# 2018 North Hertfordshire District Council election

The 2018 North Hertfordshire Council election was held on 3 May 2018, at the same time as other local elections across England. Of the 49 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council, 19 were up for election, being the usual third of the council plus a by-election in Letchworth Grange ward.
The Conservatives lost five seats at the election, three to the Liberal Democrats and two to Labour, but retained their majority on the council, with Conservative leader Lynda Needham continuing to serve as leader of the council. The Labour group leader prior to the election was Frank Radcliffe, but he did not stand for re-election and was replaced after the election by Martin Stears-Handscomb.

## Overall results

The overall results were as follows:
2018 North Hertfordshire District 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 | 8 | 5 | 42.1 | 21 | 29 | 59.2 | 12,390 | 39.6 | -0.5 |
| | Labour | 8 | 2 | 42.1 | 6 | 14 | 28.6 | 9,683 | 31.0 | +3.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 3 | 3 | 15.8 | 3 | 6 | 12.2 | 6,445 | 20.6 | +5.6 |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2,293 | 7.3 | -1.3 |
| | Independent | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 332 | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| | UKIP | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 109 | 0.3 | -7.6 |

## Ward results

The results for each ward were as follows. Where the previous incumbent was standing for re-election they are marked with an asterisk(*). A double dagger(‡) indicates a sitting councillor contesting a different ward.
Baldock Town ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jim McNally* | 970 | 50.7% | +2.0 |
| | Labour | Alec Maguire | 579 | 30.3% | +9.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard William Winter | 253 | 13.2% | +5.7 |
| | Green | Heidi Shona Mollart-Griffin | 106 | 5.5% | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,913 | 34.1% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.9 | |
Codicote ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Moody | 524 | 57.0% | +4.2 |
| | Independent | Tom Brindley | 172 | 18.7% | +18.7 |
| | Labour | Richard Paul Downey | 136 | 14.8% | +1.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Luke William Devenish | 49 | 5.3% | +5.3 |
| | Green | Rosemary Bland | 38 | 4.1% | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 919 | 43.6% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -7.2 | |
Hitchin Bearton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Val Bryant | 1,212 | 56.3% | +8.2 |
| | Conservative | John William Skeeles | 474 | 22.0% | −4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Daniel Clayden | 287 | 13.3% | +0.7 |
| | Green | William Barry Lavin | 168 | 7.8% | −3.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,153 | 35.6% | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.6 | |
Hitchin Highbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sam S. Collins | 1,266 | 47.6% | +2.8 |
| | Conservative | Dominic John Crean Griffiths | 801 | 30.1% | −2.6 |
| | Labour | Conor Brogan | 443 | 16.6% | +1.0 |
| | Green | Diana J. Newson | 148 | 5.6% | −0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,661 | 45.0% | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +2.7 | |
Hitchin Oughton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Clare Helen Billing | 591 | 54.2% | +22.4 |
| | Conservative | Rebecca Robyn Reidy | 312 | 28.6% | +9.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Louise Jane Peace | 100 | 9.2% | −9.3 |
| | Green | Mary Karin Marshall | 83 | 7.6% | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,090 | 31.3% | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.6 | |
Hitchin Priory ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Simon Mark Harwood ‡ | 660 | 40.9% | −0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | George Edmund Osborn | 512 | 31.7% | +8.9 |
| | Labour | Dave Winstanley | 308 | 19.1% | +6.4 |
| | Green | Des Stephens | 123 | 7.6% | +1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,615 | 45.5% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.8 | |
Hitchin Walsworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mike Hughson | 1,114 | 48.1% | +9.5 |
| | Conservative | Alan John Millard* | 693 | 29.9% | −2.0 |
| | Green | Richard Alexander Cano | 272 | 11.7% | −1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Ircha | 230 | 9.9% | +3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,317 | 40.0% | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.8 | |
Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Faye Susan Frost* | 1,279 | 63.0% | +7.2 |
| | Labour | Anton Jungreuthmayer | 369 | 18.2% | +6.1 |
| | Green | David Geoffrey Ashton | 200 | 9.9% | +0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marilyn Margaret Parkin | 181 | 8.9% | −1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,030 | 35.9% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.6 | |
Kimpton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Cyril Bishop* | 426 | 62.6% | −2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mike Lott | 99 | 14.6% | +14.6 |
| | Labour | Tom Hogan | 97 | 14.3% | −0.2 |
| | Green | Simon Wightman | 52 | 7.6% | −11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 680 | 39.0% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -8.6 | |
Knebworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lisa Nash | 957 | 51.0% | +41.2 |
| | Conservative | Steve Hemingway* | 742 | 39.6% | −22.9 |
| | Labour | Klazina Hofmann | 141 | 7.5% | −13.9 |
| | Green | Nick Newson | 29 | 1.5% | −4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,876 | 47.0% | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +32.0 | |
Letchworth East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sue Ngwala | 763 | 51.4% | +13.2 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Clare | 369 | 24.9% | −1.4 |
| | Independent | Paul Ross | 160 | 10.8% | +0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Liam McKenna | 114 | 7.7% | +1.2 |
| | Green | Bernard Charles Michael Lee | 71 | 4.8% | −4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,483 | 34.9% | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +7.3 | |
Letchworth Grange ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Daniel Peter Mark Allen | 917 | 43.4% | +8.5 |
| | Labour | Helen Caroline Oliver | 912 | 43.2% | +8.3 |
| | Conservative | Morgan William Derbyshire | 798 | 37.8% | +4.5 |
| | Conservative | Matthew Frazer Berman | 747 | 35.4% | +2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amy Elizabeth Finch | 240 | 11.4% | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Aidan Sparrowhawk | 198 | 9.4% | +1.6 |
| | Green | Elizabeth Susan Hancock | 166 | 7.9% | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,112 | 39.9% | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +2.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
The by-election in Letchworth Grange ward was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Clare Billing in order to contest Hitchin Oughton ward instead.
Letchworth South East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kate Aspinwall | 758 | 39.0% | +7.0 |
| | Conservative | John Leo Dobson Booth* | 750 | 38.6% | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barry Peter Neale | 229 | 11.8% | +4.7 |
| | UKIP | Sidney Arthur Start | 109 | 5.6% | −10.6 |
| | Green | Tim Lee | 91 | 4.7% | −0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,943 | 36.5% | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.6 | |
Letchworth South West ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mike Rice* | 1,045 | 43.6% | −5.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sean Prendergast | 642 | 26.8% | +23.0 |
| | Labour | Jean Andrews | 516 | 21.5% | +1.9 |
| | Green | Maryla Josephin Hart | 182 | 7.6% | −1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,397 | 40.7% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -14.1 | |
Letchworth Wilbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gary Grindal* | 841 | 58.0% | +20.0 |
| | Conservative | John Peter Hamilton Merry | 387 | 26.7% | −10.4 |
| | Green | Ian Huw John Clayfield | 141 | 9.7% | −3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brian John Evans | 73 | 5.0% | +5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,449 | 37.7% | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +15.2 | |
Royston Heath ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ruth Brown | 864 | 44.7% | +31.4 |
| | Conservative | Fiona Ronan Hill* | 786 | 40.7% | −10.1 |
| | Labour | Ken Garland | 198 | 10.3% | −6.0 |
| | Green | Katherine Marie Shann | 74 | 3.8% | −3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,931 | 42.9% | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +20.7 | |
Royston Meridian ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Davidson* | 789 | 55.1% | −7.8 |
| | Green | Karen Harmel | 253 | 17.7% | +8.4 |
| | Labour | Jess Finn | 246 | 17.2% | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Matthew Lambert | 135 | 9.4% | −3.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,432 | 35.6% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -8.1 | |
Royston Palace ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ben Lewis* | 585 | 43.3% | +0.2 |
| | Labour | Rob Inwood | 454 | 33.6% | +10.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Martin Rice | 214 | 15.8% | +7.0 |
| | Green | Angela Clark | 96 | 7.1% | +0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,351 | 32.4% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.9 | |

## Changes 2018–2019

Paul Marment, elected in 2015 as a Conservative councillor for Letchworth Grange ward, defected to the Liberal Democrats in August 2018.