# 2023 Chichester District Council election

Elections to Chichester District Council in West Sussex, United Kingdom were held on 4 May 2023. The election took place on the same day as other local elections.
The whole council was up for election, having previously been under no overall control and led by a Conservative minority administration. The Conservative leader of the council prior to the election, Eileen Lintill, did not stand for re-election. The Liberal Democrats won 25 seats, the first time that the party (or any other than the Conservative Party) secured a majority on Chichester District Council. Liberal Democrat group leader Adrian Moss was appointed as the new leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 17 May 2023.

## Summary
### Election result

2023 Chichester District Council election :
| Party | Candidates | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Liberal Democrats | 32 | 25 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 69.4 | 50.9 | 32,691 | +17.6 |
| Conservative | 36 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 13.8 | 30.9 | 19,843 | -19.1 |
| Local Alliance | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11.1 | 4.1 | 2,603 | +1.5 |
| Green | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | | 5.5 | 6.7 | 4,318 | +1.1 |
| Labour | 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5.4 | 3,444 | -0.2 |
| Reform UK | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0.4 | 226 | N/A |
| Patria Party | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0.1 | 92 | ±0.0 |
| Heritage | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0.1 | 68 | N/A |
| Independent | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.5 | 932 | -2.6 |
| 25 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Liberal Democrats | Conservative | LA | Green |

## Ward results

The results for each ward were as follows, with an asterisk (*) indicating an incumbent councillor standing for re-election:

### Chichester Central

Chichester Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Vivian | 404 | 46.0 | 5.9 |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Roberts | 275 | 31.3 | 13.0 |
| | Labour | James Field | 107 | 12.2 | 0.3 |
| | Green | Mark Record | 92 | 10.5 | 10.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 129 | 14.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 889 | 41.3 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 9.5 | |

### Chichester East

Chichester East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Brisbane* | 705 | 58.8 | 38.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rhys Chant | 613 | 51.1 | 33.1 |
| | Labour | James Sandbach | 353 | 29.5 | 4.3 |
| | Labour | Clare Walsh | 348 | 29.0 | 3.3 |
| | Conservative | Peter Beveridge | 286 | 23.9 | 3.9 |
| | Patria | Andrew Emerson | 92 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 352 | 29.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 265 | 22.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 30.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | 21.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | 18.2 | |

### Chichester North

Chichester North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Brown* | 1,280 | 67.6 | 29.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Maureen Corfield | 1,255 | 66.3 | 31.9 |
| | Conservative | Alison Griffiths | 462 | 24.4 | 13.9 |
| | Conservative | Giles Thompson | 448 | 23.7 | 12.3 |
| | Labour | Olivia Connolly | 280 | 14.8 | 1.3 |
| | Heritage | Teri Grieve | 68 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 818 | 43.2 | 40.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 807 | 42.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.3 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 21.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 22.1 | |

### Chichester South

Chichester South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Sarah Sharp* | 1,287 | 83.6 | 22.2 |
| | Green | Tim Young | 943 | 61.2 | 18.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joanne Kondabeka | 303 | 19.7 | 5.5 |
| | Labour | Gareth Hitchman | 281 | 18.2 | 6.6 |
| | Conservative | Simon Bailey | 266 | 17.3 | 2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 984 | 63.9 | 22.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 662 | 43.0 | 30.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.2 | |
| | Green hold | Green hold | Swing | 8.4 | |
| | Green hold | Green hold | Swing | 5.8 | |

### Chichester West

Chichester West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clare Apel* | 1,554 | 71.1 | 15.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Quail | 1,403 | 64.2 | 20.6 |
| | Conservative | Simon Lloyd-Williams | 549 | 25.1 | 1.2 |
| | Conservative | David Millican | 540 | 24.7 | 0.3 |
| | Labour | Adam Fyfe | 325 | 14.9 | 3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1005 | 46.0 | 16.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 863 | 39.5 | 20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.3 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 8.3 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 10.2 | |

### Easebourne

Easebourne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Francis Hobbs* | 534 | 58.2 | 5.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carl Keeling | 243 | 26.5 | 7.6 |
| | Green | Leo Homewood | 76 | 8.3 | 8.3 |
| | Labour | Gordon Churchill | 65 | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 291 | 31.7 | 2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 1.1 | |

### Fernhurst

Fernhurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eleanora Newbery | 892 | 69.4 | 29.2 |
| | Conservative | Brett Burkhart | 853 | 66.4 | 9.9 |
| | Conservative | Peter Wilding* | 825 | 64.2 | 10.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 67 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 9.4 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Fittleworth

Fittleworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Cross | 534 | 47.5 | 17.0 |
| | Conservative | Alan Sutton* | 506 | 45.0 | 21.8 |
| | Green | David Ross | 84 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 28 | 2.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.4 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 19.4 | |

### Goodwood

Goodwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Henry Potter* | 450 | 47.1 | 4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jack Lovejoy | 283 | 29.6 | 8.0 |
| | Green | Philip Maber | 222 | 23.2 | 1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 167 | 17.5 | 9.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.6 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 6.5 | |

### Harbour Villages

Harbour Villages :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adrian Moss* | 2,342 | 68.1 | 16.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Bates | 2,257 | 65.6 | 28.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Johnson | 2,066 | 60.1 | 26.1 |
| | Conservative | Penny Plant | 855 | 24.9 | 10.3 |
| | Conservative | Sandra James | 755 | 21.9 | 11.2 |
| | Green | Georgina Armour Glasius | 705 | 20.5 | 8.2 |
| | Conservative | Jane Kilby | 690 | 20.1 | 9.7 |
| | Independent | Kevin Mann | 341 | 9.9 | 9.9 |
| | Labour | Susan Walsh | 309 | 9.0 | 0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1487 | 43.2 | 24.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1502 | 43.7 | 36.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1361 | 39.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 13.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 19.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 17.9 | |

### Harting

Harting :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tim O'Kelly | 942 | 76.5 | 2.4 |
| | Conservative | Bob Hall | 289 | 23.5 | 0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 653 | 53.0 | 2.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 1.4 | |

### Lavant

Lavant :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joseph Brookes-Harmer | 475 | 45.8 | 16.6 |
| | Conservative | David Palmer* | 457 | 44.1 | 14.3 |
| | Labour | Rhiannon Brome Thompson | 105 | 10.1 | 0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18 | 1.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 40.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 15.5 | |

### Loxwood

Loxwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gareth Evans* | 1,805 | 78.4 | 22.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charles Todhunter | 1,556 | 67.6 | 19.8 |
| | Conservative | Paul North | 711 | 30.9 | 13.4 |
| | Conservative | Steve Waight | 530 | 23.0 | 16.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1094 | 47.5 | 36.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1026 | 44.6 | 36.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 18.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 18.3 | |

### Midhurst

Midhurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jess Brown-Fuller | 1,326 | 64.9 | 33.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hannah Burton | 1,112 | 54.4 | 38.7 |
| | Conservative | Tom Richardson | 817 | 40.0 | 10.3 |
| | Conservative | Nicola Holben | 694 | 34.0 | 8.2 |
| | Labour | Don Fraser | 138 | 6.8 | 3.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 509 | 24.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 418 | 20.5 | 15.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 39.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Independent | Liberal Democrats gain from Independent | Swing | 11.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 15.3 | |

### North Mundham and Tangmere

North Mundham and Tangmere :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Betts | 1,123 | 66.6 | 14.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charlie Hastain | 880 | 52.2 | 52.2 |
| | Conservative | Simon Oakley* | 649 | 38.5 | 12.5 |
| | Conservative | Terry O'Brien | 468 | 27.7 | 16.5 |
| | Labour | Mark Todd | 253 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 474 | 28.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 412 | 24.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 13.3 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 34.4 | |

### Petworth

Petworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Harsha Desai | 616 | 53.5 | 27.0 |
| | Conservative | Janet Duncton* | 450 | 39.1 | 29.3 |
| | Labour | Jonathan Rodell | 56 | 4.9 | 6.4 |
| | Green | Stephanie Carn | 30 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 166 | 14.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 28.2 | |

### Selsey South

Selsey South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Local Alliance | Tim Johnson* | 741 | 51.2 | 1.8 |
| | Local Alliance | Steve Boulcott | 729 | 50.4 | 50.4 |
| | Conservative | Roger Barrow | 479 | 33.1 | 15.0 |
| | Conservative | Colin Rickman | 452 | 31.2 | 2.4 |
| | Green | Jack Olley | 168 | 11.6 | 11.6 |
| | Labour | Heather Smith | 153 | 10.6 | 1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jill Hilliard | 119 | 8.2 | 9.1 |
| | Reform UK | Simon Edginton | 54 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 262 | 18.1 | 1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 277 | 19.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.2 | |
| | Local Alliance hold | Local Alliance hold | Swing | 6.6 | |
| | Local Alliance gain from Conservative | Local Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | 26.4 | |

### Sidlesham with Selsey North

Sidlesham with Selsey North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Local Alliance | Donna Johnson* | 631 | 47.9 | 1.5 |
| | Local Alliance | Val Weller | 502 | 38.1 | 38.1 |
| | Conservative | Tom Bromfield | 457 | 34.7 | 9.9 |
| | Conservative | Nick Rose | 448 | 34.0 | 2.8 |
| | Green | Andrew Swain | 308 | 23.4 | 6.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Beth Meek | 152 | 11.5 | 7.8 |
| | Labour | Phil White | 135 | 10.3 | 10.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 174 | 13.2 | 5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 54 | 4.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 30.1 | |
| | Local Alliance hold | Local Alliance hold | Swing | 4.2 | |
| | Local Alliance gain from Conservative | Local Alliance gain from Conservative | Swing | 20.5 | |

### Southbourne

Southbourne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tracie Bangert* | 1,226 | 68.9 | 6.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Oona Hickson | 1,034 | 58.1 | 3.9 |
| | Conservative | Jake Sawkins | 463 | 26.0 | 15.3 |
| | Conservative | Bob Gould | 409 | 23.0 | 6.8 |
| | Green | Derrick Johnson | 303 | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| | Labour | Sorcha Galvin | 125 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 763 | 42.9 | 21.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 625 | 35.1 | 11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 10.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 5.4 | |

### The Witterings

The Witterings :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Chilton | 1,302 | 48.8 | 23.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Iain Ballantyne | 1,234 | 46.3 | 22.3 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Hamilton* | 1,118 | 41.9 | 2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Thompson | 1,112 | 41.7 | 41.7 |
| | Conservative | Susan Taylor* | 1,099 | 41.2 | 0.5 |
| | Conservative | Joanna El-Batal | 996 | 37.4 | 3.1 |
| | No Description | Graeme Barrett* | 591 | 22.2 | 22.2 |
| | Labour | Joe O'Sullivan | 374 | 14.0 | 3.3 |
| | Reform UK | Pat Hunt | 172 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 203 | 7.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 238 | 8.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 0.2 | 19.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 37.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 11.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 9.6 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 22.3 | |

### Westbourne

Westbourne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roy Briscoe* | 563 | 45.3 | 12.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Penfold | 543 | 43.7 | 24.6 |
| | Green | Ann Stewart | 100 | 8.0 | 14.6 |
| | Labour | Luca Clark-Gutierrez | 37 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20 | 1.6 | 33.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.8 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 18.4 | |