# 2011 Rother District Council election

The 2011 Rother District Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Rother District Council in East Sussex, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.

## Election result

The Conservatives stayed in control of the council with a slightly reduced majority after having a net loss of 1 seat to leave them on 27 councillors. They lost 1 seat to Labour in Bexhill Sidley and 3 seats to independents, with all 4 independents who stood for seats in Bexhill being elected. However the Conservatives picked up a seat in Darwell, after independent councillor Wendy Mier stood down at the election, and gained 2 seats from the Liberal Democrats in Salehurst and Bexhill St Michaels.
The Liberal Democrats also lost a seat to Labour in Rye and as a result dropped from 8 to 5 seats on the council. Meanwhile, the Labour gains in Rye and Bexhill Sidley meant the party regained a presence on the council with 2 councillors. Overall turnout at the election was 48.2%, which was described as "exceptionally good" by the returning officer.
Rother local election result 2011 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 27 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 71.1 | 53.2 | 30,664 | -6.5% |
| Liberal Democrats | 5 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 13.2 | 21.0 | 12,081 | -6.2% |
| Independent | 4 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 10.5 | 8.4 | 4,815 | +2.4% |
| Labour | 2 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 5.3 | 15.8 | 9,110 | +9.2% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 | 915 | +1.1% |

## Ward results

Battle Town (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kathryn Field | 960 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kevin Dixon | 778 | | |
| | Conservative | Margaret Howell | 640 | | |
| | Conservative | Norma Lansdowne | 529 | | |
| | Labour | Richard Body | 276 | | |
| | Green | Andrew Ratcliffe | 261 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,444 | 48.0 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Bexhill Central (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Joy Hughes | 674 | | |
| | Conservative | Richard Carroll | 666 | | |
| | Labour | Suze Youde | 531 | | |
| | Labour | Paul Theaker | 482 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Neil Francis | 347 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,700 | 37.7 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Bexhill Collington (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | John Lee | 1,096 | | |
| | Independent | Tony Mansi | 1,034 | | |
| | Conservative | Gillian Wheeler | 871 | | |
| | Conservative | Shirley Miller | 819 | | |
| | Labour | Kate Bird | 239 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,059 | 57.5 | +13.1 |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Bexhill Kewhurst (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Kentfield | 1,244 | | |
| | Conservative | Martin Kenward | 1,132 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Zipperlen | 575 | | |
| | Labour | Yvonne Cleland | 426 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,377 | 51.7 | +9.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Bexhill Old Town (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frances Winterborn | 539 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stuart Wood | 511 | | |
| | Conservative | Gaynor Gough | 502 | | |
| | Labour | Alan Bearne | 287 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,839 | 42.7 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Bexhill Sackville (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Deirdre Williams | 750 | | |
| | Conservative | Patrick Douart | 727 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Vivienne Bond | 581 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Toby Cook | 520 | | |
| | Labour | Russell Meredith | 337 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,915 | 45.9 | +5.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Bexhill Sidley (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Jim Carroll | 825 | |
| | Labour | Maurice Watson | 624 | |
| | Labour | Andrew Fleming | 619 | |
| | Conservative | Abul Azad | 596 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,664 | 39.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | |
Bexhill St Marks (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Stuart Earl | 1,005 | | |
| | Conservative | Joanne Gadd | 980 | | |
| | Conservative | Robert Chase | 837 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rachel Hills | 494 | | |
| | Labour | Andrew Shepherd | 213 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,529 | 54.7 | +10.0 |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Bexhill St Michaels (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Charles Clark | 996 | | |
| | Conservative | Simon Elford | 540 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martyn Forster | 480 | | |
| | Labour | Philipa Coughlan | 344 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,360 | 42.5 | +6.3 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Bexhill St Stephens (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bridget George | 830 | | |
| | Conservative | Paul Lendon | 796 | | |
| | Labour | Paul Courtel | 465 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbara Warburton | 445 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,536 | 41.2 | +4.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Brede Valley (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Johnson | 1,173 | | |
| | Conservative | Carl Maynard | 1,117 | | |
| | Labour | Margaret | 439 | | |
| | Labour | Linda Harland | 429 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Smith | 295 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,453 | 48.9 | +8.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Crowhurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Angharad Davies | 549 | 51.7 | +5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Kemp | 394 | 37.1 | −9.0 |
| | Labour | Tim MacPherson | 119 | 11.2 | +3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 155 | 14.6 | +14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,062 | 52.6 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Darwell (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Vereker | 1,168 | | |
| | Conservative | Bob White | 1,016 | | |
| | Green | Andrew Wedmore | 386 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tracy Dixon | 363 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Sayer | 341 | | |
| | Labour | Brian Basham | 228 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,502 | 48.7 | +6.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | | |
Eastern Rother (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Osborne | 1,083 | | |
| | Conservative | Nick Ramus | 1,039 | | |
| | Labour | Chris Mears | 564 | | |
| | Labour | Nick Warren | 510 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nicholas Cleveland-Stephens | 237 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,433 | 49.8 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Ewhurst and Sedlescombe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tony Ganly | 790 | 77.6 | +11.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Angus Gillougley | 228 | 22.4 | −11.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 562 | 55.2 | +22.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,018 | 51.6 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Marsham (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roger Bird | 1,206 | | |
| | Conservative | Robin Patten | 1,165 | | |
| | Labour | Bob Ball | 377 | | |
| | Labour | Jonathan Lee | 334 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Derek Greenup | 247 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,329 | 54.0 | +8.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Rother Levels (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Martin Mooney | 1,219 | | |
| | Conservative | Ian Jenkins | 1,154 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Als | 533 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Schlesinger | 495 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,401 | 51.4 | +8.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Rye (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Russell | 620 | | |
| | Labour | Sam Souster | 577 | | |
| | Labour | Nigel Jennings | 488 | | |
| | Independent | Mary Smith | 470 | | |
| | Conservative | Christopher Saint | 459 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sonia Holmes | 280 | | |
| | Independent | David Wright | 214 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,108 | 50.2 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Salehurst (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Prochak | 958 | | |
| | Conservative | Graham Browne | 838 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Hardy | 711 | | |
| | Labour | Bob Collins | 202 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,709 | 51.0 | +5.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Ticehurst and Etchingham (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Elliston | 1,060 | | |
| | Conservative | Mary Barnes | 1,050 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peggy Langdown | 403 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gavin Barrass | 366 | | |
| | Green | Don Nicholls | 268 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,147 | 50.2 | +9.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

## By-elections between 2011 and 2015

A by-election was held in Darwell on 31 July 2014 after the resignation of Conservative councillor Bob White. The seat was held for the Conservatives by Eleanor Kirby-Green with a majority of 179 votes over the UK Independence Party.
Darwell by-election 31 July 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Eleanor Kirby-Green | 361 | 42.7 | −11.8 |
| | UKIP | Edward Smith | 182 | 21.5 | +21.5 |
| | Green | Andrew Wedmore | 154 | 18.2 | +0.2 |
| | Labour | Suz Evasdaughter | 84 | 9.9 | −0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tracy Dixon | 65 | 7.7 | −9.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 179 | 21.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 846 | 20.7 | −28.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |