# 1999 North Hertfordshire District Council election

The 1999 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 6 May 1999, at the same time as other local elections across Britain. All 49 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council were up for election following changes to ward boundaries.
Labour lost control of the council to the Conservatives at the election, with the Conservative leader, F. John Smith, becoming leader of the council, taking the role from the Labour leader, David Kearns. The Liberal Democrat leader, Ian Simpson, lost his seat at the election and was replaced as group leader after the election by Steve Jarvis.

## Overall results

The overall results were as follows:
North Hertfordshire District Council Election, 1999 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 28 | 11 | 57.1 | 43.8 | 15,710 | +2.8 |
| Labour | 18 | 8 | 36.7 | 31.9 | 11,420 | -5.1 |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 3 | 6.1 | 20.2 | 7,247 | -0.3 |
| Green | 0 | | 0 | 1.8 | 655 | +0.7 |
| Independent | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.8 | 631 | +1.8 |
| Natural Law | 0 | | 0 | 0.5 | 170 | +0.1 |

## Ward Results

The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election.
Arbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Andrew Dempster Young* | 703 | 65.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Lindsay Pritchard | 241 | 22.5 |
| | Labour | Joanna Ruth White | 129 | 12.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 54.16 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,981 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Baldock East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Edwin Weeks | 256 | 56.4 | |
| | Labour | John Merson | 101 | 22.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marilyn Roberta Kirkland | 97 | 21.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 25.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,767 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Baldock Town ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bernard Crow* | 1,025 | 43.7 | |
| | Conservative | Michael Robert Mackenzie Muir | 859 | | |
| | Conservative | Ian Knighton | 842 | | |
| | Labour | Brian Derbyshire* | 787 | 33.5 | |
| | Labour | Roger Miller McFall* | 706 | | |
| | Labour | Andrew Robert Milne* | 577 | | |
| | Independent | Peter Alan Deacon | 317 | 13.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Stephen White | 217 | 9.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Samantha Turner | 177 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,702 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Cadwell ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Patricia Winifred Gibbs (Tricia Gibbs) | 450 | 51.1 |
| | Labour | Anne Elizabeth Sobek* | 318 | 36.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Mark Derwent | 113 | 12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 48.14 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,832 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | |
Codicote ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Luke Michael Joseph La Plain* | 565 | 66.2 |
| | Labour | Frederick George Peacock | 195 | 22.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Stephen Grant Stanley | 93 | 10.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,039 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Ermine ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Howard Maycroft Marshall | 621 | 63.3 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jean Pooley | 233 | 23.8 | |
| | Labour | Dorothy Fryer | 127 | 12.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 50.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,940 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Graveley and Wymondley ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sally Margaret Jarvis (Sal Jarvis) | 379 | 60.5 | |
| | Conservative | Cheryl Kathleen Peers | 192 | 30.7 | |
| | Labour | Robert Fergus Whatson | 55 | 8.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 48.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,289 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
Hitchin Bearton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Judi Billing* | 933 | 49.2 |
| | Labour | Jennifer Alice Marr* (Jenny Marr) | 892 | |
| | Labour | Martin John Stears* | 764 | |
| | Conservative | Patricia Ann Cherry | 504 | 26.6 |
| | Conservative | Charles Spencer Bunker | 502 | |
| | Conservative | Mark Philip Spencer Bunker | 498 | |
| | Green | Nigel Peter Howitt | 179 | 9.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Catchpole | 173 | 9.1 |
| | Natural Law | David Richard Hunter Cooke | 108 | 5.7 |
| | Natural Law | Donna Louise Hawkins | 66 | |
| | Natural Law | Lesley Susan Relph | 58 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 30.32 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,142 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Hitchin Highbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Alvaro Damiani* (Al Damiani) | 1,248 | 46.4 |
| | Conservative | Paul Nigel Dee | 1,199 | |
| | Conservative | Lesley Avril Lambourn Greenwood | 1,153 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Clark* | 830 | 30.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert George Lord | 772 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Shirley | 673 | |
| | Labour | Jonathan Victor Newham | 454 | 16.9 |
| | Green | Lydia Helen Howitt | 156 | 5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,492 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |
Hitchin Oughton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Audrey Emmie Carss* | 721 | 65.0 |
| | Labour | Joan Irene Kirby* | 678 | |
| | Conservative | Nigel Kenneth Brook | 222 | 20.0 |
| | Conservative | Penelope Mary Brook | 209 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ingeborg Gudrun Sutcliffe | 100 | 9.0 |
| | Green | Stuart Madgin | 66 | 6.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 26.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,778 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Hitchin Priory ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Derrick Alan Ashley* | 1,099 | 58.7 |
| | Conservative | Richard Arthur Charles Thake* | 1,041 | |
| | Labour | David Edward Billing | 417 | 22.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Paul Winder | 355 | 19.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,015 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Hitchin Walsworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | James Ashmore | 876 | 40.6 |
| | Labour | Sandra May Lunn* | 855 | 39.6 |
| | Conservative | Bernard Frank James Lovewell | 852 | |
| | Conservative | Anthony Patrick Strong | 825 | |
| | Labour | Derek Nigel Sheard | 792 | |
| | Labour | Peter Simon Terry* | 779 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Cecily Thomas | 203 | 9.4 |
| | Green | George Winston Howe | 163 | 7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ethel Edith Westoby | 162 | |
| | Natural Law | Russell Pearson Howard | 62 | 2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,528 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | |
Hitchwood ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Alan Thomas Calder | 656 | 75.1 |
| | Labour | Paul John Charles Hetherington | 218 | 24.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,006 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Hoo ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David John Barnard* | 538 | 55.8 |
| | Labour | Roger Aubrey Wood* | 426 | 44.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 53.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,797 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | |
Kimpton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David John Horrell* | 485 | 79.1 |
| | Labour | Rene Rae Gardner | 128 | 20.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,709 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Knebworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Jane Elizabeth Gray* | 919 | 58.5 |
| | Conservative | Ferrers Robin Bruce Wordsworth (Robin Wordsworth) | 892 | |
| | Labour | Timothy Liddy | 352 | 22.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Stiff | 300 | 19.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 31.02 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,970 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Letchworth East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Arthur Jarman* | 861 | 50.7 |
| | Labour | Anthony Robert Hartley* | 849 | |
| | Labour | Lorna Rose Kercher* | 824 | |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Allen | 486 | 28.6 |
| | Conservative | Robin Charles Maurice Harbord | 486 | |
| | Conservative | Adam Joshua Wilson | 437 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Gammell | 261 | 15.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Francis Booton | 256 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Arthur Gilbert Ramsay Thomson | 222 | |
| | Green | Eric Morris Blakeley | 91 | 5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 29.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,337 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Letchworth Grange ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | David Peter Kearns* | 991 | 61.1 |
| | Labour | Peter Anthony Mardell* | 909 | |
| | Labour | David Morris* | 896 | |
| | Conservative | Judith Lindsey Gower | 416 | 25.6 |
| | Conservative | George Brunton Reith | 405 | |
| | Conservative | Richard Edward Markiewicz | 388 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robin Hall | 216 | 13.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nicholas Butcher | 202 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Natasha Winder | 183 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 29.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,177 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Letchworth South East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | John James Wilkinson* (Jack Wilkinson) | 847 | 45.1 |
| | Labour | Nigel Edward Agar* | 812 | |
| | Labour | Jean Andrews* | 802 | |
| | Conservative | John Finbarr Barry | 645 | 34.3 |
| | Conservative | Carole Anne McNelliey | 643 | |
| | Conservative | Gordon Raymond Whalley | 616 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jean Phyllis Leonard | 386 | 20.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Winder | 348 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Murray Frank Turner | 333 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,229 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Letchworth South West ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Lynda Ann Needham* | 1,380 | 45.1 |
| | Conservative | Neil Alexander Redfern | 1,239 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison Elaine Kingman* | 1,229 | 40.2 |
| | Conservative | Raymond Lawrence Shakespeare-Smith | 1,190 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Simpson* | 1,129 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Ircha | 1,039 | |
| | Labour | Jacqueline Brigitte Hartley | 452 | 14.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 50.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,615 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | |
Letchworth Wilbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Ian Mantle* | 729 | 63.0 |
| | Labour | Gary Thomas Grindal* | 720 | |
| | Conservative | Stephen Laurence Paul | 302 | 26.1 |
| | Conservative | Jessica Christian Dorothy Thomson | 289 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marion Evelyn Minards-Gammell | 127 | 11.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ursula Winder | 114 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 28.29 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,032 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Offa ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Claire Patricia Annette Strong* | 459 | 60.1 |
| | Labour | Jean Elizabeth Ann Wood | 161 | 21.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Donald Johnson | 144 | 18.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 48.34 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,597 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Royston Heath ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Colin Weston Burt* | 671 | 50.1 | |
| | Conservative | Rodney Victor Kennedy (Rod Kennedy) | 657 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Raymond Ledden | 338 | 25.2 | |
| | Labour | Maureen Dale-Molloy | 331 | 24.7 | |
| | Labour | Kenneth Garland | 327 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Noel Rose | 266 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.04 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,919 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Royston Meridian ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Frederick Hunter (Tony Hunter) | 561 | 47.9 | |
| | Conservative | Francis John Smith* (John Smith) | 560 | | |
| | Labour | Robin King | 338 | 28.9 | |
| | Labour | Joan Herbert | 336 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patricia Anne Baxter | 271 | 23.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony William Johnson | 215 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,324 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Royston Palace ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Leslie Baker* (Les Baker) | 463 | 37.9 | |
| | Conservative | Martin John Beaver | 431 | 35.2 | |
| | Conservative | Fiona Ronan Greenwood | 418 | | |
| | Labour | Vaughan West | 361 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Caroline Elizabeth Coates | 329 | 26.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Eric Clifford Harlow | 289 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 30.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,780 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
Weston and Sandon ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Kenneth Jarvis* (Steve Jarvis) | 612 | 64.5 | |
| | Independent | John Peter Cherry | 314 | 33.1 | |
| | Labour | Natasha Louise Hetherington | 23 | 2.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 59.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,599 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |