# 1980 Adur District Council election

Elections to the Adur District Council were held on 1 May 1980, with one third of the council up for election. There was an additional vacancy in the Southwick Green ward, and no elections for the single-member ward St Marys. Overall turnout dropped to 48.7%.
The election resulted in the Liberals gaining control of the council from the Conservatives.

## Election result

Adur District Council Election Result 1980 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Liberal | 9 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 64.3 | 44.7 | 9,158 | +9.4 |
| Conservative | 3 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 21.4 | 37.3 | 7,627 | -7.8 |
| Labour | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 7.1 | 14.0 | 2,858 | -1.6 |
| Residents | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.1 | 4.0 | 826 | +0.0 |
This resulted in the following composition of the council:
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council |
| | Liberal | 17 | 20 |
| | Conservative | 20 | 16 |
| | Independent Residents | 2 | 2 |
| | Labour | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 39 | 39 | 39 |
| Working majority | Working majority | 1 | 1 |

## Ward results

+/- figures represent changes from the last time these wards were contested.
Buckingham (4050) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Smith M. | 958 | 62.7 | +1.9 |
| | Liberal | Wright G. Ms. | 414 | 27.1 | −0.5 |
| | Labour | Snowden H. | 155 | 10.2 | −1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 544 | 35.6 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,527 | 37.7 | −42.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 | |
Churchill (3758) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Denyer P. | 1,010 | 54.5 | +14.7 |
| | Conservative | Chorlton S. | 675 | 36.4 | −10.1 |
| | Labour | Hellenburgh S. Ms. | 168 | 9.1 | −4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 335 | 18.1 | +11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,853 | 49.3 | −25.9 |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.4 | |
Cokeham (3597) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Spalding M. | 957 | 59.0 | +9.4 |
| | Conservative | Lodge R. | 536 | 33.0 | −4.2 |
| | Labour | Woods J. Ms. | 130 | 8.0 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 421 | 25.9 | +13.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,623 | 45.1 | −34.2 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +6.8 | |
Eastbrook (3666) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Whipp B. | 748 | 41.3 | −3.5 |
| | Conservative | Sayers M. | 617 | 34.1 | −21.1 |
| | Liberal | Dolding R. | 445 | 24.6 | +24.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 131 | 7.2 | −3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,810 | 49.4 | −16.3 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +8.8 | |
Hillside (3904) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Moore M. | 718 | 41.4 | −8.9 |
| | Labour | Greig P. | 602 | 34.7 | +8.5 |
| | Liberal | Easeman D. | 415 | 23.9 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 116 | 6.7 | −17.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,735 | 44.4 | −38.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -8.7 | |
Manor (3352) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Cooper M. | 880 | 53.2 | −3.5 |
| | Conservative | Lewis J. | 683 | 41.3 | −2.0 |
| | Labour | Bridson J. Ms. | 91 | 5.5 | +5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 197 | 11.9 | −1.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,654 | 49.3 | −27.0 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -0.7 | |
Marine (2589) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Residents | Shephard P. | 826 | 72.0 | +6.8 |
| | Conservative | Harding I. Ms. | 259 | 22.6 | −6.0 |
| | Labour | Gibson C. | 62 | 5.4 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 567 | 49.4 | +12.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,147 | 44.3 | −39.5 |
| | Residents hold | Residents hold | Swing | +6.4 | |
Mash Barn (2947) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Deedman D. | 869 | 67.1 | +15.9 |
| | Conservative | Chad R. | 323 | 24.9 | −12.0 |
| | Labour | Harwood R. | 104 | 8.0 | −3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 546 | 42.1 | +27.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,296 | 44.0 | −28.8 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +13.9 | |
Peverel (3171) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hall M. Ms. | 760 | 59.6 | +8.7 |
| | Conservative | Prattley J. | 375 | 29.4 | −5.4 |
| | Labour | Atkins H. Ms. | 141 | 11.1 | −3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 385 | 30.2 | +14.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,276 | 40.2 | −34.8 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +7.0 | |
Southlands (3237) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robinson J. | 797 | 57.5 | +8.8 |
| | Conservative | Osmond P. | 364 | 26.3 | −10.5 |
| | Labour | Matthews M. Ms. | 225 | 16.2 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 433 | 31.2 | +19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,386 | 42.8 | −29.0 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +9.6 | |
Southwick Green (3506) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | King M. | 854 | 48.4 | +20.9 |
| | Liberal | Stanley A. | 732 | | |
| | Conservative | Sweet I. Ms. | 717 | 40.6 | −11.4 |
| | Conservative | Hale D. | 650 | | |
| | Labour | Watson A. | 193 | 10.9 | −9.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 137 | 7.8 | −16.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,764 | 50.3 | −21.4 |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +16.1 | |
St. Nicolas (3664) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gumbrell P. | 806 | 49.0 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal | Attrill D. Ms. | 702 | 42.7 | +6.3 |
| | Labour | Wright E. | 136 | 8.3 | −5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 104 | 6.3 | −7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,644 | 44.9 | −30.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.7 | |
Widewater (3987) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Hammond D. | 1,055 | 60.1 | +15.3 |
| | Conservative | Huber S. Ms. | 596 | 34.0 | −9.8 |
| | Labour | Jacques W. | 103 | 5.9 | −5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 459 | 26.2 | +25.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,754 | 44.0 | −31.4 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +12.5 | |