# 2003 Wychavon District Council election

The 2003 Wychavon District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Wychavon District Council in Worcestershire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 1999 reducing the number of seats by four. The Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.

## Background

Before the election the Conservatives controlled the council with 33 councillors, while the Liberal Democrats had 10 seats, Labour had 3, there was 1 independent and 2 seats were vacant. Boundary changes since 1999 reduced the number of wards from 36 to 32 and the number of councillors fell by four. Although all of the seats on the council were up for election, in Norton and Whittington, and Pinvin, there was no election as there was only one candidate in each ward.
One-third of the Conservative councillors stood down at the election, as well as independent John Smith who had represented Pershore on Wychavon District Council from its first election in 1973.

## Election result

The Conservatives remained in control of the council after winning 31 of the 45 seats on the council. The Liberal Democrats remained the largest opposition with 12 seats, while Labour took two seats. Overall turnout at the election was 37.94%, almost 4% higher than at the 1999 election.
Among the defeated candidates was the Labour leader on Worcestershire County Council, Peter Pinfield, who lost in Droitwich East. Meanwhile, the Conservative leader of the council, Malcolm Meikle, held his seat by 39 votes and the Liberal Democrat group leader, Margaret Rowley was elected by 19 votes after recounts in both wards. However the Conservatives did lose seats in Pershore, where the Liberal Democrats won all three seats for the ward.
Wychavon local election result 2003 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 31 | -2 | 68.9 | 53.6 | 23,316 | +8.0% |
| Liberal Democrats | 12 | +2 | 26.7 | 28.3 | 12,316 | +0.4% |
| Labour | 2 | -2 | 4.4 | 11.1 | 4,841 | -4.2% |
| Independent | 0 | -2 | 0 | 6.4 | 2,767 | -2.2% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 285 | +0.0% |

## Ward results

Badsey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sonya Ealey | 321 | 50.7 |
| | Conservative | Reginald Jakeman | 312 | 49.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9 | 1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 633 | 30.1 |
Bengeworth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Martin Jennings | 514 | |
| | Conservative | Emma Stokes | 421 | |
| | Labour | Stephen Selby | 319 | |
| | Independent | Albert Booth | 312 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,566 | 28.9 |
Bowbrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alexandra Rowley | 471 | 51.0 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Hartwright | 452 | 49.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19 | 2.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 923 | 47.9 |
Bredon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Adrian Hardman | 487 | 63.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jeanette Way | 218 | 28.4 |
| | Labour | Peter Kelson | 62 | 8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 269 | 35.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 767 | 38.9 |
Bretforton and Offenham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | George Bourne | 409 | 67.0 |
| | Conservative | Patrick Clifford | 201 | 33.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 208 | 34.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 610 | 30.3 |
Broadway and Wickhamford (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | David Folkes | 964 | |
| | Conservative | David Noyes | 774 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carolyn Harford | 343 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,081 | 32.7 |
Dodderhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Judith Pearce | 393 | 69.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Derek Prior | 176 | 30.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 217 | 38.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 569 | 32.2 |
Drakes Broughton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Paul Middlebrough | 417 | 58.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Josephine Wilkinson | 292 | 41.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 125 | 17.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 709 | 37.5 |
Droitwich Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Gopsill | 238 | 37.4 |
| | Labour | Eve Freer | 235 | 36.9 |
| | Conservative | Glenise Noyes | 164 | 25.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3 | 0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 637 | 30.2 |
Droitwich East (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Michael Barratt | 788 | |
| | Conservative | Pamela Davey | 716 | |
| | Labour | Peter Pinfield | 691 | |
| | Labour | Sheila Neary | 667 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,862 | 35.3 |
Droitwich South East (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Eileen Hope | 730 | |
| | Conservative | Donald Lawley | 645 | |
| | Independent | Ronald Waters | 487 | |
| | Labour | Bill Baker | 286 | |
| | Labour | Jon Baker | 264 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,412 | 33.8 |
Droitwich South West (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Terence Spencer | 497 | |
| | Conservative | Maureen Lawley | 476 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Wendy Carter | 391 | |
| | Independent | Claude Heeley | 358 | |
| | Labour | John Cook | 324 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pamela Jackson-Smith | 282 | |
| | Labour | Sheila Seabourne | 278 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,606 | 34.6 |
Droitwich West (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Roy Seabourne | 473 | |
| | Labour | John Wrenn | 442 | |
| | Conservative | Laurence Evans | 314 | |
| | Conservative | Alan Fisher | 306 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,535 | 21.1 |
Ecckington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Peter Wright | 507 | 59.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roy Chiverton | 234 | 27.3 |
| | Labour | Priscilla Cameron | 117 | 13.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 273 | 31.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 858 | 39.0 |
Elmley Castle and Somerville :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Mackison | 558 | 62.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Garth Raymer | 338 | 37.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 220 | 24.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 896 | 45.1 |
Evesham North (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Josephine Sandalls | 461 | |
| | Conservative | Roma Kirke | 436 | |
| | Labour | Robin Lunn | 302 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pauline Christie | 298 | |
| | Independent | Paul Rencher | 220 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,717 | 28.1 |
Evesham South (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Ronald Cartwright | 549 | |
| | Conservative | Robert Banks | 504 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Diana Brown | 354 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,407 | 22.9 |
Fladbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Meikle | 558 | 49.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas McDonald | 522 | 46.1 |
| | Labour | Ross Hayman | 52 | 4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 36 | 3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,132 | 52.0 |
Great Hampton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | John Smith | 420 | 68.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Edward Martin | 194 | 31.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 226 | 36.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 614 | 29.8 |
Hartlebury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Muriel Mathews | 435 | 77.1 |
| | Labour | Steven Westwood | 129 | 22.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 306 | 54.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 564 | 26.0 |
Havington and Norton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Clive Holt | 425 | 58.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Noel Christie | 299 | 41.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 126 | 17.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 724 | 35.4 |
Honeybourne and Pebworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Bean | 295 | 47.6 |
| | Independent | Sharon Summers | 180 | 29.0 |
| | Conservative | Lesley Auden | 145 | 23.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 115 | 18.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 620 | 32.6 |
Inkberrow (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Audrey Steel | 1,262 | |
| | Conservative | David Lee | 1,093 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Davey | 632 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Donald Aldridge | 518 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,505 | 41.3 |
Little Hampton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Andrew Dyke | 480 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Payne | 420 | |
| | Conservative | John Stych | 333 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,233 | 21.5 |
Lovett and North Claines (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Paul Coley | 897 | |
| | Conservative | Andrew Christian-Brookes | 870 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Miller | 556 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Saunders | 457 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,780 | 35.8 |
Norton and Whittington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Adams | unopposed | | |
Ombersley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Jean Dowty | 539 | 80.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Judith Cussen | 130 | 19.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 409 | 61.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 669 | 36.5 |
Pershore (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gaynor Amphhlett | 898 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Grantham | 785 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charles Tucker | 731 | |
| | Conservative | Richard Hampton | 654 | |
| | Conservative | Valerie Wood | 607 | |
| | Conservative | Maurene Wilson | 529 | |
| | Independent | Trudy Burge | 455 | |
| | Independent | Raith Annis | 328 | |
| | Green | David Shaw | 285 | |
| | Independent | Malcolm Dalley | 216 | |
| | Independent | Kenneth Rowe | 211 | |
| | Labour | Susan Hayman | 155 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,854 | 36.3 |
Pinvin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Argyle | unopposed | | |
South Bredon Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adrian Darby | 555 | 57.3 |
| | Conservative | Beverley Hardman | 368 | 38.0 |
| | Labour | Fiona Cameron | 45 | 4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 187 | 19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 968 | 50.6 |
The Littletons :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Mary Smith | 532 | 60.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Martin | 354 | 40.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 178 | 20.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 886 | 40.5 |
Upton Snodsbury :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Tucker | 605 | 50.9 |
| | Conservative | Linda Robinson | 583 | 49.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22 | 1.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,188 | 55.8 |