# 1982 Colchester Borough Council election

Elections to Colchester Borough Council took place in 1982 alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.
This was the first Colchester local election to be contested by the newly formed SDP-Liberal Alliance.

## Summary

1982 Colchester Borough Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Conservative | 11 | | 55.0 | 24 | 35 | 58.3 | 18.499 | 45.0 | +0.3 |
| | Labour | 5 | 3 | 25.0 | 14 | 19 | 31.7 | 10,106 | 24.6 | –16.5 |
| | Tiptree Residents | 1 | 1 | 5.0 | 2 | 3 | 5.0 | 1,170 | 2.8 | –0.2 |
| | Alliance | 2 | 2 | 10.0 | 0 | 2 | 3.3 | 10,301 | 25.1 | +16.4 |
| | Independent | 1 | | 5.0 | 0 | 1 | 1.7 | 1,010 | 2.5 | +0.1 |
| | Ecology | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 32 | 0.1 | N/A |

## Ward results
### Berechurch

Berechurch :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | R. McQuilty* | 940 | 44.3 | −2.7 |
| | Conservative | A. Keenlyside | 614 | 28.9 | +5.0 |
| | Alliance | H. Anderson | 569 | 26.8 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 326 | 15.4 | −0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,123 | 36.9 | −1.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,747 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 3.9 | |

### Birch-Messing

Birch-Messing :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | T. Wayman* | 506 | 76.1 | N/A |
| | Alliance | D. Calthorpe | 114 | 17.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | T. Morecroft | 45 | 8.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 392 | 58.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 665 | 50.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,309 | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Boxted & Langham

Boxted & Langham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Garnett | 617 | 63.1 | +0.1 |
| | Alliance | M. Bearman | 286 | 29.2 | N/A |
| | Labour | J. Church | 75 | 7.7 | −29.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 331 | 33.8 | +7.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 978 | 54.6 | −2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,790 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Castle

Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ken Cooke* | 907 | 38.3 | −6.7 |
| | Conservative | E. Humphreys | 881 | 37.2 | −4.0 |
| | Alliance | William Spyvee | 579 | 24.5 | +10.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 26 | 1.1 | −2.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,367 | 46.8 | +5.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,058 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 1.4 | |

### Harbour

Harbour :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rod Green* | 1,052 | 42.6 | −20.5 |
| | Alliance | R. Puxley | 750 | 30.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | M. Coyne | 667 | 27.0 | −9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 302 | 12.2 | −13.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,469 | 46.2 | +2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,349 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Lexden

Lexden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | D. Holt* | 1,364 | 55.3 | −9.5 |
| | Alliance | H. Brooks | 948 | 38.4 | +16.5 |
| | Labour | A. Sullivan | 123 | 5.0 | −7.9 |
| | Ecology | O. Gray | 32 | 1.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 416 | 16.9 | −25.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,467 | 60.8 | +9.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,056 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 13.0 | |

### Mile End

Mile End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Fulford* | 854 | 51.0 | −6.2 |
| | Labour | Tim Oxton | 519 | 31.0 | −11.7 |
| | Alliance | M. Wilson | 301 | 18.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 335 | 20.0 | +5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,674 | 43.4 | −4.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,857 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 2.8 | |

### New Town

New Town :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | R. Evans | 1,146 | 52.5 | +41.5 |
| | Labour | Jim Orpe* | 605 | 27.7 | −40.6 |
| | Conservative | J. Clarke | 433 | 19.8 | −0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 541 | 24.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,184 | 46.6 | +2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,683 | | |
| | Alliance gain from Labour | Alliance gain from Labour | Swing | 41.1 | |

### Prettygate

Prettygate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | D. Purvis* | 1,131 | 46.0 | −7.6 |
| | Alliance | Martin Hunt | 915 | 37.2 | +21.7 |
| | Labour | Chris Pearson | 414 | 16.8 | −14.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 216 | 8.8 | −13.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,460 | 49.3 | +4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,987 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 14.7 | |

### Shrub End

Shrub End :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | G. Daldry | 871 | 40.7 | +27.7 |
| | Labour | E. Plowright* | 797 | 37.2 | −20.9 |
| | Conservative | A. Stevenson | 473 | 22.1 | −6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 74 | 3.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,141 | 36.3 | +3.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,890 | | |
| | Alliance gain from Labour | Alliance gain from Labour | Swing | 24.3 | |

### St. Andrew's

St. Andrew's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graham Bober* | 1,262 | 54.5 | −16.4 |
| | Alliance | P. Baker | 535 | 23.1 | +14.7 |
| | Conservative | E. Sinclair | 517 | 22.3 | +1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 727 | 31.4 | −18.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,314 | 28.5 | +0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,115 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 15.6 | |

### St. Anne's

St. Anne's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | R. Marchant* | 843 | 39.9 | −18.4 |
| | Conservative | L. Wynne | 744 | 35.2 | −6.5 |
| | Alliance | W. Ladbrook | 527 | 24.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 99 | 4.7 | −11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,114 | 45.1 | −0.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,690 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 6.0 | |

### St. John's

St. John's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | M. Roots | 994 | 60.5 | −3.8 |
| | Alliance | J. Hughes | 380 | 23.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | R. Crookes | 270 | 16.4 | −19.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 614 | 37.3 | +8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,644 | 45.7 | +2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,596 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### St. Mary's

St. Mary's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nigel Chapman | 1,273 | 57.1 | −7.7 |
| | Alliance | W. Sandford | 635 | 28.5 | +11.9 |
| | Labour | C. Graves | 322 | 14.4 | −6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 638 | 28.6 | −16.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,230 | 44.4 | +0.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,019 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 9.8 | |

### Stanway

Stanway :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | E. Gawthrop | 863 | 49.3 | −2.1 |
| | Alliance | R. Wilson | 550 | 31.4 | +22.0 |
| | Labour | K. Taylor | 337 | 19.3 | −19.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 313 | 17.9 | +5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,750 | 43.7 | +0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,003 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 12.1 | |

### Tiptree

Tiptree :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Tiptree Residents | J. Elliott | 860 | 44.2 | −7.4 |
| | Conservative | R. Martin* | 676 | 34.7 | −1.5 |
| | Labour | S. Simmonds | 411 | 21.1 | +8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 184 | 9.5 | −5.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,947 | 33.7 | −1.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,779 | | |
| | Tiptree Residents gain from Conservative | Tiptree Residents gain from Conservative | Swing | 3.0 | |

### West Bergholt

West Bergholt :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | J. Lampon* | 609 | 63.2 | −18.9 |
| | Alliance | M. Bayliss | 250 | 25.9 | N/A |
| | Labour | J. Pearsall | 105 | 10.9 | −7.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 359 | 37.2 | −27.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 964 | 43.3 | −4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,226 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### West Mersea

West Mersea :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | G. Roberts | 1,218 | 63.2 | −2.9 |
| | Alliance | W. Packard | 609 | 31.6 | N/A |
| | Labour | L. Shelley | 100 | 5.2 | −3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 695 | 31.6 | +9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,927 | 41.8 | +3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,609 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Winstree

Winstree :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | M. Fairhead* | 796 | 72.5 | −6.9 |
| | Alliance | P. Treacher | 232 | 21.1 | N/A |
| | Labour | L. Shelley | 100 | 5.2 | −15.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 564 | 51.4 | −7.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,128 | 54.5 | +0.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,015 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Wivenhoe

Wivenhoe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | P. Roots | 1,063 | 42.9 | +3.9 |
| | Labour | J. Bayles* | 909 | 36.7 | −9.3 |
| | Independent | D. Staple | 504 | 20.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 154 | 6.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,476 | 43.4 | −7.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,701 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | 6.6 | |