# 2002 South Lakeland District Council election

The 2002 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Liberal Democrat 21
* Conservative 19
* Labour 9
* Independent 3

## Background

Before the election the Liberal Democrats were the largest group on the council, but no party had a majority. 14 of the seats being contested were in Kendal, with the Liberal Democrats defending 9 of the 18 seats which were up for election. 3 councillors stood down at the election, Liberal Democrat John Sudholme of Kendal Castle ward, Labour's Jim Blamire of Kendal Underley and independent Philip Ball of Kendal Oxenholme.
Issues in the election included plans to move council housing from the direct control of the council, with Labour opposing the move and both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats supporting it. Other issues included improving the council finances, increasing recycling, parking and social exclusion.

## Election result

The results saw little change in the party balance on the council, with the only net change being the Conservatives going up by 1 seat to 19 councillors, at the expense of the independents, who dropped to 3 seats. Close results came in Kendal Nether, where Labour gained a seat from the Liberal Democrats by 7 votes after a recount, and Kendal Highgate, where the Liberal Democrats took a seat from Labour by 13 votes.
South Lakeland Local Election Result 2002 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Liberal Democrats | 9 | 0 | 50.0 | 45.8 | 5,690 |
| Labour | 6 | 0 | 33.3 | 22.1 | 2,746 |
| Conservative | 2 | +1 | 11.1 | 30.6 | 3,799 |
| Independent | 1 | -1 | 5.6 | 1.5 | 190 |
One Independent candidate was unopposed.

## Ward results

Arnside and Beetham (by-election) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Stewart | 1,038 | 54.1 | −1.8 |
| | Conservative | George Crossman | 879 | 45.9 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 159 | 8.2 | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,917 | 54.8 | +10.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sonia Lawson | 344 | 51.7 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative | Lyndsay Slater | 267 | 40.2 | +12.7 |
| | Labour | Alan Whitton | 54 | 8.1 | −8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 77 | 11.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 665 | 44.0 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Far Cross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Simon Butterfield | 278 | 43.9 | +29.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carole Cliffe | 218 | 34.4 | −37.3 |
| | Labour | Guy Johnson | 137 | 21.6 | +8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 60 | 9.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 633 | 38.8 | +9.1 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Kendal Fell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robin Yates* | 233 | 47.6 | −14.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey Cook | 195 | 39.9 | +2.4 |
| | Conservative | Helen Graham | 61 | 12.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 7.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 489 | 35.6 | −3.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Glebelands :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robert Rothwell* | 276 | 39.8 | −8.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Russell Caton | 250 | 36.1 | +19.2 |
| | Conservative | Pamela Flitcroft | 167 | 24.1 | −10.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 26 | 3.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 693 | 46.4 | +6.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Heron Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Shine* | 411 | 63.7 | −9.9 |
| | Conservative | Susan Hunt | 154 | 23.9 | +7.6 |
| | Labour | Margaret Alderson | 80 | 12.4 | +2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 257 | 39.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 645 | 38.8 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Highgate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Little | 269 | 43.4 | +5.0 |
| | Labour | Rita Molloy* | 256 | 41.4 | −6.4 |
| | Conservative | Frank Brooks | 94 | 15.2 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13 | 2.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 619 | 42.2 | +7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Kendal Kirkland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Avril Dobson* | 255 | 64.4 | −17.1 |
| | Conservative | Janet Brooks | 77 | 19.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gwyneth Raymond | 64 | 16.2 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 178 | 45.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 396 | 29.0 | −3.6 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Mintsfeet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Angela Barratt* | 248 | 42.6 | −20.6 |
| | Labour | Brian Dobson | 184 | 31.6 | +15.9 |
| | Conservative | Jack Tomlinson | 150 | 25.8 | +4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 64 | 11.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 582 | 35.3 | +9.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Nether :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Braithwaite | 298 | 44.4 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Mayho* | 291 | 43.4 | −6.4 |
| | Conservative | Susannah Pearson | 82 | 12.2 | +4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7 | 1.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 671 | 45.8 | +1.7 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Kendal Oxenholme :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gwendoline Murfin | 363 | 57.5 | −0.8 |
| | Conservative | Olga Lewis | 154 | 24.4 | +11.8 |
| | Labour | Keith Fawcett | 114 | 18.1 | −11.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 209 | 33.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 631 | 36.2 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Parks :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brendan Jameson* | 395 | 73.3 | −7.8 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Graham | 101 | 18.7 | +6.9 |
| | Labour | Helen Speed | 43 | 8.0 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 294 | 54.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 539 | 32.8 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Stonecross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Vincent* | 491 | 58.8 | +9.8 |
| | Conservative | Harold Barker | 282 | 33.8 | −6.8 |
| | Labour | Terence McIntee | 62 | 7.4 | −3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 209 | 25.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 835 | 52.7 | +7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Strickland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jean Ewing* | 375 | 61.0 | −11.0 |
| | Conservative | Melvin Mackie | 120 | 19.5 | +5.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lynne Mayho | 120 | 19.5 | +5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 255 | 41.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 615 | 36.9 | −1.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Underley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Batteson | 379 | 63.8 | −23.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James McKeefery | 121 | 20.4 | +7.7 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Robson | 94 | 15.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 258 | 43.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 594 | 39.6 | +0.5 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Lakes Ambleside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Barker* | 580 | 46.8 | +9.7 |
| | Conservative | Brian Barton | 468 | 37.8 | +19.1 |
| | Independent | George Middleton | 190 | 15.3 | −20.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 112 | 9.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,238 | 38.6 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Lakes Grasmere :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Elizabeth Braithwaite* | unopposed | N/A | −75.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | N/A | N/A | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | N/A | N/A | −38.6 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
Sedbergh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Winn | 771 | 72.5 | +16.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sydney McLennan | 292 | 27.5 | +9.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 479 | 45.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,063 | 37.4 | −3.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |