 1,121 | 35.9 | +5.9 |
| | Alliance | Tony Quinn | 1,028 | 32.9 | +5.0 |
| | Labour | Joan Kirby* | 974 | 31.2 | −10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 52.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,949 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +0.5 | |
Letchworth South West ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Burrows* | 1,566 | 63.6 | +19.6 |
| | Liberal | Patrick Short | 581 | 23.6 | −5.3 |
| | Labour | Ahmad Khawaja | 316 | 12.8 | −14.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 57.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,321 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +12.5 | |
Letchworth Wilbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Emsall* | 947 | 40.9 | +4.5 |
| | Labour | Stuart Murray | 905 | 39.1 | −15.6 |
| | Alliance | William Gore | 462 | 20.0 | +11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 57.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,031 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +10.1 | |
Royston East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Pat Rule* | 1,027 | 55.1 | −6.3 |
| | Liberal | Hazel Lord | 634 | 34.0 | +16.7 |
| | Labour | Jessie Etheridge | 204 | 10.9 | −10.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 48.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,822 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -11.5 | |
Royston West ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Harold Greenfield* | 1,157 | 55.2 | +12.5 |
| | SDP | Martin Castle | 548 | 26.1 | +1.4 |
| | Labour | Mick Kernaghan | 392 | 18.7 | −13.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,755 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.6 | |