# 2011 East Dorset District Council election

The 2011 East Dorset District Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of East Dorset District Council in Dorset, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.

## Background

Before the election the Conservatives had a majority on the council with 25 seats, compared to 11 Liberal Democrats. Every seat was up for election, however 12 Conservative councillors, including the leader of the council Spencer Flower, faced no opposition at the election. The candidates at the election were 36 Conservatives, 18 Liberal Democrats, 10 UK Independence Party and 3 from Labour.

## Election result

The Conservatives gained 5 seats from the Liberal Democrats to have 30 councillors, compared to 6 for the Liberal Democrats. Conservative gains including taking seats in West Moors and Corfe Mullen from the Liberal Democrats, with the margin in Corfe Mullen South ward being only 6 votes. Overall turnout at the election was 49.1%.
East Dorset local election result 2011 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 30 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 83.3 | 60.8 | 23,205 | -1.2% |
| Liberal Democrats | 6 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 16.7 | 29.2 | 11,161 | -3.6% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.3 | 2,803 | +3.2% |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 | 1,027 | +2.0% |

## Ward results

Alderholt :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Monks | unopposed | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Ameysford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Pauline Reynolds | 703 | 74.4 | −5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Hemsley | 242 | 25.6 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 461 | 48.8 | −10.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 945 | 48.0 | +8.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Colehill East (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Dover | 1,066 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Donald Wallace | 765 | | |
| | Conservative | David Mitchell | 668 | | |
| | Conservative | Kevin Johnson | 667 | | |
| | Labour | Oliver Bradbury | 200 | | |
| | UKIP | Kenneth Dacombe | 175 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,541 | 52.2 | +8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Colehill West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Packer | 729 | 66.0 | +8.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Linda Dickins | 375 | 34.0 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 354 | 32.1 | +7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,104 | 58.9 | +11.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Corfe Mullen Central (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Holland | 813 | | |
| | Conservative | Sarah Burns | 759 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Phillip Cuckston | 735 | | |
| | Conservative | Zoe White | 667 | | |
| | UKIP | Dave Evans | 299 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,273 | 45.8 | +5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Corfe Mullen North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anne Holland | 540 | 59.3 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative | Graeme Smith | 371 | 40.7 | +12.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 169 | 18.6 | −14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 911 | 48.9 | +8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Corfe Mullen South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Patrick Edwards | 418 | 43.5 | +0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Harknett | 412 | 42.8 | −13.7 |
| | UKIP | Josephine Evans | 132 | 13.7 | +13.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 0.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 962 | 46.7 | +5.2 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Crane :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stephen Butler | unopposed | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Ferndown Central (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Conservative | Derek Burt | unopposed |
| Conservative | Steven Lugg | unopposed |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Ferndown Links (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Conservative | Malcolm Birr | unopposed |
| Conservative | John Little | unopposed |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Handley Vale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Simon Tong | unopposed | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Holt :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Spencer Flower | unopposed | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Longham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gladys Elliot | 606 | 68.4 | +2.5 |
| | UKIP | John Baxter | 280 | 31.6 | +14.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 326 | 36.8 | −11.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 886 | 46.5 | +6.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Parley (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Barbara Manuel | 1,482 | | |
| | Conservative | John Wilson | 1,430 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Matthew Coussell | 487 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,399 | 52.9 | +12.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Leonards & St Ives East (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Dyer | 1,520 | | |
| | Conservative | Ann Warman | 1,501 | | |
| | UKIP | Oliver Kent | 371 | | |
| | UKIP | Allan Tallett | 321 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,713 | 51.6 | +7.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
St Leonards & St Ives West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Raymond Dudman | 1,022 | 81.4 | −4.3 |
| | UKIP | Alfred Eckel | 233 | 18.6 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 789 | 62.9 | −8.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,255 | 61.7 | +9.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Stapehill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Russell | 688 | 72.9 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Timothy Chant | 132 | 14.0 | −0.9 |
| | UKIP | John Myers | 124 | 13.1 | +1.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 556 | 58.9 | −0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 944 | 48.6 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Stour :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Bennett | 678 | 73.3 | +5.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | William Honeyman | 247 | 26.7 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 431 | 46.6 | +10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 925 | 47.0 | +7.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Three Cross & Potterne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Richardson | 451 | 67.4 | +21.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lindsey Dedden | 218 | 32.6 | +18.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 233 | 34.8 | +15.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 669 | 37.7 | +4.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Verwood Dewlands (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Conservative | Toni Coombs | unopposed |
| Conservative | Jean Hazel | unopposed |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Verwood Newtown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Boyden Mortimer | 531 | 69.2 | +6.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Dorey | 236 | 30.8 | −6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 295 | 38.5 | +12.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 767 | 39.5 | +7.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Verwood Stephen's Castle (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Conservative | Lucy Clark | unopposed |
| Conservative | Simon Gibson | unopposed |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
West Moors (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alexander Clarke | 1,923 | | |
| | Conservative | David Shortell | 1,781 | | |
| | Conservative | Andrew Skeats | 1,607 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Holden | 986 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nicholas Smith | 751 | | |
| | UKIP | David Butt | 540 | | |
| | Labour | Michael Shine | 470 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,058 | 50.4 | +5.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Wimborne Minster (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patricia Hymers | 1,220 | | |
| | Conservative | Robin Cook | 1,169 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Morgan | 993 | | |
| | Conservative | Michael Bartlett | 973 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shane Bartlett | 943 | | |
| | Conservative | Alan Spencer | 861 | | |
| | Labour | Marion Lock | 357 | | |
| | UKIP | Nicholas Wellstead | 328 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,844 | 49.1 | +7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

## By-elections between 2011 and 2015

A by-election was held in Colehill East ward on 17 July 2014 after the death of the Liberal Democrat councillor since 1973, Don Wallace. The seat was held for the Liberal Democrats by Barry Roberts with a majority of 416 votes over the Conservatives.
Colehill East by-election 17 July 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barry Roberts | 742 | 59.3 | +8.7 |
| | Conservative | Graeme Smith | 326 | 26.0 | −5.6 |
| | UKIP | David Mattocks | 184 | 14.7 | +6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 416 | 33.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,252 | 33.7 | −18.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |