# 2007 Eastbourne Borough Council election

The 2007 Eastbourne Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of Eastbourne Borough Council in East Sussex, England. The whole council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the council from the Conservative Party.

## Background

After the 2006 election the Conservatives controlled the council with a majority of 3, with 15 seats, compared to 12 for the Liberal Democrats. For 2007 the council changed from the previous system whereby a third of the council was elected each year, to instead have the whole council elected every 4 years, after a unanimous vote by the council. Earlier in 2007 Norman Marsh left the Liberal Democrats to sit as an Independent, while Liberal Democrat Irene Sims resigned from the council.
A record 89 candidates stood at the election, up from the previous high of 81 in 2002 when the entire council was last elected. Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats stood a full 27 candidates, compared to 12 for Labour, 9 Green Party and 5 UK Independence Party. Councillors standing down at the election included Conservatives Patrick Bowker and David Stevens, Liberal Democrat Robert Slater and independent Norman Marsh.

## Election result

The Liberal Democrats made 9 gains to take control of the council from the Conservatives for the first time since 2004, with 8 of the gains being from the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats gained seats in Old Town, Sovereign and Upperton wards to hold 20 seats and have a majority of 13, while the Conservatives were reduced to 7 seats. The Conservatives losses included the leader of the council, Ian Lucas, in Old Town and the cabinet member for finance, Chris Williams, in Sovereign. Overall turnout at the election was 42.26%, compared to 40.70% in 2006.
The Liberal Democrat victory was attributed to the introduction of parking charges in Eastbourne by Conservative controlled East Sussex County Council and to a decision by borough councillors to increase their expenses by 52%. Following the election David Tutt became the new leader of the council, while the national Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell came to Eastbourne to celebrate the result.
Eastbourne local election result 2007 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Liberal Democrats | 20 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 74.1 | 48.6 | 40,571 | +8.1 |
| Conservative | 7 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 25.9 | 41.9 | 34,975 | -4.6 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5.8 | 4,846 | -2.1 |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.6 | 2,211 | -2.5 |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 909 | +1.1 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0.0 | N/A | 0 | N/A |

## Ward results

Devonshire (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Bannister | 1,598 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Neil Stanley | 1,442 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Steven Wallis | 1,395 | | |
| | Conservative | Camilla Lau | 632 | | |
| | Conservative | Sandra Elkin | 619 | | |
| | Conservative | Marco Giorgi | 569 | | |
| | Green | Simon Payne | 229 | | |
| | Green | Zoe Vonderdell | 224 | | |
| | Labour | Keith Gell | 160 | | |
| | UKIP | Len Richardson | 157 | | |
| | Labour | Richard Goude | 154 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,179 | 34.5 | −0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Hampden Park (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Pooley | 1,338 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Olive Woodall | 1,277 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mike Thompson | 1,138 | | |
| | Conservative | Christopher Brenchley | 555 | | |
| | Conservative | Bill Bailey | 499 | | |
| | Conservative | Milly Skriczka | 417 | | |
| | Labour | Ann Ring | 274 | | |
| | Labour | David Brinson | 230 | | |
| | Green | Leslie Dalton | 208 | | |
| | Labour | David Salmon | 197 | | |
| | Green | Finn O'Shea | 181 | | |
| | Green | Ivor Hueting | 164 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,478 | 31.9 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Langney (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Harun Miah | 1,453 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Troy Tester | 1,333 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Daniel Purchese | 1,310 | | |
| | Conservative | Tony Freebody | 912 | | |
| | Conservative | Marcus Maddison-White | 826 | | |
| | Conservative | John Stanbury | 806 | | |
| | Green | Chris Quarrington | 192 | | |
| | Labour | Colin Akers | 174 | | |
| | Green | Amy Erridge | 163 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,169 | 34.0 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Meads (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Barry Taylor | 2,407 | | |
| | Conservative | David Elkin | 2,387 | | |
| | Conservative | Nigel Goodyear | 2,329 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Ticehurst | 729 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jean Fisher | 692 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brendan Creaven | 681 | | |
| | Green | Kate Arnold | 457 | | |
| | Green | Harry Boys | 375 | | |
| | Green | Dorothy Forsyth | 299 | | |
| | Labour | Dennis Scard | 220 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,576 | 47.9 | −1.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Old Town (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carolyn Heaps | 2,202 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Goodwin | 2,007 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gregory Szanto | 1,939 | | |
| | Conservative | Anne Angel | 1,890 | | |
| | Conservative | Ian Lucas | 1,772 | | |
| | Conservative | Simon Herbert | 1,667 | | |
| | Green | Clive Gross | 681 | | |
| | UKIP | Anne Chambers | 191 | | |
| | Labour | Ann Cottrell | 190 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,539 | 54.8 | +4.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Ratton (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Colin Belsey | 2,076 | | |
| | Conservative | Barbara Goodall | 1,970 | | |
| | Conservative | Sandie Howlett | 1,920 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patricia Hearn | 1,184 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Moore | 1,128 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Staker | 1,023 | | |
| | Green | Nancy Dalton | 332 | | |
| | UKIP | Ken Alderton | 270 | | |
| | Green | Kev Moore | 240 | | |
| | Labour | Jim Nolan | 172 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,315 | 48.3 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Anthony's (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Tutt | 2,344 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jon Harris | 2,242 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gill Mattock | 2,193 | | |
| | Conservative | Jane Challen | 766 | | |
| | Conservative | Tom Stoddart | 735 | | |
| | Conservative | Susan Steinberg | 710 | | |
| | Green | Hugh Norris | 199 | | |
| | Labour | Ian Culshaw | 170 | | |
| | Green | Rob Sier | 156 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,515 | 41.3 | +1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Independent | Liberal Democrats gain from Independent | Swing | | |
Sovereign (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Morris | 1,762 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Bloom | 1,756 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Salsbury | 1,692 | | |
| | Conservative | Patrick Warner | 1,379 | | |
| | Conservative | Tracy Moles | 1,298 | | |
| | Conservative | Christopher Williams | 1,294 | | |
| | Green | Jocelyn McCarthy | 269 | | |
| | Labour | David Mieres | 121 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,571 | 39.0 | +2.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Upperton (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alex Hough | 1,610 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rebecca Madell | 1,573 | | |
| | Conservative | Graham Marsden | 1,557 | | |
| | Conservative | Bob Lacey | 1,534 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pat Rodohan | 1,530 | | |
| | Conservative | Ann Murray | 1,449 | | |
| | Green | Stephanie Lewis | 253 | | |
| | Green | Liam Stephens | 224 | | |
| | Labour | Elizabeth Goude | 149 | | |
| | UKIP | Geraldine Mackillop | 146 | | |
| | UKIP | Paul Murden | 145 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,170 | 46.3 | +5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |