# 2002 Eastbourne Borough Council election

The 2002 Eastbourne Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Eastbourne Borough Council in East Sussex, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000 reducing the number of seats by 3. The Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the council from the Conservative Party.

## Background

Before the election the Conservatives controlled the council with 18 seats, compared to 12 for the Liberal Democrats. The whole council was elected after boundary changes reduced the number of wards from 10 to 9 and the number of councillors from 30 to 27.

## Election result

The Liberal Democrats gained a majority of 3 on the council with 15 seats, compared to 12 for the Conservatives. Over a quarter of the Liberal Democrat councillors elected were new to the role, with the Liberal Democrat gains in Old Town and St Anthony's wards being reported as crucial to them taking control. Overall turnout at the election was 33.9%, up from 30.9% in 2000.
The Liberal Democrat success was put down to controversy over the Old Town library, issues such as anti-social behaviour and abandoned cars, and boundary changes.
Eastbourne local election result 2002 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Liberal Democrats | 15 | +3 | 55.6 | 49.3 | 32,996 | +13.9 |
| Conservative | 12 | -6 | 44.4 | 41.4 | 27,700 | -15.7 |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 3,356 | -1.3 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 2,241 | +2.9 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 321 | +0.5 |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 303 | +0.5 |

## Ward results

Devonshire (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Beryl Healy | 1,600 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Beryl Teso | 1,480 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Neil Stanley | 1,462 | |
| | Conservative | Martin Charlton | 515 | |
| | Conservative | Sandra Elkin | 500 | |
| | Conservative | Diane Leagas | 453 | |
| | Green | Daniel Richardson | 269 | |
| | Labour | Peter Tucker | 223 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,502 | 27.9 |
Hampden Park (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Pooley | 1,278 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Thompson | 1,149 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Olive Woodall | 1,145 | |
| | Labour | Nora Ring | 523 | |
| | Labour | David Brinson | 514 | |
| | Labour | Martin Falkner | 451 | |
| | Conservative | Jeanie Sowerby | 328 | |
| | Conservative | Pamela Cook | 321 | |
| | Conservative | Russell Riseley | 312 | |
| | Green | Leslie Dalton | 114 | |
| | Green | Finbar O'Shea | 112 | |
| | Green | Richard Luxford | 79 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,326 | 29.2 |
Langney (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Berry | 1,255 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Irene Sims | 1,178 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Slater | 1,118 | |
| | Conservative | Alexander Richards | 596 | |
| | Conservative | Iain Andrews | 574 | |
| | Conservative | Thomas Walters | 554 | |
| | Labour | John Morrison | 139 | |
| | Labour | Jonathan Pettigrew | 109 | |
| | Green | Christine Quarrington | 86 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,609 | 25.8 |
Meads (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Stevens | 2,001 | |
| | Conservative | Barry Taylor | 1,967 | |
| | Conservative | David Elkin | 1,949 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Beverley Berry | 731 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Ticehurst | 686 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kevin Aylott | 662 | |
| | Green | Clive Gross | 351 | |
| | Labour | John Pettigrew | 280 | |
| | UKIP | Kenneth Alderton | 174 | |
| | UKIP | Royston Maryan | 129 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,930 | 38.9 |
Old Town (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Albert Leggett | 2,161 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Maurice Skilton | 2,153 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Creaven | 1,942 | |
| | Conservative | Ian Lucas | 1,252 | |
| | Conservative | Simon Herbert | 1,166 | |
| | Conservative | John Stanbury | 1,156 | |
| | Green | Liam Stevens | 408 | |
| | Labour | Robert Rossetter | 216 | |
| | Independent | Michael Phipp | 146 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,600 | 45.0 |
Ratton (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Colin Belsey | 1,641 | |
| | Conservative | Barbara Goodall | 1,628 | |
| | Conservative | Sandie Howlett | 1,564 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jacqueline Harris | 806 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Penelope Cunliffe-Lister | 793 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mary Shmoller | 661 | |
| | Labour | David Buck | 295 | |
| | Green | Nancy Dalton | 242 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,630 | 35.4 |
St Anthony's (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Tutt | 2,005 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Harris | 1,987 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Norman Marsh | 1,907 | |
| | Conservative | Sheila Charlton | 827 | |
| | Conservative | John Davidson | 762 | |
| | Conservative | John Wilton | 705 | |
| | Labour | Helen Sedgewick | 221 | |
| | Green | Robert Sier | 164 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,578 | 35.8 |
Sovereign (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Patrick Bowker | 1,001 | |
| | Conservative | Christopher Williams | 970 | |
| | Conservative | Patrick Warner | 925 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Carroll | 648 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Bloom | 638 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Ellis | 632 | |
| | Independent | Linus Gunning | 175 | |
| | Labour | Jacqueline Pilkington | 172 | |
| | Green | Jocelyn McCarthy | 124 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,285 | 31.8 |
Upperton (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Graham Marsden | 1,390 | |
| | Conservative | Robert Lacey | 1,332 | |
| | Conservative | Ann Murray | 1,311 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Troy Tester | 989 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian Whitby | 966 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stuart Pritcher | 964 | |
| | Green | Susan Montague | 292 | |
| | Labour | Michael Tucker | 213 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,457 | 34.0 |