# 2002 Worthing Borough Council election

The 2002 Worthing Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Worthing Borough Council in West Sussex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the council from the Conservative Party. Overall turnout was 30.67%.
After the previous election in 2000 the Conservatives had controlled the council with 20 seats compared to the Liberal Democrats 16. 12 seats were up for election in 2002 with the Liberal Democrats needing to gain 2 seats to make Worthing a hung council. Issues in the election included litter, the introduction of palm trees on the seafront and a recent 10.3% increase in council tax.
The results saw the Liberal Democrats make 3 gains from the Conservatives to take control. They gained all three of the seats they had been targeting in Castle, Gaisford and Selden wards. The Conservatives put their defeat down to a proposed Asda at Worthing College and on the recent increase in council tax which they blamed on the national government. The Liberal Democrats pledged to work for a "clean and safe Worthing". Following the election the Conservative mayor-elect, John Livermore, stepped down, refusing to serve as mayor with the Liberal Democrats in control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Liberal Democrat 19
* Conservative 17

## Election result

Worthing Local Election Result 2002 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Liberal Democrats | 7 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 58.3 | 43.9 | 10,387 |
| Conservative | 5 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 41.7 | 44.9 | 10,621 |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.6 | 1,804 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 | 825 |

## Ward results

Broadwater :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eric Mardell | 1,148 | 68.8 |
| | Conservative | Jack Saheid | 372 | 22.3 |
| | Labour | Ann Saunders | 148 | 8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 776 | 46.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,668 | 25.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Maria Moynan | 966 | 51.0 |
| | Conservative | Mark O'Keeffe | 633 | 33.4 |
| | Labour | Peter Barnes | 238 | 12.6 |
| | Green | Derek Colkett | 56 | 3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 333 | 17.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,893 | 31.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | |
Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Goldsbrough-Jones | 903 | 58.7 |
| | Conservative | Martin Coppard | 445 | 28.9 |
| | Labour | Brian Gill | 191 | 12.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 458 | 29.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,539 | 26.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Durrington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Allen | 1,470 | 64.8 |
| | Conservative | Alan Whiteley | 659 | 29.0 |
| | Green | John Dwyer | 141 | 6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 811 | 35.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,270 | 30.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Gaisford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Donald Lissenburg | 962 | 49.1 |
| | Conservative | Brian Turner | 740 | 37.8 |
| | Labour | Joy Hurcombe | 169 | 8.6 |
| | Green | Marie Hillcoat | 89 | 4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 222 | 11.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,960 | 30.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | |
Goring :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Marchant | 1,800 | 71.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nick Rodgers | 724 | 28.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,076 | 42.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,524 | 37.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Heene :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Livermore | 989 | 58.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jenny Bennett | 557 | 32.9 |
| | Green | Heather Rogers | 149 | 8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 432 | 25.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,695 | 27.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Marine :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Francis Wingate | 1,235 | 60.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Stephenson | 388 | 19.1 |
| | Labour | Barrie Slater | 230 | 11.3 |
| | Green | Lucie Colkett | 182 | 8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 847 | 41.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,035 | 31.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Offington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Graham Fabes | 1,404 | 64.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Daniels | 502 | 23.1 |
| | Labour | John Gardiner | 153 | 7.0 |
| | Green | Rosemary Hook | 115 | 5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 902 | 41.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,174 | 34.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Salvington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Valerie Sutton | 1,176 | 60.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Liz Mardell | 550 | 28.4 |
| | Labour | Hazel Rennie | 214 | 11.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 626 | 32.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,940 | 29.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Selden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Doyle | 920 | 44.8 |
| | Conservative | Paul High | 733 | 35.7 |
| | Labour | John Turley | 309 | 15.0 |
| | Green | Dave Yates | 93 | 4.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 187 | 9.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,055 | 33.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | |
Tarring :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bob Smytherman | 1,297 | 68.8 |
| | Conservative | Mary Harding | 435 | 23.1 |
| | Labour | Ian Sandell | 152 | 8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 862 | 45.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,884 | 28.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |