# 2003 South Oxfordshire District Council election

The 2003 South Oxfordshire District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of South Oxfordshire District Council, a non-metropolitan district council in Oxfordshire, England. This was part of the wider 2003 UK local elections. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 1999 reducing the number of seats by 2. The Conservative Party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.

## Election result

The results saw the Conservatives take control from the Liberal Democrat and Labour coalition that had run the council before the election. This was the first time the Conservatives had controlled the council since 1995 and came after they made 5 gains to hold 27 of the 48 seats on the council. The Liberal Democrats lost eight seats, including the council chairman John Griffin in Crowmarsh ward and the council leader Jan Morgan. Meanwhile, Labour also lost three seats including the cabinet member for finance Nick Hards. However the Henley Residents Group gained seats, picking up all 4 seats for Henley. Overall turnout in the election was 35.13%, after voting hours had been extended in an attempt to increase turnout.
South Oxfordshire Local Election Result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Conservative | 27 | +5 | 56.3 | 47.1 | 27,821 |
| Liberal Democrats | 9 | -8 | 18.8 | 29.3 | 17,291 |
| Labour | 4 | -3 | 8.3 | 11.1 | 6,563 |
| Independent | 4 | 0 | 8.3 | 5.9 | 3,500 |
| Henley Residents Group | 4 | +4 | 8.3 | 5.1 | 3,029 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | 874 |

## Ward results

Aston Rowant :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Brown | 530 | 74.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Savory | 105 | 14.8 |
| | Labour | Timothy Savory | 76 | 10.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 425 | 59.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 711 | 38.1 |
Benson (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Cooper | 862 | |
| | Conservative | Felix Bloomfield | 791 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Booker | 787 | |
| | Conservative | Patrick Loughran | 554 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,994 | 38.4 |
Berinsfield (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Cotton | 825 | |
| | Conservative | Philip Cross | 764 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marc Hiles | 583 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carole Heath-Whyte | 490 | |
| | Labour | Kenneth Hall | 325 | |
| | Labour | Michael Hall | 229 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,216 | 39.1 |
Brightwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Mary Greene | 521 | 56.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Fishwick | 395 | 43.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 126 | 13.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 916 | 46.0 |
Chalgrove :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Turner | 510 | 60.6 |
| | Conservative | Ann Pritchard | 284 | 33.8 |
| | Labour | Paul Collins | 47 | 5.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 226 | 26.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 841 | 38.4 |
Chiltern Woods :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Julian Thomson | 438 | 67.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Felicity Chancellor | 212 | 32.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 226 | 34.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 650 | 34.5 |
Chinnor (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Linda Cameron | 688 | |
| | Independent | Patricia Haywood | 523 | |
| | Conservative | David Heaven | 513 | |
| | Independent | Martin Wright | 509 | |
| | Independent | Eric Stanley | 227 | |
| | Labour | Julie Marfleet | 180 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Cockayne | 151 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,791 | 32.5 |
Cholsey and Wallingford South (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Patricia Dawe | 727 | |
| | Conservative | Andrea Leadsom | 682 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Morgan | 671 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Josephine Clyde | 628 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,708 | 35.2 |
Crowmarsh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Mark Jennings | 402 | 53.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Griffin | 346 | 46.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 56 | 7.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 748 | 41.7 |
Didcot All Saints (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Flood | 552 | |
| | Independent | Sara Davidson | 438 | |
| | Conservative | Alan Thompson | 419 | |
| | Labour | Mark Fysh | 391 | |
| | Labour | Shirley Brown | 381 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emma Beszant | 204 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,385 | 31.9 |
Didcot Ladygrove (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | William Service | 509 | |
| | Conservative | Colin Daukes | 498 | |
| | Conservative | Marcus Harris | 478 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennifer Parry | 473 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Jones | 468 | |
| | Labour | Nicholas Hards | 435 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Worgan | 420 | |
| | Labour | Philippa Giaretta | 409 | |
| | Labour | William Atkinson | 402 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,092 | 26.1 |
Didcot Northbourne (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Michael McNulty | 416 | |
| | Labour | David Giaretta | 388 | |
| | Conservative | Roger Jeffreys | 265 | |
| | Conservative | Roger Hawlor | 261 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Miranda Jennings | 172 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,502 | 21.0 |
Didcot Park (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Margaret Davies | 665 | |
| | Labour | Eleanor Hards | 630 | |
| | Conservative | Marie Flood | 480 | |
| | Conservative | Lyndon Elias | 442 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lee Thacker | 197 | |
| | Green | David Brooks-Saxl | 169 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,583 | 30.9 |
Forest Hill and Holton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patricia Purse | 585 | 66.5 |
| | Conservative | John Walsh | 295 | 33.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 290 | 33.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 880 | 37.8 |
Garsington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ann Tomline | 471 | 60.4 |
| | Conservative | Michael Belcher | 309 | 39.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 162 | 20.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 780 | 35.7 |
Goring (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Ducker | 1,222 | |
| | Conservative | Pearl Slatter | 1,117 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alice Harrison | 640 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Caroline Wardle | 590 | |
| | Green | James Norman | 309 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,878 | 45.3 |
Great Milton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Nowell-Smith | 419 | 46.5 |
| | Conservative | Frank Nixey | 333 | 36.9 |
| | Labour | Malcolm Newdick | 92 | 10.2 |
| | Green | Alistair Morris | 58 | 6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 86 | 9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 902 | 44.2 |
Hagbourne :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Patrick Greene | 662 | 68.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jancis Smith | 203 | 21.0 |
| | Labour | Jeremy Goff | 103 | 10.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 459 | 47.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 968 | 46.6 |
Henley North (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Henley Residents Group | Kenneth Arlett | 779 | |
| | Henley Residents Group | Gillian Zakss | 710 | |
| | Conservative | Nigel Spencer-Jones | 621 | |
| | Conservative | Bruce Harrison | 563 | |
| | Green | Aidan Carlisle | 142 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Pinfield | 142 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,957 | 35.1 |
Henley South (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Henley Residents Group | Terry Buckett | 895 | |
| | Henley Residents Group | Barry Wood | 645 | |
| | Conservative | Alan Rooke | 439 | |
| | Conservative | Anthony Lane | 417 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Noel Snell | 339 | |
| | Green | Susan Miles | 145 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,880 | 35.2 |
Sandford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Stimson | 275 | 45.8 |
| | Conservative | Rolien Tremain | 208 | 34.7 |
| | Labour | William Atkinson | 66 | 11.0 |
| | Green | David Scott | 51 | 8.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 67 | 11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 600 | 28.8 |
Shiplake (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Edward Rudge | 973 | |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Leonard | 945 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emily Cooper | 339 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Curl | 287 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,544 | 35.6 |
Sonning Common (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Donald Naish | 983 | |
| | Conservative | Henry Kemp | 908 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Martyn-Johns | 399 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Wardle | 335 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,625 | 33.1 |
Thame North (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Bretherton | 526 | |
| | Conservative | Patrick Welply | 471 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jeneva Paul | 418 | |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Carter | 416 | |
| | Labour | Euan Aitken | 222 | |
| | Labour | Christopher Chandler | 201 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,254 | 27.5 |
Thame South (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Ann Midwinter | 825 | |
| | Conservative | David Dodds | 642 | |
| | Labour | Mary Stiles | 566 | |
| | Conservative | Ana Choudhury | 460 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,493 | 33.7 |
Wallingford North (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Denis Strange | 978 | |
| | Conservative | Nigel Moor | 607 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Norah Laurie | 581 | |
| | Conservative | John Cohen | 363 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,529 | 35.4 |
Watlington (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Ian Mann | 835 | |
| | Conservative | David Sloan | 803 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Fleming | 741 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbara Snell | 617 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,996 | 40.0 |
Wheatley (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Bell | 674 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Gray | 638 | |
| | Conservative | John Hamer | 566 | |
| | Conservative | Diana Ludlow | 487 | |
| | Labour | Matthew Andrews | 184 | |
| | Labour | Daniel Ferrett | 155 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,704 | 33.2 |
Woodcote :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Christopher Quinton | 553 | 58.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robin Peirce | 398 | 41.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 155 | 16.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 951 | 49.3 |