# 2010 South Lakeland District Council election

The 2010 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Liberal Democrat 34
* Conservative 16
* Labour 1

## Background

Before the election the Liberal Democrats had controlled the council since winning a majority at the 2006 election. Going into the 2010 election they held 36 seats, compared to 14 for the Conservatives and 1 seat for the Labour Party.
18 seats were being contested in the election with the Liberal Democrats defending all of them.

## Election result

The results saw the Liberal Democrats maintain their majority on the council despite losing 2 seats to the Conservatives. The Conservatives gains came in the seats of Mid Furness and Staveley-in-Cartmel, and left the Liberal Democrats on 34 seats, compared to 16 for the Conservatives. Overall turnout in the election was 72.25%, due to the election being held at the same time as the general election.
| Party | Party | Previous council | New council | +/- |
| | Liberal Democrats | 36 | 34 | 2 |
| | Conservatives | 14 | 16 | 2 |
| | Labour | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | Total | 51 | 51 | |
| Working majority | Working majority | 21 | 17 | |
South Lakeland Local Election Result 2010 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Liberal Democrats | 16 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 88.9 | 60.1 | 15,877 | +2.7% |
| Conservative | 2 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 11.1 | 33.6 | 8,866 | -6.0% |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 | 1,456 | +2.9% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 | 203 | +0.4% |

## Ward results

Ambleside & Grasmere :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Vatcher* | 1,531 | 61.7 | −3.6 |
| | Conservative | Alan Clarke | 826 | 33.3 | +1.5 |
| | Labour | Kathy Cross | 123 | 5.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 705 | 28.4 | −5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,480 | 62.1 | +19.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sonia Lawson* | 786 | 68.6 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative | James Alexander | 359 | 31.4 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 427 | 37.3 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,145 | 76.9 | +20.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Far Cross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clive Graham* | 695 | 60.7 | −4.4 |
| | Conservative | Colin Bell | 321 | 28.0 | +8.0 |
| | Labour | Kieran Roberts | 129 | 11.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 374 | 32.7 | −12.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,145 | 67.5 | +22.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Fell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brendan Jameson** | 855 | 75.3 | +4.9 |
| | Labour | Marilyn Molloy | 280 | 24.7 | +13.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 575 | 50.7 | −1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,135 | 66.3 | +22.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
* Brendan Jameson was a sitting councillor for Kendal Parks ward.
Kendal Heron Hill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andy Shine* | 883 | 72.6 | −5.0 |
| | Conservative | David Perry | 334 | 27.4 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 549 | 45.1 | −10.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,217 | 79.3 | +25.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Highgate :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Dixon | 723 | 65.1 | −17.8 |
| | Conservative | Deborah Huck | 250 | 22.5 | +5.4 |
| | Labour | Allan Ring | 138 | 12.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 473 | 42.6 | −23.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,111 | 67.0 | +27.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Kirkland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julie Dawson* | 611 | 60.1 | −8.3 |
| | Conservative | Emma Hine | 208 | 20.5 | +7.5 |
| | Labour | Tony Rothwell | 198 | 19.5 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 403 | 39.6 | −10.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,017 | 62.3 | +26.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Mintsfeet :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Evans | 873 | 71.8 | −10.2 |
| | Conservative | Lyndsay Slater | 343 | 28.2 | +10.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 530 | 43.6 | −20.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,216 | 73.6 | +28.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Nether :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clare Feeney-Johnson* | 863 | 69.2 | −16.0 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Chambers | 297 | 23.8 | +9.0 |
| | Labour | Charles Haigh | 87 | 7.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 566 | 45.4 | −25.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,247 | 75.1 | +25.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendle Oxenholme & Natland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brenda Gray* | 702 | 54.0 | −14.2 |
| | Conservative | Alan Bobbett | 546 | 42.0 | +10.2 |
| | Labour | Rae Cross | 51 | 3.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 156 | 12.0 | −24.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,299 | 77.5 | +23.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Parks :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Brook** | 787 | 65.1 | −14.3 |
| | Conservative | Dan Ross | 320 | 26.5 | +5.9 |
| | Labour | Lois Sparling | 101 | 8.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 467 | 38.7 | −20.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,208 | 72.1 | +30.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
* Jonathan Brook was a sitting councillor for Kendal Mintsfeet ward.
Kendal Romney :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Vincent* | 775 | 62.9 | −17.3 |
| | Conservative | Pam Flitcroft | 336 | 27.3 | +7.5 |
| | Labour | Penelope Henderson | 121 | 9.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 439 | 35.6 | −24.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,232 | 71.9 | +26.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Stonecross :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sylvia Emmott* | 850 | 65.2 | −17.7 |
| | Conservative | Nigel Byrom | 381 | 29.2 | +12.1 |
| | Labour | Ian Law | 72 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 469 | 36.0 | −29.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,303 | 80.6 | +25.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Strickland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Coleman* | 738 | 65.2 | −18.7 |
| | Conservative | Derrick Wade | 279 | 24.6 | +8.5 |
| | Labour | John Batteson | 115 | 10.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 459 | 40.5 | −27.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,132 | 75.5 | +26.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Kendal Underley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rob Boden | 709 | 60.3 | −8.8 |
| | Conservative | Keith Dawson | 291 | 24.8 | +9.9 |
| | Labour | Paul Braithwaite | 175 | 14.9 | −1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 418 | 35.6 | −17.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,175 | 69.2 | +22.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Mid Furness :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Caroline Airey | 1,132 | 48.8 | +13.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Carson* | 986 | 42.5 | −17.4 |
| | Green | Jo-Anna Duncalf | 203 | 8.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 146 | 6.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,321 | 73.2 | +24.6 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Sedbergh & Kirkby Lonsdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian McPherson* | 1,962 | 51.6 | +6.2 |
| | Conservative | Anne Fenwick | 1,691 | 44.5 | +3.4 |
| | Labour | Derek Longmire | 146 | 3.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 271 | 7.1 | +5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,799 | 78.1 | +21.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Staveley-in-Cartmel (by-election) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ted Walsh | 672 | 55.1 | +7.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sue Sanderson | 548 | 44.9 | −7.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 124 | 10.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,220 | 76.7 | +21.0 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

## By-Elections

Lyth Valley, 4 November 2010 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Holmes | 474 | 49.5 | +5.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Hall | 451 | 47.1 | −8.5 |
| | Labour | Marilyn Molloy | 32 | 3.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23 | 2.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 957 | 48.73 | −8.9 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |