# 2011 Ashford Borough Council election

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

## Election result

The Conservatives gained 2 seats to have 30 of the 43 councillors. Labour picked up 3 seats, while the Ashford Independents made a net gain of 1 seat, to both have 5 councillors. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats were reduced to just 2 seats in North Willesborough and Victoria wards, a result that was blamed on the party's national unpopularity. Overall turnout in the election was 56%.
Ashford Local Election Result 2011 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 30 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 69.8 | 46.8 | 21,836 | -6.0% |
| Ashford Ind. | 5 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 11.6 | 19.9 | 9,276 | +19.9% |
| Labour | 5 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 11.6 | 10.5 | 4,914 | +3.4% |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | 0 | 6 | -6 | 4.7 | 10.4 | 4,852 | -17.5% |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 | 8.1 | 3,762 | -3.2% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 | 1,135 | +1.5% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 | 853 | +1.8% |
2 Conservative candidates were elected unopposed.

## Ward results

Aylesford Green :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Adley | 241 | 36.3 | +36.3 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Brian Norris | 240 | 36.1 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative | Paul Hardisty | 183 | 27.6 | +6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1 | 0.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 664 | 34.3 | +6.1 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Beaver (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Chris Clark | 481 | | |
| | Labour | Brendan Naughton | 479 | | |
| | Conservative | Stephen Bates | 452 | | |
| | Conservative | Cenghizhan Jem | 335 | | |
| | Ashford Ind. | Laura Lawrence | 308 | | |
| | Ashford Ind. | Stacey Smith | 261 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,316 | 33.8 | +5.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Biddenden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Neil Bell | 776 | 80.4 | +6.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clare Hardwick | 189 | 19.6 | −6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 587 | 60.8 | +12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 965 | 48.1 | +5.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Bockhanger :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Claughton | 407 | 50.7 | −11.4 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Shirley Ambrose | 208 | 25.9 | +25.9 |
| | Labour | Thomas Reed | 123 | 15.3 | −7.9 |
| | Green | Steven Campkin | 65 | 8.1 | +8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 199 | 24.8 | −14.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 80.3 | 44.3 | +8.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Boughton Aluph & Eastwell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ashford Ind. | Winston Michael | 401 | 38.9 | +38.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rita Hawes | 367 | 35.6 | −32.3 |
| | Conservative | Ian Cooling | 262 | 25.4 | −6.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 34 | 3.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,030 | 43.9 | +8.4 |
| | Ashford Ind. gain from Liberal Democrats | Ashford Ind. gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Bybrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Buchanan | 300 | 36.8 | −17.8 |
| | Ashford Ind. | John Ley | 282 | 34.6 | +34.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Took | 234 | 28.7 | −16.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18 | 2.2 | −7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 816 | 41.9 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Charing :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerald Clarkson | 674 | 68.1 | −5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | George Whyte | 315 | 31.9 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 359 | 36.3 | −9.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 989 | 49.5 | +9.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Downs North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Douglas Marriott | 580 | 56.8 | −3.1 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Sarah Dacre | 279 | 27.3 | +27.3 |
| | Green | Geoffery Meaden | 162 | 15.9 | −12.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 301 | 29.5 | −2.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,021 | 52.5 | +7.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Downs West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Robey | 456 | 49.0 | −18.0 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Antony Bartlett | 280 | 30.1 | +30.1 |
| | Green | Lola Sansom | 113 | 12.1 | +12.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leonard Wicklewright | 82 | 8.8 | −12.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 176 | 18.9 | −36.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 931 | 49.7 | −10.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Godinton (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Feacey | 935 | | |
| | Conservative | Bernard Heyes | 801 | | |
| | UKIP | David Botting | 370 | | |
| | Ashford Ind. | Rachel Moorat | 368 | | |
| | Independent | Michael Sharpe | 291 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,765 | 39.6 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Great Chart with Singleton North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jessamy Blanford | 423 | 42.2 | −6.3 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Jerry Preston-Ladd | 400 | 39.9 | +15.9 |
| | Labour | Waheed Qureshi | 179 | 17.9 | +7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23 | 2.3 | −22.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,002 | 38.3 | +5.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Highfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ashford Ind. | Jane Davey | 376 | 44.4 | +23.7 |
| | Conservative | Gregory Winter | 311 | 36.8 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Mackie | 159 | 18.8 | −21.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 65 | 7.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 846 | 44.7 | +8.3 |
| | Ashford Ind. gain from Liberal Democrats | Ashford Ind. gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Isle of Oxney :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Burgess | unopposed | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Kennington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Ashford Ind. | Philip Sims | 440 | 45.7 |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Tweed | 415 | 43.1 |
| | Labour | Robert Maxted | 107 | 11.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25 | 2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 962 | 54.0 |
| | Ashford Ind. gain from Conservative | Ashford Ind. gain from Conservative | Swing | |
Little Burton Farm :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Marion Martin | 505 | 50.0 | −23.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kelly-Marie Blundell | 195 | 19.3 | −7.2 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Charlotte Fraser | 171 | 16.9 | +16.9 |
| | Labour | Terry Pavlou | 138 | 13.7 | +13.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 310 | 30.7 | −16.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,009 | 46.2 | +9.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Norman :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Harriet Yeo | 224 | 30.5 | +30.5 |
| | Conservative | Richard Davis | 202 | 27.5 | +9.0 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Abigail Burt | 165 | 22.4 | +9.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jack Cowen | 144 | 19.6 | −19.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22 | 3.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 735 | 37.3 | +7.9 |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
North Willesborough (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Davidson | 624 | | |
| | Ashford Ind. | Andrew Mortimer | 522 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Cowley | 502 | | |
| | Ashford Ind. | Simon Thomason | 452 | | |
| | Conservative | Alex Bell | 446 | | |
| | Conservative | Alan Pickering | 351 | | |
| | Labour | Leonardo Cannon | 302 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,199 | 46.7 | +8.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Ashford Ind. gain from Liberal Democrats | Ashford Ind. gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Park Farm North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bettina Heyes | 540 | 54.4 | −11.6 |
| | Labour | Martin Chandler | 214 | 21.6 | +6.6 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Natalie Edwards-Moss | 163 | 16.4 | +16.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stuart Dove | 75 | 7.6 | −11.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 326 | 32.9 | −14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 992 | 41.0 | +10.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Park Farm South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Wedgbury | 489 | 73.4 | −7.6 |
| | Labour | Thomas Devine | 177 | 26.6 | +16.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 312 | 46.8 | −23.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 666 | 32.5 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Rolvenden & Tenterden West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Bennett | 586 | 52.5 | −29.1 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Juliet Fenton | 438 | 39.2 | +39.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marion Murray | 93 | 8.3 | −10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 148 | 13.2 | −50.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,117 | 58.3 | +9.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Saxon Shore (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Wood | 1,194 | | |
| | Conservative | William Howard | 1,019 | | |
| | Ashford Ind. | Susan Davison | 535 | | |
| | Green | Tracy Dighton-Brown | 496 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rosemary Davies | 340 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,584 | 52.7 | +11.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Singleton South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Amanda Hodgkinson | 387 | 46.7 | −0.3 |
| | Independent | Malcolm Eke | 238 | 28.7 | +28.7 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Terence Stock | 126 | 15.2 | +2.2 |
| | Independent | Jonathan Clarke | 77 | 9.3 | +9.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 149 | 18.0 | −0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 828 | 37.5 | +0.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
South Willesborough :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | David Smith | 526 | 63.8 | +20.0 |
| | Labour | Sophie Griffiths | 150 | 18.2 | +18.2 |
| | Conservative | Carol Brook | 148 | 18.0 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 376 | 45.6 | +23.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 824 | 32.8 | +5.6 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
St Michaels :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Link | 626 | 70.8 | −4.2 |
| | Green | Matthew Stanley | 187 | 21.2 | +21.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Hardwick | 71 | 8.0 | −17.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 439 | 49.7 | −0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 884 | 46.9 | +8.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Stanhope :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Brendan Chilton | 286 | 56.2 | +56.2 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Palma Laughton | 223 | 43.8 | −24.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 63 | 12.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 509 | 28.5 | +8.2 |
| | Labour gain from Ashford Ind. | Labour gain from Ashford Ind. | Swing | | |
Stour (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Graham Galpin | 645 | | |
| | Conservative | Matthew French | 578 | | |
| | Ashford Ind. | Emily Neighbour | 382 | | |
| | Labour | David Burt | 366 | | |
| | Labour | Angharad Yeo | 310 | | |
| | Ashford Ind. | James McDonald | 268 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nadiya Yildirim | 178 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,727 | 41.4 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Tenterden North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Clokie | 523 | 50.1 | −19.0 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Gillian Whittaker | 251 | 24.0 | +24.0 |
| | Independent | Michael Pearson | 146 | 14.0 | +14.0 |
| | Labour | Rebecca Andrews | 124 | 11.9 | +11.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 272 | 26.1 | −12.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,044 | 56.7 | +13.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Tenterden South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Goddard | 546 | 58.8 | −0.4 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Roy Isworth | 382 | 41.2 | +41.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 164 | 17.7 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 928 | 48.6 | +8.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Victoria (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jeremy Adby | 425 | | |
| | Conservative | Harold Apps | 387 | | |
| | Labour | Roy Clark | 370 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Dye | 361 | | |
| | Labour | Susan Clark | 347 | | |
| | Conservative | Muhammed Khan | 293 | | |
| | Ashford Ind. | Karen Hopkins | 189 | | |
| | Ashford Ind. | Sarah Stanfield | 185 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,557 | 36.9 | +6.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Washford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Neil Shorter | 329 | 37.7 | +1.5 |
| | Independent | John Holland | 253 | 29.0 | +29.0 |
| | Labour | Robert Vincent | 184 | 21.1 | +6.6 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Simon Nelson | 107 | 12.3 | −26.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 76 | 8.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 873 | 36.3 | +6.2 |
| | Conservative gain from Ashford Ind. | Conservative gain from Ashford Ind. | Swing | | |
Weald Central (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Clair Bell | 1,113 | | |
| | Conservative | Robert Taylor | 999 | | |
| | Ashford Ind. | Paul Andrews | 470 | | |
| | UKIP | Thomas Taylor | 386 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,968 | 47.4 | +4.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Weald East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Bartlett | uncontested | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Weald North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Geraldine Dyer | 635 | 58.9 | −13.0 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Timothy Lee | 332 | 30.8 | +30.8 |
| | Green | Hilary Jones | 112 | 10.4 | −2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 303 | 28.1 | −28.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,079 | 55.8 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Weald South (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ashford Ind. | Peter Davison | 1,020 | | |
| | Conservative | Aline Hicks | 992 | | |
| | Conservative | John Rivers | 601 | | |
| | Independent | Edward Relf | 525 | | |
| | Independent | Hilary Moorby | 440 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Stone | 226 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Stone | 183 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,987 | 52.5 | +6.4 |
| | Ashford Ind. hold | Ashford Ind. hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Wye :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Steven Wright | 392 | 38.9 | +8.4 |
| | Ashford Ind. | Jack Woodford | 318 | 31.5 | −33.6 |
| | Labour | Alexander Latham | 112 | 11.1 | +11.1 |
| | UKIP | Mike Adams | 97 | 9.6 | +9.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kenneth Blanshard | 89 | 8.8 | +4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 74 | 7.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,008 | 55.5 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Ashford Ind. | Conservative gain from Ashford Ind. | Swing | | |