# 2023 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election

The 2023 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in Kent, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.
The council remained under no overall control, being led by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, local party the Tunbridge Wells Alliance, Labour and an independent councillor, led by Ben Chapelard of the Liberal Democrats. The council remained under no overall control after the election and continued to be run by the same coalition.

## Summary
### Election result

2023 Tunbridge Wells Borough 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 % | +/− |
| | Liberal Democrats | 5 | | 31.0 | 12 | 17 | 35.4 | 6,733 | 25.3 | +2.9 |
| | Conservative | 2 | 2 | 12.5 | 9 | 11 | 22.9 | 7,808 | 29.4 | –2.7 |
| | Alliance | 5 | 1 | 31.0 | 6 | 11 | 18.8 | 4,804 | 18.1 | –3.4 |
| | Labour | 3 | 1 | 18.8 | 5 | 8 | 16.7 | 4,330 | 16.3 | –3.3 |
| | Independent | 1 | | 6.3 | 2 | 3 | 6.3 | 640 | 2.4 | N/A |
| | Green | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,177 | 8.2 | +4.2 |
| | Reform UK | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 0.3 | N/A' |

## Candidates

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council following the close of nominations on 5 April 2023. The results were as follows:

### Benenden and Cranbrook

Benenden and Cranbrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Nancy Warne* | 723 | 42.9 | 4.9 |
| | Conservative | John Austen | 619 | 36.7 | 6.4 |
| | Labour | Lorna Blackmore | 120 | 7.1 | 2.7 |
| | Green | Rachael Mason | 116 | 6.9 | 2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Gill | 109 | 6.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 104 | 6.2 | 1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,687 | 32.3 | 1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,221 | | |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | 5.7 | |

### Culverden

Culverden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Osborne | 1,104 | 51.5 | 3.1 |
| | Conservative | Chris Woodward | 580 | 27.1 | 3.3 |
| | Green | Michael Calvert | 249 | 11.6 | N/A |
| | Labour | Adrian Farnham | 210 | 9.8 | 1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 524 | 24.4 | 0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,143 | 34.7 | 4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,173 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 3.2 | |

### Frittenden and Sissinghurst

Frittenden and Sissinghurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andy Fairweather* | 429 | 67.0 | 20.8 |
| | Green | John Hurst | 82 | 12.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Angela Funnell | 75 | 11.7 | 1.0 |
| | Alliance | Janis Smith | 54 | 8.4 | 34.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 347 | 54.2 | 50.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 640 | 35.5 | 9.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,805 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 27.6 | |

### Goudhurst and Lamberhurst

Goudhurst and Lamberhurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Alison Webster | 520 | 41.6 | 1.6 |
| | Conservative | Beckie Winter | 291 | 23.3 | 14.9 |
| | Green | Geoff Mason | 272 | 21.7 | 14.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Rappoport | 96 | 7.7 | 1.6 |
| | Labour | Anne Musker | 72 | 5.8 | 2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 229 | 18.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,251 | 35.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,533 | | |
| | Alliance gain from Conservative | Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Hawkhurst and Sandhurst

Hawkhurst and Sandhurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Godfrey Bland* | 800 | 48.1 | 6.7 |
| | Alliance | Heidi Eccles | 291 | 17.5 | 30.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mike Appelbe | 230 | 13.8 | N/A |
| | Labour | Ana Draper | 159 | 9.6 | 0.9 |
| | Green | Debs Keech | 100 | 6.0 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Simon Hilton | 83 | 5.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 509 | 30.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,663 | 33.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,954 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Paddock Wood East

Paddock Wood East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Rodney Atkins* | 391 | 35.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Nicolas Maari | 309 | 28.4 | 4.1 |
| | Independent | Matthew Bailey* | 178 | 16.4 | N/A |
| | Labour | Andrew Muir | 108 | 9.9 | 4.6 |
| | Green | Penny Peerless | 58 | 5.3 | 0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Guinnessy | 44 | 4.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 82 | 7.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,088 | 32.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,360 | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |

