# 1999 Wychavon District Council election

The 1999 Wychavon District Council election took place on 6 May 1999 to elect members of Wychavon District Council in Worcestershire, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.

## Background

Before the election the Conservatives were the largest party on the council with 18 seats, but the Liberal Democrats with 17 seats ran the council with the support of the 10 Labour councillors and there were also 4 independent councillors. 49 seats were up for election in 1999, but the Conservatives won two seats in Harvington and Norton and Wickhamford without opposition.

## Election result

The Conservatives gained 11 seats to take control of the council with 29 councillors, in only the second time after 1987 that the Conservatives won a majority on the council. Both the Liberal Democrat leader of the council, John Grantham, and the Labour group leader John Wrenn were among the councilors to be defeated at the election.
Wychavon local election result 1999 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes |
| Conservative | 29 | | | +11 | 59.2 | 45.6 | 21,636 |
| Liberal Democrats | 11 | | | -6 | 22.4 | 27.9 | 13,242 |
| Labour | 5 | | | -5 | 10.2 | 15.3 | 7,245 |
| Independent | 3 | | | 0 | 6.1 | 8.6 | 4,098 |
| Ind. Conservative | 1 | | | 0 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 875 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 309 |

## Ward results

Badsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sonya Ealey | 362 | 58.1 |
| | Conservative | Paul Middlebrough | 181 | 29.1 |
| | Labour | Fiona Watson | 80 | 12.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 181 | 29.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 623 | 28.2 |
Bowbook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Rowley | 570 | 69.3 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Warren | 252 | 30.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 318 | 38.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 822 | 45.4 |
Bredon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Lewis | 576 | 51.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Linda Stone | 480 | 42.7 |
| | Labour | Ross Hayman | 69 | 6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 96 | 8.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,125 | 50.6 |
Bretforton and Offenham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | George Bourne | 300 | 43.8 |
| | Independent | Hazel Mitchell | 175 | 25.5 |
| | Independent | Junay England | 154 | 22.5 |
| | Labour | Susan Hocking | 56 | 8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 125 | 18.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 685 | 35.7 |
Broadway (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Folkes | 587 | |
| | Conservative | Stuart Bates | 571 | |
| | Independent | Terence Waldron | 349 | |
| | Labour | Brian Chilver | 215 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,722 | 39.3 |
Dodderhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Charles Richardson | 312 | 67.7 |
| | Labour | Eve Freer | 102 | 22.1 |
| | Independent | Derek Prior | 47 | 10.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 210 | 45.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 461 | 29.7 |
Drakes Broughton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ralph Mason | 419 | 63.1 |
| | Conservative | Michael Whitehead | 177 | 26.7 |
| | Labour | Anne Frazier | 68 | 10.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 242 | 36.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 664 | 35.2 |
Droitwich Central (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Pamela Davey | 1,049 | |
| | Conservative | David Hall | 1,017 | |
| | Conservative | Hugh Hamilton | 996 | |
| | Labour | Sheila Neary | 804 | |
| | Labour | John Wrenn | 791 | |
| | Labour | Bill Baker | 769 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,426 | 36.2 |
Droitwich South (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Michael Barratt | 1,398 | |
| | Conservative | Eileen Hope | 1,360 | |
| | Conservative | Donald Lawley | 1,238 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Gopsill | 873 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Josephine Wilkinson | 852 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pamela Jackson-Smith | 822 | |
| | Independent | Ronald Waters | 593 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,314 | 34.5 |
Droitwich West (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Peter Pinfield | 633 | |
| | Labour | Keith Rogers | 590 | |
| | Labour | Roy Seabourne | 561 | |
| | Conservative | Royston Hadland | 406 | |
| | Conservative | Laurence Evans | 396 | |
| | Conservative | Paul Sharpe | 390 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,976 | 22.7 |
Eckington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter Wright | 438 | 50.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Wall | 305 | 35.5 |
| | Labour | Priscilla Cameron | 117 | 13.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 133 | 15.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 860 | 42.0 |
Elmley Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Meikle | 553 | 70.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Neath | 178 | 22.8 |
| | Labour | Warwick Holland | 49 | 6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 375 | 48.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 780 | 52.3 |
Evesham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Richard Hicks | 189 | 36.4 |
| | Conservative | David Alesbury | 181 | 34.9 |
| | Independent | Ronald Stow | 99 | 19.1 |
| | Green | Norbert Tucker | 50 | 9.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8 | 1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 519 | 28.4 |
Evesham Hampton (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Smith | 915 | |
| | Conservative | James Griffiths | 815 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Payne | 536 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Timothy Haines | 408 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Martin | 366 | |
| | Labour | Robin Lunn | 363 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,403 | 33.0 |
Evesham North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Josephine Sandalls | 350 | 57.0 |
| | Labour | Stephen Selby | 264 | 43.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 86 | 14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 614 | 32.3 |
Evesham South (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Ronald Cartwright | 857 | |
| | Conservative | Martin Jennings | 768 | |
| | Labour | Susan Hayman | 456 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julie Steer | 398 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Diana Brown | 385 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,864 | 25.6 |
Evesham West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Michael Worrall | 287 | 62.7 |
| | Conservative | Tony Dolphin | 171 | 37.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 116 | 25.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 458 | 23.4 |
Fladbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Bernard Lee | 479 | 56.2 |
| | Independent | Thomas Mitchell | 374 | 43.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 105 | 12.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 853 | 51.8 |
Hanbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Anthony Hotham | 305 | 78.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Donald Aldridge | 82 | 21.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 223 | 57.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 387 | 41.2 |
Hartlebury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Muriel Mathews | 401 | 59.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Terry | 277 | 40.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 124 | 18.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 678 | 32.5 |
Havington and Norton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Clive Holt | unopposed | | |
Honeybourne and Pebworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Bean | 401 | 68.4 |
| | Conservative | Caroline Spencer | 130 | 22.2 |
| | Labour | Rebecca Such | 55 | 9.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 271 | 46.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 586 | 34.3 |
Inkberrow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Ind. Conservative | Audrey Steel | 591 | 52.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Renate Phillips | 451 | 40.2 |
| | Labour | Bruce Thomas | 81 | 7.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 140 | 12.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,123 | 45.7 |
Lenches :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Lee | 281 | 64.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martyn Cracknell | 82 | 18.9 |
| | Labour | Martin Davey | 72 | 16.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 199 | 45.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 435 | 45.8 |
Lovett :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Andrew Christian-Brookes | 405 | 76.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Judith Cussen | 128 | 24.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 277 | 52.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 533 | 37.8 |
North Claines (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Miller | 573 | |
| | Conservative | Paul Coley | 472 | |
| | Conservative | John Jeffrey | 421 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Saunders | 404 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,870 | 42.8 |
Ombersley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Jean Dowty | 525 | 72.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Parkinson | 202 | 27.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 323 | 44.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 727 | 42.2 |
Pershore Holy Cross (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Richard Hampton | 471 | |
| | Conservative | Trudy Burge | 466 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Grantham | 456 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charles Tucker | 412 | |
| | Labour | Lynda Fotherington | 145 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,950 | 35.1 |
Pershore St Andrews (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Victor Smith | 754 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shirley Newman | 405 | |
| | Independent | Kenneth Chambers | 357 | |
| | Green | David Shaw | 259 | |
| | Labour | Emma Kirbyson | 252 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,027 | 36.3 |
Pinvin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Argyle | 595 | 59.5 |
| | Conservative | Gary Robinson | 405 | 40.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 190 | 19.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,000 | 46.2 |
Somerville :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Gerald Barnett | 544 | 81.8 |
| | Labour | Stanley Banks | 121 | 18.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 423 | 63.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 665 | 42.8 |
South Bredon Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adrian Darby | 356 | 53.9 |
| | Ind. Conservative | Rupert Ellis | 284 | 43.0 |
| | Labour | Robert Kirbyson | 20 | 3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 72 | 10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 660 | 61.9 |
Spetchley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Robert Adams | 559 | 61.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barrie Redding | 352 | 38.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 207 | 22.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 911 | 39.0 |
The Littletons :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Richard Lasota | 652 | 64.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Penelope Christison | 324 | 32.0 |
| | Labour | Jon Baker | 36 | 3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 328 | 32.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,012 | 45.8 |
Upton Snodsbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Tucker | 488 | 57.4 |
| | Conservative | Lynn Gorman | 362 | 42.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 126 | 14.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 850 | 51.3 |
Wickhamford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Noyes | unopposed | | |

## By-elections between 1999 and 2003
### Evesham East

A by-election was held in Evesham East on 9 November 2000 after the resignation of Labour councillor Richard Hicks. The seat was gained for the Conservatives by Andy Dyke with a majority of 25 votes over Labour candidate Steve Selby.
Evesham East by-election 9 November 2000 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andy Dyke | 270 | 52.4 | +17.5 |
| | Labour | Steve Selby | 245 | 47.6 | +11.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25 | 4.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 515 | 28.9 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Dodderhill

A by-election was held in Dodderhill on 16 May 2002 after the death of Conservative councillor Charles Richardson. The seat was held for the Conservatives by Judith Pearce with a majority of 58 votes over independent candidate Warren Lewis.
Dodder Hill by-election 16 May 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Judith Pearce | 264 | 40.1 | −27.6 |
| | Independent | Warren Lewis | 206 | 31.3 | +21.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Derek Prior | 108 | 16.4 | +16.4 |
| | Labour | Chris Barton | 81 | 12.3 | −9.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 58 | 8.8 | −36.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 659 | 38.9 | +9.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Drakes Broughton

A by-election was held in Drakes Broughton on 18 July 2002 following the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Ralph Mason. The seat was gained for the Conservatives by Paul Middlebrough with a 3-vote majority over Liberal Democrat Josephine Wilkinson.
Drakes Broughton by-election 18 July 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Middlebrough | 373 | 50.2 | +23.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Josephine Wilkinson | 370 | 49.8 | −13.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3 | 0.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 743 | 39.4 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |