# 2004 Fareham Borough Council election

The 2004 Fareham Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Fareham Borough Council in Hampshire, England. Half of the council was up for election, with the Conservative Party increasing their majority.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Conservative 22
* Liberal Democrat 9

## Campaign

Before the election there were 18 Conservative and 12 Liberal Democrat councillors, with 15 of the 31 seats being contested. One of the 15 seats, in Fareham South ward, was vacant after an independent, former Liberal Democrat, councillor had stepped down, after being fined for false housing and council tax benefit claims. Fareham South was among a number of wards which were reported as being vulnerable to a change in party control including Fareham East, Fareham North, Portchester West, Stubbington and Titchfield Common. A couple of former councillors who had been defeated in the 2002 election stood again, former Labour group leader Mick Prior in Fareham North-West and Conservative Nick Walker in Portchester West.
Issues in the election included council tax levels and plans by the government to build 1,000 houses near Sarisbury. The national issue of the Iraq War was also seen as being likely to sway votes in the election.

## Election result

The results saw the Conservatives increase their majority on the council after gaining 3 seats from the Liberal Democrats. Conservative gains included Stubbington where they won by only 8 votes over the Liberal Democrats after a recount and in Portchester West where Nick Walker returned to the council. The Conservatives also gained a seat in Fareham South from an independent in a seat which had previously been seen as strongly Liberal Democrat. The Liberal Democrats partly blamed their defeats on the election being held at the same time as the European elections, while a defeated Labour candidate said their failure to win any seats was in line with the national performance by the party.
Overall turnout increased to 40.3% with a rise in postal votes to 6,000 contributing to the increase.
Fareham Local Election Result 2004 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 12 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 80.0 | 55.4 | 18,885 | +7.2% |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 20.0 | 32.8 | 11,185 | -4.6% |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.1 | 3,791 | -3.2% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 206 | +0.6% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |

## Ward results
### Fareham East

Fareham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kathleen Trott | 1,171 | 48.8 |
| | Conservative | Matthew Dartmouth | 1,008 | 42.0 |
| | Labour | Stuart Rose | 221 | 9.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 163 | 6.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,400 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |

### Fareham North

Fareham North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Bryant | 1,397 | 58.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Diana East | 530 | 22.1 |
| | Labour | Simon Brown | 264 | 11.0 |
| | Green | David Harrison | 206 | 8.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 867 | 36.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,397 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Fareham North West

Fareham North West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eric Dunn | 871 | 46.6 |
| | Conservative | Evelyn Burley | 761 | 40.7 |
| | Labour | Michael Prior | 239 | 12.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 110 | 5.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,871 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |

### Fareham South

Fareham South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Trevor Howard | 847 | 49.8 |
| | Labour | James Carr | 445 | 26.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Catherine Hester | 410 | 24.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 402 | 23.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,702 | |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | |

### Fareham West

Fareham West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Diana Harrison | 1,664 | 67.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Doreen Baker | 559 | 22.5 |
| | Labour | Cameron Crouchman | 262 | 10.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,105 | 44.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,485 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Hill Head

Hill Head :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Timothy Knight | 1,875 | 68.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Victoria Latimer | 658 | 23.9 |
| | Labour | Janet Gay | 224 | 8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,217 | 44.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,757 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Locks Heath

Locks Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Ruth Godrich | 1,359 | 62.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sharon Englefield | 574 | 26.6 |
| | Labour | Angela Carr | 227 | 10.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 785 | 36.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,160 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Park Gate

Park Gate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Marian Ellerton | 1,234 | 67.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Savage | 356 | 19.6 |
| | Labour | Nicholas Knight | 228 | 12.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 878 | 48.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,818 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Portchester East

Portchester East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Norris | 1,889 | 52.8 |
| | Conservative | Bernard Munden | 1,190 | 33.2 |
| | Labour | Richard Ryan | 501 | 14.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 699 | 19.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,580 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |

### Portchester West

Portchester West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Walker | 1,220 | 50.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Clark | 995 | 40.9 |
| | Labour | Leslie Ricketts | 216 | 8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 225 | 9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,431 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |

### Sarisbury

Sarisbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Swanbrow | 1,283 | 71.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Christie | 338 | 18.9 |
| | Labour | Clive Coldwell | 163 | 9.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 945 | 53.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,784 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Stubbington

Stubbington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Kay Mandry | 1,190 | 47.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Forrest | 1,182 | 46.6 |
| | Labour | Michael Taylor | 162 | 6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8 | 0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,534 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |

### Titchfield

Titchfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Francis Devonshire | 1,362 | 64.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Chaloner | 483 | 23.0 |
| | Labour | Alan Mayes | 253 | 12.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 879 | 41.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,098 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Titchfield Common

Titchfield Common :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Keith Evans | 986 | 51.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Savage | 771 | 40.0 |
| | Labour | Andrew Mooney | 171 | 8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 215 | 11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,928 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |

### Warsash

Warsash :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Mary Nadolski | 1,509 | 71.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alice Herron | 398 | 18.8 |
| | Labour | Brenda Caines | 215 | 10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,111 | 52.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,122 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |