# 2008 South Cambridgeshire District Council election

Elections to South Cambridgeshire District Council took place on Thursday 1 May 2008, as part of the 2008 United Kingdom local elections. Twenty seats, making up just over one third of South Cambridgeshire District Council, were up for election. Both seats in Gamlingay were contested at this election after one of the councillors retired earlier in the year. Seats up for election in 2008 were last contested at the 2004 election, and were next contested at the 2012 election. The Conservative Party retained their majority on the council.

## Summary

At this election, Conservatives were defending 8 seats, Independents were defending 6 seats and Liberal Democrats 5 seats. Labour were defending their only seat on the council in Bassingbourn. Several councillors had switched parties in the year leading up to the election, with independents Mark Howell (Papworth and Elsworth) and Simon Edwards (Cottenham) joining the Conservatives, while Liberal Democrat James Quinlan (Whittlesford) ran for re-election as an Independent. Incumbent Liberal Democrat Val Trueman also ran as an independent in Melbourn. Conservatives gained the latter two seats at the election, but lost in Girton to an independent candidate. No other seats changed hands.

## Results

South Cambridgeshire District Council election, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Seats | Seats | Seats | Seats | Popular vote | Popular vote |
| Party | Party | Won | Not up | Total | ± | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | 9 | 23 | 32 | +1 | 12,797 | 44.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 5 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 9,362 | 32.2 |
| | Independent | 5 | 4 | 9 | −1 | 4,603 | 15.8 |
| | Labour | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1,583 | 5.4 |
| | Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 693 | 2.4 |
| | UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0.1 |
| Total | Total | 20 | 37 | 57 | – | 29,067 | – |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 41.3 |

## Results by ward

Bassingbourn Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Nigel Nielsen Cathcart | 576 | 39.5 | +6.8 |
| | Conservative | Adrian Neil Dent | 447 | 30.7 | −16.1 |
| | Independent | Peter James Robinson | 247 | 16.9 | N/A |
| | Green | Simon Peter Saggers | 188 | 12.9 | −7.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 129 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.6 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Bourn Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mervyn Benjamin Loynes | 922 | 49.4 | −5.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roger Keith Hume | 778 | 41.7 | +7.4 |
| | Labour | Mark David Hurn | 168 | 8.9 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 144 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.5 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Cottenham Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Simon Mark Edwards | 1,256 | 57.6 | +21.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Matthew James Barnett | 583 | 26.8 | +0.6 |
| | Green | Heather Anne Macbeth-Hornett | 173 | 7.9 | N/A |
| | Labour | John Samuel Shepherd | 167 | 7.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 673 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.2 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Gamlingay Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sebastian Gerald Molesworth Kindersley | 1,030 | 34.3 | −3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bridget Zoe Dorrington Smith | 897 | 29.9 | −1.2 |
| | Conservative | Celia Brenda Waldron | 558 | 18.7 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Lister John Wilson | 507 | 16.9 | +2.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Girton Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Douglas de Lacey | 715 | 47.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Mark Jonathan Taylor | 564 | 37.3 | −18.3 |
| | Labour | Christopher Jones | 104 | 6.9 | N/A |
| | Green | Teal Richard Riley | 99 | 6.6 | −13.6 |
| | UKIP | Helene Yvette Davis | 29 | 1.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 151 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.8 | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Harston and Hauxton Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janet Elizabeth Lockwood | 501 | 59.5 | +13.7 |
| | Conservative | Richard Michael Turner | 282 | 33.5 | −3.9 |
| | Green | Jackie Garfit | 59 | 7.0 | −4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 77 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 49.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Haslingfield and the Eversdens Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Liz Heazell | 602 | 48.6 | −8.7 |
| | Independent | Robin Page | 471 | 38.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Mandy Lorraine Smith | 165 | 13.3 | −17.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 131 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 60.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Histon and Impington Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Mike Mason | 957 | 35.6 | +19.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Vanessa Ann Kelly | 900 | 33.4 | −1.1 |
| | Conservative | Philip 'Scotty' Scott | 632 | 23.5 | −8.1 |
| | Labour | Christopher Jeffrey Wilson | 129 | 4.8 | −3.4 |
| | Green | William Jon Quinn | 73 | 2.7 | −1.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 57 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.3 | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
Linton Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Dennis Batchelor | 939 | 58.3 | −2.4 |
| | Conservative | Roger Keith Hickford | 672 | 41.7 | +8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 267 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.3 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Longstanton Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Alex Riley | 435 | 55.0 | −12.3 |
| | Conservative | Roger Owen Valentine | 356 | 45.0 | +24.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 79 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 43.2 | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
Melbourn Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Val Barrett | 1,053 | 55.5 | +14.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Dallas Cartwright | 534 | 28.2 | −23.1 |
| | Independent | Val Trueman | 203 | 10.7 | N/A |
| | Labour | Hywel Lamont Jackson | 107 | 5.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 519 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 45.5 | |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | | |
Papworth and Elsworth Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Phillip Howell | unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Sawston Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Sally Ann Hatton | 747 | 51.3 | +28.9 |
| | Conservative | Richard Louis Denham | 709 | 48.7 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 27.2 | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
The Mordens Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Cicely Anne Elsa Demain Murfitt | 547 | 63.1 | −14.9 |
| | Conservative | Robert James Poulter | 219 | 25.3 | N/A |
| | Green | Sam Morris | 101 | 11.7 | −10.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 328 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 47.3 | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
The Shelfords and Stapleford Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charles Reginald Nightingale | 1,379 | 57.4 | −7.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Catherine Whitebread | 857 | 35.7 | +13.5 |
| | Labour | Michael Robert Nettleton | 168 | 6.9 | −5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 522 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.1 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
The Wilbrahams Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert John Turner | 639 | 70.9 | +9.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Frances Amrani | 262 | 29.1 | −9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 377 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.6 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Waterbeach Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | James Andrew Hockney | 1,148 | 60.3 | +20.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adrian James Wright | 700 | 36.8 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | Jess Blair | 57 | 2.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 448 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 48.5 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Whittlesford Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter William Wilson Topping | 403 | 39.6 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Kilpatrick | 334 | 32.8 | −31.2 |
| | Independent | James Alex Quinlan | 282 | 27.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 69 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 51.3 | |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | | |
Willingham and Over Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ray Maurice Antony Manning | 1,109 | 66.8 | +12.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leslie Gelling | 445 | 26.8 | −8.9 |
| | Labour | Norman Alexander Crowther | 107 | 6.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 664 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.9 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |