# 2015 Breckland District Council election

The 2015 Breckland District Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of Breckland District Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.
There had been major boundary changes since the previous district council election in 2011. The changes reduced the number of wards from 32 to 27, and the number of councillors from 54 to 49. The new boundaries did not change the Conservative party's dominance of Breckland's local politics, as they held onto around 85% of the council seats, essentially the same share of the seats as they had held in 2011. This election saw the presence of a formal UKIP group on the district council, as the party elected four councillors to become the largest opposition party.

## Results

Breckland Council election result 2015 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 42 | 1 | 1 | -5 | 85.7 | 46.8 | 25747 | -5.6 |
| UKIP | 4 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 8.2 | 21.9 | 12054 | +16.3 |
| Labour | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 4.0 | 18.9 | 10374 | -2.9 |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 2732 | -0.5 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.6 | 3633 | -1.2 |
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 | 471 | -2.5 |
Total votes cast: 55011.
Note that the net gains and losses do not add up as the Conservatives lost several additional seats due to boundary changes.

## Breckland Politics 2011-2015

After the 2011 election, 47 councillors were Conservatives, 4 were Labour and 3 were independent. This had changed by 2015 in the following ways:
| Party | Party | Seats (2011 election) | Seats (April 2015) |
| | Conservative | 47 | 46 |
| | Labour | 4 | 3 |
| | Independent | 3 | 3 |
| | CPA | - | 1 |
| | UKIP | - | 1 |
| Total | Total | 54 | 54 |
In the run-up to the 2015 election, the parties nominated a variable number of candidates. Only the Conservatives came close to standing a full slate of candidates across the district. Despite the reduced number of candidates needed, most parties fell back in their number of fielded candidates: only UKIP fielded more candidates (18, up from 7) than in 2011. Labour fielded ten fewer, the Greens five, the Liberal Democrats four, and six fewer independents stood in the election.

## Full results by ward

Note that the holds and gains mentioned here are strictly nominal and should only be treated as a rough guideline, as the ward map changed significantly between 2011 and 2015.
The seats of Bedingfield, Harling and Heathland, Launditch, and Swaffham were uncontested. All elected a single unopposed Conservative with the exception of Swaffham, which elected three unopposed Conservatives.
All Saints & Wayland (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Philip Cowen | 1933 | 65.7 |
| | Conservative | William Henry Charles Smith | 1709 | |
| | UKIP | Giselle Nind | 1008 | 34.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3349 | 70.00 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Ashill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Francis John Sharpe | 755 | 50.8 |
| | UKIP | Emma Parker | 495 | 33.3 |
| | Green | Anne Patricia Melba Rix | 237 | 15.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 69.33 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Attleborough Burgh & Havercroft (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Keith Martin | 1422 | 53.3 |
| | Conservative | Adrian Charles Stasiak | 998 | |
| | Labour | Timothy Robert Mantripp | 628 | 23.5 |
| | Independent | Taila Joan Taylor | 617 | 23.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 62.29 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Attleborough Queens & Besthorpe (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Karen Stephanie Pettitt | 1573 | 40.3 |
| | Conservative | David RR Oliver | 1429 | |
| | Conservative | Tristan John Ashby | 1408 | |
| | UKIP | Anthony Crouch | 900 | 23.1 |
| | Labour | Julian Patrick Crutch | 726 | 18.6 |
| | Independent | Samantha Taylor | 702 | 18.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 62.19 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
The Buckenhams and Banham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Adrian Peter Joel | 1272 | 74.6 |
| | Labour | Victor Peters | 432 | 25.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 69.14 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Dereham Neatherd (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Linda Helen Monument | 1589 | 40.8 |
| | Conservative | William Robert James Richmond | 1339 | |
| | Conservative | Alison Mary Webb | 1326 | |
| | UKIP | Christopher Harwood | 844 | 21.7 |
| | Labour | Marie Ines Jesus Almeida | 755 | 19.4 |
| | Green | Ann Patricia Robertson Bowyer | 708 | 18.2 |
| | Labour | John Herbert Williams | 530 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 62.59 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Dereham Toftwood (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Philip James Duigan | 1060 | 36.5 |
| | Conservative | Michael Steven Hirst | 1003 | |
| | UKIP | Peter Doolan | 782 | 26.9 |
| | Labour | Benedict Baldwin | 597 | 20.5 |
| | Labour | Graham George Hayden | 524 | |
| | Green | Timothy Edward Birt | 465 | 16.0 |
| | Green | Michael Steven Hirst | 209 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 63.10 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Dereham Withburga :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Thomas Frederick Crawford Monument | 1135 | 46.1 |
| | Labour | Harry Edward Jonathan Clarke | 849 | 34.5 |
| | Labour | Linda Goreham | 805 | |
| | Conservative | Jeremy Robert Reynolds | 795 | |
| | Green | Philip Neil Morton | 478 | 19.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 56.71 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Forest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Samuel Hayden Chapman-Allen | 712 | 54.6 |
| | Conservative | John William Nunn | 708 | |
| | Green | Jeffrey Prosser | 324 | 24.8 |
| | Green | Sandra Elizabeth Walmesley | 278 | |
| | Labour | Dennis Wilbert Robert Sully | 268 | 20.6 |
| | Labour | Yvonne Sully | 217 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 65.24 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Guiltcross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Marion Penelope Chapman-Allen | 1242 | 70.1 |
| | Labour | James Waters | 530 | 29.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 72.62 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Hermitage :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Trevor Richard Carter | 1016 | 68.3 |
| | UKIP | John Savory | 472 | 31.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 72.84 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Lincoln (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Richard William Duffield | 1743 | 63.3 |
| | Conservative | Robert Ramsay Richmond | 1374 | |
| | Green | Alison Jane Keidan-Cooper | 1010 | 36.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 68.82 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Mattishall (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Pablo Martin Marino Dimoglou | 1552 | 50.4 |
| | Conservative | Paul Donald Claussen | 1518 | |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Hunton | 848 | 27.5 |
| | UKIP | Philip Tye | 680 | 22.1 |
| | Labour | Julia Ann Onassis | 640 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 72.03 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Nar Valley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter Samuel Wilkinson | 816 | 60.5 |
| | UKIP | David Rhys Williams | 530 | 39.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 68.15 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Necton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Nigel Charles Wilkin | 882 | 60.9 |
| | Labour | Joseph Manuel Sisto | 567 | 39.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 70.40 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Saham Toney (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Charles Godfrey Carter | 1194 | 50.9 |
| | Conservative | John David Rogers | 920 | |
| | UKIP | Janet Brown | 743 | 31.6 |
| | UKIP | Daniel Fishlock | 535 | |
| | Green | Peter Kevin Bate | 411 | 17.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 62.25 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Shipdham With Scarning (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Paul Jonathan Hewett | 1387 | 45.7 |
| | Conservative | Lynda Susan Turner | 1260 | |
| | UKIP | Susan Hebborn | 885 | 29.1 |
| | Labour | Kimberley Louise Wills | 766 | 25.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 63.85 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Thetford Boudica (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | UKIP | Jennifer Hollis | 750 | 34.0 |
| | Conservative | Mark Steven Robinson | 738 | 33.4 |
| | Conservative | Robert George Kybird | 717 | |
| | Labour | David Hodgkinson | 500 | 22.7 |
| | Labour | Francesca Robinson | 412 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Ann Rutter | 219 | 9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 57.00 |
| | UKIP gain from Conservative | UKIP gain from Conservative | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Thetford Burrell (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Terry Jermy | 905 | 39.5 |
| | UKIP | Denis Melvin Crawford | 828 | 36.2 |
| | Labour | Sadie Harvey | 680 | |
| | Conservative | Gloria-Jean Bamber | 557 | 24.3 |
| | Conservative | Louise Sharman | 447 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 49.05 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | UKIP gain from Labour | UKIP gain from Labour | Swing | |
Thetford Castle (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Roy Frederick William Brame | 949 | 37.6 |
| | UKIP | John Newton | 811 | 32.1 |
| | Conservative | John Charles Moorman | 683 | |
| | Labour | Christopher Harvey | 512 | 20.3 |
| | Labour | Jake Shannon | 407 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Daniel John Jeffrey | 252 | 10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 53.08 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | UKIP gain from Independent | UKIP gain from Independent | Swing | |
Thetford Priory (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | UKIP | Mark Taylor | 981 | 37.1 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Jane Bishop | 877 | 33.2 |
| | Labour | Michael Brindle | 786 | 29.7 |
| | Labour | Brenda Canham | 671 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.67 |
| | UKIP gain from Independent | UKIP gain from Independent | Swing | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | |
Upper Wensum (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | William Patrick Borett | 1965 | 62.4 |
| | Conservative | Stanley Gordon Bambridge | 1812 | |
| | UKIP | Gillian Savory | 1185 | 37.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 70.55 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Watton (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Keith Stephen Gilbert | 1413 | 30.7 |
| | Conservative | Claire Rosemary Bowes | 1311 | 28.5 |
| | Conservative | Michael Arthur Wassell | 1235 | |
| | UKIP | Jennifer Fishlock | 1168 | 25.4 |
| | UKIP | Keith Hebborn | 1049 | |
| | Conservative | Kathryn Jane Hughes | 981 | |
| | Labour | Margaret Evelyn Holmes | 705 | 15.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 59.80 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |