# 2006 West Oxfordshire District Council election

The 2006 West Oxfordshire District Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of West Oxfordshire District Council in Oxfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Conservative 34
* Liberal Democrats 9
* Independent 5
* Labour 1

## Background

After the last election in 2004 the Conservatives controlled the council with 29 councillors, while the Liberal Democrats had 13 seats, Independents had six and the Labour Party had one seat. However, in April 2005 Conservative councillor Peter Green resigned from the party to sit as an independent, meaning that going into the 2006 election the Conservatives had 28 seats and there were 7 independents.
For the 16 seats contested in 2006, the Conservatives had 16 candidates, Labour 13, Liberal Democrats 11, Green Party 7 and there were 3 Independents.

## Election result

The Conservatives increased their majority on the council after gaining six seats to take 14 of the 16 seats contested. This took the Conservatives to 34 councillors and came at the expense of the Liberal Democrats, who lost four seats, and the independents who lost two seats. The Liberal Democrats were therefore reduced to nine councillors and the independents to five, while Labour remained with a single councillor. Of the 10 councillors who sought re-election, nine were successful, with only Liberal Democrat Julian Cooper losing in Woodstock and Bladon ward by 34 votes to Conservative candidate Jill Dunsmore. Overall turnout at the election was 40.25%.
West Oxfordshire local election result 2006 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 14 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 87.5 | 59.6 | 11,471 | +13.1% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 6.3 | 20.0 | 3,850 | -10.4% |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 6.3 | 6.6 | 1,273 | +0.8% |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.3 | 1,793 | -0.9% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 | 866 | -2.6% |

## Ward results

Ascott and Shipton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hilary Hibbert-Biles | 649 | 78.6 | +21.2 |
| | Labour | John Gittings | 92 | 11.1 | +11.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Miller | 85 | 10.3 | +10.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 557 | 67.4 | +52.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 826 | 50.3 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Bampton and Clanfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Martin Barrett | 856 | 57.6 | +57.6 |
| | Conservative | Frederick Gray | 558 | 37.5 | −15.9 |
| | Labour | Mark Albert | 73 | 4.9 | +4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 298 | 20.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,487 | 51.9 | +13.5 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
Brize Norton and Shilton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Verena Hunt | 490 | 76.3 |
| | Independent | Shane Rae | 120 | 18.7 |
| | Labour | Duncan Enright | 32 | 5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 370 | 57.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 642 | 43.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Burford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Derek Cotterill | 556 | 79.8 | +36.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Lilly | 104 | 14.9 | +14.9 |
| | Labour | Matthew Deans | 37 | 5.3 | +5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 452 | 64.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 697 | 50.0 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | | |
Carterton North East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Reginald Mason | 486 | 62.1 | −8.5 |
| | Independent | Paul Wesson | 297 | 37.9 | +37.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 189 | 24.1 | −17.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 783 | 25.3 | +7.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Carterton North West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David King | 846 | 83.8 | +29.5 |
| | Labour | Raymond Harris | 163 | 16.2 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 683 | 67.7 | +47.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,009 | 31.2 | +4.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Carterton South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Windell Walcott | 892 | 81.2 | +31.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Madden | 206 | 18.8 | −23.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 686 | 62.5 | +54.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,098 | 34.9 | +6.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Chipping Norton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Townley | 1,198 | 61.0 | +12.0 |
| | Labour | Robert Evans | 533 | 27.2 | +2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Allen | 138 | 7.0 | −11.4 |
| | Green | Brian Luney | 94 | 4.8 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 665 | 33.9 | +9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,963 | 42.8 | −1.3 |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | | |
Ducklington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stephen Hayward | 443 | 67.1 | +13.6 |
| | Labour | William Tumbridge | 91 | 13.8 | −8.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gillian Workman | 76 | 11.5 | −12.4 |
| | Green | Richard Dossett-Davies | 50 | 7.6 | +7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 352 | 53.3 | +23.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 660 | 41.4 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Eynsham and Cassington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frances Pike | 867 | 45.6 | +10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Andrews | 763 | 40.2 | −14.6 |
| | Green | Xanthe Bevis | 160 | 8.4 | −2.1 |
| | Labour | Richard Kelsall | 110 | 5.8 | +5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 104 | 5.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,900 | 42.2 | −0.8 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Freeland and Hanborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Colin Dingwall | 732 | 48.9 | +4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Baggaley | 604 | 40.4 | −15.5 |
| | Green | Jill Jones | 100 | 6.7 | +6.7 |
| | Labour | Georgina Burrows | 60 | 4.0 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 128 | 8.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,496 | 45.7 | −6.4 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brenda Smith | 779 | 51.7 | +0.0 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Fenton | 729 | 48.3 | +0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 50 | 3.3 | −0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,508 | 47.6 | −4.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
The Bartons :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | William Goffe | 474 | 80.7 |
| | Labour | Colin Carritt | 113 | 19.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 361 | 61.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 587 | 38.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Witney East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Mills | 959 | 60.9 | +11.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Slamin | 275 | 17.5 | −6.2 |
| | Green | Enid Dossett-Davies | 217 | 13.8 | −1.4 |
| | Labour | David Wesson | 123 | 7.8 | −4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 684 | 43.5 | +17.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,574 | 34.2 | −4.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Witney South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Harvey | 944 | 60.9 | +8.2 |
| | Labour | Phillip Edney | 246 | 15.9 | −3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michelle Coulson | 206 | 13.3 | −3.9 |
| | Green | Sandra Simpson | 153 | 9.9 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 698 | 45.1 | +11.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,549 | 34.2 | −2.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Woodstock and Bladon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jill Dunsmore | 648 | 44.0 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julian Cooper | 614 | 41.7 | +7.3 |
| | Labour | Susan Roberts | 120 | 8.1 | −5.0 |
| | Green | Paul Creighton | 92 | 6.2 | −2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 34 | 2.3 | −7.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,474 | 49.1 | −4.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

## By-elections between 2006 and 2007

A by-election was held in Witney Central on 25 January 2007 after the disappearance of Conservative councillor Andrew Creery. The seat was held for Conservatives by Colin Adams with a majority of 210 votes over Liberal Democrat Brenda Churchill.
Witney Central by-election 25 January 2007 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Colin Adams | 417 | 53.5 | +10.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brenda Churchill | 207 | 26.6 | +8.8 |
| | Labour | David Wesson | 87 | 11.2 | −16.5 |
| | Green | Sandra Simpson | 68 | 8.7 | −2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 210 | 27.0 | +11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 779 | 25.1 | −16.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |