# 1996 North Hertfordshire District Council election

The 1996 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 2 May 1996 at the same time as other local elections across England. There were 18 out of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council up for election, being the usual third of the council plus a by-election in Hitchin Oughton ward.
The council had previously been under no overall control, being led by a Labour minority administration with some support from the Liberal Democrats. Labour gained five extra seats at the election, giving them a majority on the council for the first time in its history. The Labour leader, David Kearns, was given the title leader of the council after the election, confirming the position he had de facto held since May 1995 by virtue of being chairman of the policy and resources committee.

## Overall results

The overall results were as follows:
1996 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 % | +/− |
| | Labour | 11 | 5 | 61.1 | 15 | 26 | 52.0 | 13,488 | 44.9 | -0.7 |
| | Conservative | 5 | 6 | 27.8 | 11 | 16 | 32.0 | 9,995 | 33.3 | +6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 2 | 1 | 11.1 | 5 | 7 | 14.0 | 6,556 | 21.8 | 0.0 |

## Ward results

The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election.
Ashbrook ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David John Barnard | 646 | 57.1 | −13.3 |
| | Labour | Edward Wallace | 307 | 27.1 | +7.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Lilian Upchurch | 178 | 15.7 | +5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,431 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -10.6 | |
Baldock ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Roger Miller McFall | 1,085 | 43.5 | −9.7 |
| | Conservative | Bernard Crow* | 832 | 33.3 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Philip Tapp | 578 | 23.2 | +8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,342 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -5.6 | |
Cadwell ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Anne Sobek | 466 | 53.6 | +21.5 |
| | Conservative | Robert Michael Hughes | 403 | 46.4 | −21.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 48.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,807 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +21.5 | |
Hitchin Bearton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Judi Billing* | 1,078 | 69.8 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative | Barry West | 286 | 18.5 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Victor Newham | 180 | 11.7 | 0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,623 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.0 | |
Hitchin Highbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Oliver Canning | 910 | 41.3 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative | Sylvia Frances Chapman | 853 | 38.7 | +7.1 |
| | Labour | Lesley Ann Hankin | 440 | 20.0 | −4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,074 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | -5.0 | |
Hitchin Oughton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Joan Irene Kirby* | 984 | 67.5 | −9.0 |
| | Labour | Martin John Stears | 893 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Victoria Warwick | 251 | 17.2 | +5.9 |
| | Conservative | Nigel Kenneth Brook | 222 | 15.2 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,068 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.5 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
The by-election in Hitchin Oughton ward was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor David Harbourne on 18 March 1996.
Hitchin Priory ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Arthur Charles Thake* | 620 | 55.2 | +14.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Palmer | 274 | 24.4 | +4.3 |
| | Labour | Christopher Peter Charles White | 230 | 20.5 | +4.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 39.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,869 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +4.9 | |
Hitchin Walsworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Philip Anthony Banks* | 1,480 | 67.6 | +21.7 |
| | Conservative | Bernard Frank James Lovewell | 447 | 20.4 | +12.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Paul Heath | 261 | 11.9 | +7.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,020 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.5 | |
Knebworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Margaret Amy Hilton* | 756 | 50.1 | −1.4 |
| | Labour | Timothy Liddy | 754 | 49.9 | +28.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,410 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -15.0 | |
Letchworth East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lorna Rose Kercher* | 1,181 | 64.0 | −1.4 |
| | Conservative | Paul Antony Stockford | 378 | 20.5 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Gammell | 285 | 15.5 | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 37.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,891 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.8 | |
Letchworth Grange ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Peter Kearns* | 1,371 | 67.2 | −4.5 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Edward Shaddick | 415 | 20.3 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robin Julian Hall | 255 | 12.5 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 40.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,085 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -4.1 | |
Letchworth South East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jean Andrews | 1,193 | 46.3 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative | Pauline Marguerite Wood* | 789 | 30.6 | +7.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jean Phyllis Leonard | 597 | 23.1 | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,220 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -6.3 | |
Letchworth South West ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lynda Ann Needham | 1,021 | 42.5 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sally Margaret Jarvis (Sal Jarvis) | 1,018 | 42.4 | −2.2 |
| | Labour | Marion Elizabeth Watson-Blake | 362 | 15.1 | −1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 52.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,565 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.7 | |
Letchworth Wilbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gary Thomas Grindal | 928 | 58.7 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative | Raymond Lawrence Shakespeare-Smith* (Ray Shakespeare-Smith) | 421 | 26.6 | +2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Francis Booton | 231 | 14.6 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,305 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +0.1 | |
Royston East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Francis John Smith* (John Smith) | 854 | 48.1 | +4.5 |
| | Labour | Ken Prince | 586 | 33.0 | +8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Caroline Elizabeth Coates | 334 | 18.8 | −12.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 40.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,347 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.0 | |
Royston West ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Leslie Baker (Les Baker) | 992 | 39.6 | +5.9 |
| | Conservative | Jane Margaret Dwerryhouse-Spears | 860 | 34.4 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frank Christopher East (Chris East) | 651 | 26.0 | −8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 39.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,392 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.6 | |
Weston ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Kenneth Jarvis* (Steve Jarvis) | 553 | 69.5 | +17.8 |
| | Conservative | Jessica Christian Dorothy Thomson | 192 | 24.1 | −20.1 |
| | Labour | John Mann | 51 | 6.4 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 64.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,241 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +19.0 | |

## Changes 1996–1998

Letchworth Wilbury ward by election, 1 May 1997 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Andrew Milne | 1,635 | 50.8 | −8.0 |
| Conservative | Jessica Thomson | 1,025 | 31.8 | +5.2 |
| Liberal Democrats | Murray Turner | 560 | 17.4 | +2.8 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.6 | |
The Letchworth Wilbury ward by-election was triggered by the death of Labour councillor David Evans.