### Paddock Wood West

Paddock Wood West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Munday | 438 | 40.4 | 35.8 |
| | Conservative | Tom Mobbs | 354 | 32.7 | 5.3 |
| | Green | Trevor Bisdee | 221 | 20.4 | 8.3 |
| | Independent | Linda Store | 71 | 6.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 84 | 7.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,084 | 35.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,077 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Pantiles and St Mark's

Pantiles and St Mark's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pamela Wilkinson | 1,250 | 54.0 | 4.4 |
| | Conservative | David Scott | 758 | 32.8 | 2.7 |
| | Labour | Alan Bullionn | 158 | 6.8 | 1.3 |
| | Green | Jack Mason | 147 | 6.4 | 0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 492 | 21.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,313 | 43.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,327 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Park

Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Siobhan O'Connell | 868 | 38.7 | 1.7 |
| | Conservative | Christian Atwood* | 616 | 27.5 | 5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jules Luxford | 332 | 14.8 | 3.1 |
| | Labour | Sue Pound | 264 | 11.8 | 0.8 |
| | Green | Alasdair Fraser | 162 | 7.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 252 | 11.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,242 | 38.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,890 | | |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | | |

### Pembury

Pembury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | David Hayward* | 922 | 51.3 | 8.5 |
| | Conservative | Vivek Gautam | 529 | 29.4 | 16.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eugenie Ballara | 122 | 6.8 | N/A |
| | Labour | Joel Turner | 115 | 6.4 | 4.7 |
| | Green | Evelien Hurst-Buist | 109 | 6.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 393 | 21.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,797 | 41.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,388 | | |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | | |

### Rusthall

Rusthall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jayne Sharratt | 627 | 41.5 | 5.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dave Funnell* | 533 | 35.3 | 8.1 |
| | Conservative | James Allen | 266 | 17.6 | 10.8 |
| | Green | Aimee Taylor | 86 | 5.7 | 3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 94 | 6.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,512 | 42.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,572 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### Sherwood

Sherwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hugo Pound* | 643 | 37.3 | 16.1 |
| | Conservative | Nasir Jamil | 545 | 31.6 | 15.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Elliott | 235 | 13.6 | N/A |
| | Alliance | Joseph Dore | 210 | 12.2 | N/A |
| | Green | Lee MacKinnon | 89 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 98 | 5.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,722 | 29.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,756 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Southborough and High Brooms

Southborough and High Brooms :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Francis | 933 | 53.8 | 6.5 |
| | Conservative | Misha Mitchem | 305 | 17.6 | 7.9 |
| | Alliance | Paul Johnson | 169 | 9.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Yvonne Raptis | 165 | 9.5 | 4.7 |
| | Green | David Holton | 162 | 9.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 628 | 36.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,734 | 31.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,488 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Southborough North

Southborough North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joe Opara | 619 | 41.9 | 1.9 |
| | Conservative | Sarah Bridges | 478 | 32.4 | 9.6 |
| | Alliance | Jonathan Farina | 163 | 11.0 | N/A |
| | Labour | Martin Betts | 143 | 9.7 | 4.4 |
| | Green | Sue Lovell | 73 | 4.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 141 | 9.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,476 | 44.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,333 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Speldhurst and Bidborough

Speldhurst and Bidborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Paul Curry | 884 | 42.1 | 22.5 |
| | Conservative | Aaron Brand | 608 | 29.0 | 0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rebecca Leach | 363 | 17.3 | N/A |
| | Green | Steph Gandon | 136 | 6.5 | N/A |
| | Labour | Paul Froome | 108 | 5.1 | 2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 276 | 13.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,099 | 45.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,578 | | |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | | |

### St John's

St John's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marguerita Morton* | 1,018 | 47.9 | 6.6 |
| | Labour | Dariel Francis | 670 | 31.5 | 9.6 |
| | Conservative | Alexander Puffette | 321 | 15.1 | 2.4 |
| | Green | Adrian Thorne | 115 | 5.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 348 | 16.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,124 | 40.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,202 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

## Changes 2023–2024

Labour councillor Raymond Moon was suspended from the party in July 2023. David Hayward, elected for the Tunbridge Wells Alliance, left the party (of which he had been the leader) in August 2023 to form a new independent group.