# 1987 Adur District Council election

Elections to the Adur District Council were held on 7 May 1987, with one third of the council up for election. There were additional vacancies in the Churchill and Widewater wards and no elections for the two-member Marine ward. Overall turnout climbed to 48.3%.
The election resulted in the Alliance retaining control of the council.

## Election result

Adur District Council Election Result 1987 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Alliance | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 53.3 | 44.1 | 9,522 | +1.3 |
| Conservative | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 46.7 | 46.6 | 10,068 | +11.4 |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 9.3 | 2,003 | -4.9 |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | SDP-Liberal Alliance | 22 | 22 |
| | Conservative | 15 | 15 |
| | Independent Residents | 2 | 2 |
| Total | Total | 39 | 39 | 39 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 5 | 5 |

## Ward results

+/- figures represent changes from the last time these wards were contested.
Buckingham (4013) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Merrick A. | 1,317 | 65.9 | +8.6 |
| | Alliance | Hammond G. Ms. | 682 | 34.1 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 635 | 31.8 | +6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,999 | 49.8 | +6.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +3.3 | |
Churchill (3792) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Sherwood R. | 897 | 47.7 | −3.5 |
| | Alliance | Ford A. | 886 | | |
| | Conservative | Wood J. | 836 | 44.5 | +4.9 |
| | Conservative | Gray W. Ms. | 834 | | |
| | Labour | Aldrich S. Ms. | 146 | 7.8 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 61 | 3.2 | −8.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,879 | 49.6 | +4.8 |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | | |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | -4.2 | |
Cokeham (3586) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Purdie D. | 711 | 46.5 | −8.8 |
| | Conservative | Kemp C. | 617 | 40.4 | +9.2 |
| | Labour | Mear B. | 201 | 13.1 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 94 | 6.1 | −18.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,529 | 42.6 | +5.1 |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | -9.0 | |
Eastbrook (3644) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dunn R. | 975 | 47.3 | +12.1 |
| | Alliance | Taylor S. | 780 | 37.8 | −1.9 |
| | Labour | Morris C. | 306 | 14.8 | −10.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 195 | 9.5 | +4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,061 | 56.5 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +7.0 | |
Hillside (3716) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Barber R. | 1,006 | 57.8 | +16.0 |
| | Alliance | Whitmore L. | 431 | 24.8 | +5.2 |
| | Labour | Sweet G. Ms. | 303 | 17.4 | −21.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 575 | 33.0 | +29.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,740 | 46.8 | −0.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.4 | |
Manor (3489) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Robinson C. | 952 | 55.3 | +0.6 |
| | Conservative | Chad R. | 769 | 44.7 | +6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 183 | 10.6 | −6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,721 | 49.3 | −2.0 |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | -3.0 | |
Mash Barn (3081) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Robinson J. Ms. | 818 | 82.9 | +25.1 |
| | Labour | Atkins B. | 169 | 17.1 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 649 | 65.8 | +38.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 987 | 32.0 | −5.6 |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | +10.0 | |
Peverel (3316) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Spruce P. | 732 | 48.6 | −14.2 |
| | Conservative | Harris F. | 617 | 41.0 | +15.4 |
| | Labour | Atkins H. Ms. | 156 | 10.4 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 115 | 7.6 | −29.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,505 | 45.4 | +4.6 |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | -9.8 | |
Southlands (3427) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Little S. | 917 | 51.3 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative | Hermans G. Ms. | 587 | 32.8 | −0.6 |
| | Labour | Sweet N. | 283 | 15.8 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 330 | 18.5 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,787 | 52.0 | +1.7 |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | +0.4 | |
Southwick Green (3922) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Bucknall S. Ms. | 1,162 | 57.8 | +7.9 |
| | Conservative | Maltby C. | 848 | 42.2 | +42.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 314 | 15.6 | +7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,010 | 51.3 | +6.0 |
| | Alliance gain from Conservative | Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | -17.1 | |
St. Marys (878) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Marchant R. | 256 | 60.1 | N/A |
| | Alliance | Bienati C. Ms. | 116 | 27.2 | N/A |
| | Labour | Gibbs L. | 54 | 12.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 140 | 32.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 426 | 48.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
St. Nicolas (3781) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Lucraft J. Ms. | 1,201 | 64.1 | +15.1 |
| | Alliance | Gough R. | 481 | 25.7 | −5.9 |
| | Labour | Barnes S. | 192 | 10.2 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 720 | 38.4 | +21.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,874 | 49.5 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +10.5 | |
Widewater (4213)2 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Floyd J. | 1,039 | 50.1 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative | Forshaw G. | 1,016 | | |
| | Alliance | Barrow R. | 843 | 40.6 | −5.4 |
| | Alliance | Cooper M. Ms. | 822 | | |
| | Labour | Allwright R. | 193 | 9.3 | −0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 196 | 9.4 | +7.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,075 | 48.4 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Alliance | Conservative gain from Alliance | Swing | +5.4 | |