# Forest Heath District Council elections

Forest Heath District Council in Suffolk, England was elected every four years. between the last boundary changes in 2003 and the final elections in 2015, 27 councillors were elected from 14 wards. The council was abolished in 2019, with the area becoming part of West Suffolk.

## Political control

From the first election to the council in 1973 until its abolition in 2019, political control of the council was held by the following parties:
| Party in control | Years |
| Conservative | 1973–1976 |
| No overall control | 1976–1979 |
| Conservative | 1979–1983 |
| No overall control | 1983–1987 |
| Conservative | 1987–1991 |
| No overall control | 1991–1999 |
| Conservative | 1999–2019 |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council from 1995 until 2019 were:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| Adrian Rogers | Liberal Democrats | May 1995 | May 1997 |
| Paul Dwane | Labour | 5 Jun 1997 | 9 May 1999 |
| Geoffrey Jaggard | Conservative | 1999 | 25 May 2011 |
| James Waters | Conservative | 25 May 2011 | 31 Mar 2019 |
James Waters served as leader of the West Suffolk shadow authority prior to the new council coming into effect in 2019, but he was unsuccessful in securing a seat at the first election to the new council.

## Council elections

* 1973 Forest Heath District Council election
* 1976 Forest Heath District Council election
* 1979 Forest Heath District Council election (New ward boundaries)
* 1983 Forest Heath District Council election
* 1987 Forest Heath District Council election
* 1991 Forest Heath District Council election (District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)
* 1995 Forest Heath District Council election (District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)
* 1999 Forest Heath District Council election
* 2003 Forest Heath District Council election (New ward boundaries increased the number of seats by 2)
* 2007 Forest Heath District Council election
* 2011 Forest Heath District Council election
* 2015 Forest Heath District Council election

## Results maps

* 2003 results map
* 2007 results map
* 2011 results map
* 2015 results map

## By-election results
### 1995-1999

The Rows By-Election 6 March 1997 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | | 273 | 38.7 |
| | Conservative | | 245 | 34.7 |
| | Labour | | 188 | 26.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 28 | 4.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 706 | 27.3 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
St Marys By-Election 24 September 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | | 444 | 58.6 | +13.6 |
| | Labour | | 272 | 35.9 | −3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 42 | 5.5 | −10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 172 | 22.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 758 | 25.3 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2003-2007

Manor By-Election 28 October 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Susan Syvret | 269 | 66.9 | +41.0 |
| | Independent | | 133 | 33.1 | −10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 136 | 33.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 402 | 32.8 | |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | | |
South By-Election 5 May 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Roger Dicker | 564 | 59.7 |
| | Independent | Brian Gray | 381 | 40.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 183 | 19.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 945 | 75.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Red Lodge By-Election 15 December 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julie Middleton | 173 | 55.3 | +55.3 |
| | Conservative | Stuart Hastings | 111 | 35.5 | −20.3 |
| | UKIP | David Whitear | 29 | 9.3 | +9.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 62 | 19.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 313 | 26.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### 2007-2011

Manor By-Election 22 November 2007 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Timothy Huggan | 281 | 53.6 |
| | Conservative | Brian Harvey | 211 | 40.3 |
| | UKIP | David Chandler | 32 | 6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 70 | 13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 524 | 41.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | |
Red Lodge By-Election 5 June 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | Albert McCloud | 321 | 55.9 |
| | Conservative | Alnoor Hirji | 230 | 40.1 |
| | UKIP | David Chandler | 23 | 4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 91 | 15.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 574 | 38.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | |
Eriswell & the Rows By-Election 22 October 2009 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Waters | 400 | 45.8 | −24.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Smith | 346 | 39.6 | +39.6 |
| | UKIP | David Chandler | 128 | 14.6 | −15.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 54 | 6.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 874 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2011-2015

Exning By-Election 11 July 2013 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Simon Cole | 263 | 64.1 | +64.1 |
| | Conservative | Marion Fairman-Smith | 147 | 35.9 | −8.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 116 | 28.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 410 | | |
| | Independent gain from Liberal Democrats | Independent gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Market By-Election 19 December 2013 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Bloodworth | 266 | 50.3 | −19.9 |
| | UKIP | David Chandler | 263 | 49.7 | +49.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3 | 0.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 529 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2015-2019

Brandon West By-Election 5 May 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | WSI | Victor Lukaniuk | 220 | 29.0 | −15.4 |
| | UKIP | Ian Smith | 197 | 26.0 | +26.0 |
| | Independent | Edward Stewart | 180 | 23.7 | +23.7 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Simmons | 161 | 21.2 | −34.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23 | 3.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 758 | | |
| | WSI gain from Conservative | WSI gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
South By-Election 5 May 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UKIP | Roger Dicker | 334 | 51.9 | +51.9 |
| | Conservative | Karen Soons | 309 | 48.1 | −17.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25 | 3.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 643 | | |
| | UKIP gain from Conservative | UKIP gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
St Mary's By-Election 17 August 2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Nobbs | 338 | 50.1 | +10.7 |
| | Labour | Michael Jefferys | 276 | 40.9 | +8.8 |
| | Green | Alice Haylock | 60 | 8.9 | +8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 62 | 9.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 674 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |