2011 South Norfolk District Council election

The elections to South Norfolk District Council were held on Thursday 5 May 2011 along with various other local elections around England, elections to the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly of Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly, and a referendum on whether to adopt the Alternative Vote electoral system for elections to the House of Commons.[1] All 46 council seats were up for election. The previous council was controlled by the Conservatives, with the Liberal Democrats being the only opposition.

2011 South Norfolk District Council election

← 2007 5 May 2011 2015 →

All 46 seats
24 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats
Last election 39
56.0%
7
37.0%
Seats won 38 8
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 1
Percentage 57.2% 29.3%
Swing Increase 2.1% Decrease 9.9%

Map showing the winning party in each ward

Party before election

Conservative

Elected Party

Conservative

Both main parties had websites detailing their local manifesto pledges: Conservative pledges and record[permanent dead link]; Liberal Democrat manifesto and candidates.

Composition of council seats before election

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Party Seats (2007 election) Seats (March 2011)
Conservative 39 37
Liberal Democrats 7 7
Vacant - 2

Candidates by party

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46 / 46
14 / 46
4 / 46
42 / 46
9 / 46
2 / 46

In this election, there were a total of 117 candidates contesting the 46 council seats.[2] 25 Conservative councillors and 6 Liberal Democrat councillors were standing in the seats they held before the election. Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats fielded candidates in every ward, but the Liberal Democrats were unable to nominate candidates for every vacancy - a total of 46 Conservatives and 42 Liberal Democrats.

Out of the parties which are not represented on the district council, Labour stood 14 candidates, the Green Party 9 and UKIP 4. There were two independent candidates: Ingo Wagenknecht in Rockland ward and Jessica Austin in Wicklewood ward.

In 17 seats there was a straight fight between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

Election results: overview

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South Norfolk Local Election Result 2011[3]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 38 0 1 -1 82.6 57.2 33,647 +2.1%
  Liberal Democrats 8 1 0 +1 17.4 29.3 17,223 -9.9%
  Labour 0 0 0 0 0 7.9 4,672 +5.8%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 3.9 2,313 +1.2%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 1.4 823 +1.1%
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0 0.3 159 -0.1%
Total 46 58,837

The election saw 38 seats won by the Conservatives and 8 won by the Liberal Democrats - a gain of one seat for the Liberal Democrats. They won the seat for Forncett Ward, which had been vacant since the death of the Conservative councillor Hedley Smith in January 2011.[4] The successful Liberal Democrat was previously the member for the ward from 2003 to 2007 defeated in 2007. Overall the Liberal Democrats polled a lower vote-share in South Norfolk overall. Their vote-share dropped by almost 10%, with half of the votes going to Labour and the rest to the Conservatives, the Green Party and UKIP.

Labour and the Greens attained a higher vote-share, with Labour overtaking the Greens as the third-largest party in terms of votes, but were unable to win any seats. Labour became the second-largest party in 8 wards: Bunwell, Cringleford, Dickleburgh, Rockland, Wymondham Northfields, Wymondham Rustens and Wymondham Town and Wicklewood - their best performance being 27.7% in Bunwell. The Greens came second in three wards Mulbarton, Hingham & Deopham and Thurlton pushing the Lib Dems into third place in those wards (all wards held by the Lib Dems in 2003). In Cringleford and Wymondham Rustens the Lib Dems finished in 4th place behind Labour and the Greens. UKIP managed to come second in Scole ward, with 17.41%.

Results by ward

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Candidates in bold were elected. Candidates marked with an asterisk were councillors in the same ward from 2007-2011.[5]

Abbey ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Abbey ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Savage* 678 67.4
Liberal Democrats Peter Smith 328 32.6
Majority 350 34.8
Turnout 1006 45.69
Conservative hold Swing

Beck Vale ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Beck Vale ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Keith Tilcock* 491 52.7
Liberal Democrats Kerri Worral 441 47.3
Majority 50 5.4
Turnout 932 53.90
Conservative hold Swing

Bressingham and Burston ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Bressingham and Burston ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Keith Weeks* 787 73.1
Liberal Democrats Ashley Camm 290 26.9
Majority 497 46.2
Turnout 1077 49.6
Conservative hold Swing

Brooke ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Brooke ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Fuller* 855 74.1
Liberal Democrats Judith Tryggvason 299 25.9
Majority 556 48.2
Turnout 1154 55.52
Conservative hold Swing

Bunwell ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Bunwell ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Beverley Spratt* 691 61.4
Labour Nigel Crouch 312 27.7
Liberal Democrats Rodney Myall 123 10.9
Majority 379 33.7
Turnout 1126 53.18
Conservative hold Swing

Chedgrave and Thurton ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Chedgrave and Thurton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Blake* 600 57.4
Liberal Democrats Peter Arnold 244 23.3
UKIP Ronald Murphy 202 19.3
Majority 356 34.1
Turnout 1046 50.49
Conservative hold Swing

Cringleford ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Cringleford ward
(2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Christopher Kemp* 1089 31.8
Conservative Garry Wheatley* 1036 30.3
Labour Victoria Smillie 362 10.6
Green Jan Kitchener 359 10.5
Liberal Democrats John Peterson 323 9.4
Green Robert Pell 253 7.4
Turnout 3422 51.1
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Cromwells ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Cromwells ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Neil Ward* 461 54.4
Liberal Democrats Melvyn Elias 387 45.6
Majority 74 8.8
Turnout 848 44.25
Conservative hold Swing

Dickleburgh ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Dickleburgh ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Martin Wilby* 762 74.1
Labour Pamela Reekie 144 14.0
Liberal Democrats Paul Seeman 122 11.9
Majority 618 60.1
Turnout 1028 46.35
Conservative hold Swing

Diss ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Diss ward
(3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Glyn Walden* 1251 21.8
Conservative Tony Palmer* 1220 21.2
Conservative Keith Kiddie 1078 18.8
Liberal Democrats Fiona Wenman 669 11.6
Labour Trevor Clark 574 10.0
Liberal Democrats Trevor Wenman 563 9.8
UKIP Evan Heasley 391 6.8
Turnout 5746 39.57
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Ditchingham and Broome ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Ditchingham and Broome ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Pauline Allen* 561 60.8
Conservative Sam Carter 361 39.2
Majority 200 21.6
Turnout 922 49.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Earsham ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Earsham ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Murray Gray* 623 66.3
Conservative Jethro Elsden 317 33.7
Majority 306 32.6
Turnout 940 47.95
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Easton ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Easton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Margaret Dewsbury* 791 78.4
Liberal Democrats Allan Bedford 218 21.6
Majority 573 56.8
Turnout 1009 49.48
Conservative hold Swing

Forncett ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Forncett ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Bob McClenning 664 55.2
Conservative Barry Duffin 539 44.8
Majority 125 10.4
Turnout 1203 56.18
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

Gillingham ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Gillingham ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kay Billig 613 58.3
Liberal Democrats Mandy Smith 438 41.7
Majority 175 16.6
Turnout 1051 47.17
Conservative hold Swing

Harleston ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Harleston ward
(2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Brian Riches 775 27.4
Conservative Jeremy Savage* 666 23.5
Liberal Democrats Fran Pitt-Pladdy 589 20.8
Liberal Democrats Susan Kuzmic 508 17.9
Labour David Reekie 293 10.3
Turnout 2831 42.23
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Hempnall ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Hempnall ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Windrige* 719 68.6
Liberal Democrats Fiona McDonald Clarke 329 31.4
Majority 390 37.2
Turnout 1048 52.00
Conservative hold Swing

Hethersett ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Hethersett ward
(2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Bills* 1092 32.0
Conservative Leslie Dale* 983 28.8
Liberal Democrats Jacky Sutton 781 22.9
Labour Laura Green 555 16.3
Majority 202 5.9
Turnout 3411 46.35
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Hingham and Deopham ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Hingham and Deopham ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Yvonne Bendle 729 62.6
Green Peter Eldridge 281 24.1
Liberal Democrats Lindsey Wright 154 13.2
Majority 448 38.5
Turnout 1164 50.19
Conservative hold Swing

Loddon ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Loddon ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Colin Gould* 649 73.3
Liberal Democrats Mary Quarmby 236 26.7
Majority 413 46.6
Turnout 885 44.47
Conservative hold Swing

Mulbarton ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Mulbarton ward
(2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jon Herbert* 1018 31.5
Conservative Nigel Legg* 1002 31.0
Green Roy Walmsley 441 13.6
Liberal Democrats Shirley Hagger 407 12.6
Liberal Democrats Margaret Pitcher 367 11.3
Turnout 3235 46.59
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

New Costessey ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: New Costessey ward
(2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Gerard Watt* 636 22.2
Liberal Democrats Jan Hardinge 633 22.1
Conservative Oliver Taylor 451 15.7
Labour Cid Gibbs 359 12.5
Conservative Vivienne Weeks 343 12.0
Green Ian Boreham 299 10.4
Green David Seddon 148 5.2
Turnout 2869 39.29
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Newton Flotman ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Newton Flotman ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Laura Webster 536 55.6
Liberal Democrats Eve Domeyer 428 44.4
Majority 108 11.2
Turnout 964 47.93
Conservative hold Swing

Northfields ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Northfields ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Joe Mooney* 716 65.4
Labour Douglas Underwood 286 26.1
Liberal Democrats Pat Dore 93 8.5
Majority 430 39.3
Turnout 1095 47.56
Conservative hold Swing

Old Costessey ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Old Costessey ward
(2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Tim East* 1116 33.6
Liberal Democrats Vivienne Bell* 1090 32.8
Conservative Caroline Savage 560 16.8
Conservative Ronald Smith 558 16.8
Turnout 3324 36.37
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Poringland with the Framlinghams ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Poringland with the Framlinghams ward
(2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Overton* 1244 37.7
Conservative Lisa Neal* 1110 33.6
Liberal Democrats Oliver Best 480 14.5
Labour Nicola Fowler 467 14.1
Turnout 3301 50.22
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Rockland ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Rockland ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sue Thomson* 693 57.7
Labour Joanne Bissonnet 250 20.8
Liberal Democrats Daniel Scott 166 13.8
Independent Ingo Wagenknecht 92 7.7
Majority 443 36.9
Turnout 1201 52.10
Conservative hold Swing

Roydon ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Roydon ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Goldson* 508 66.1
Liberal Democrats Paul Howling 260 33.9
Majority 248 32.2
Turnout 768 42.26
Conservative hold Swing

Rustens ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Rustens ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Colin Foulger 436 53.2
Labour Sandra Underwood 185 22.6
Green Jo Hardy 110 13.4
Liberal Democrats Jerry Dore 88 10.7
Majority 251 30.6
Turnout 819 41.21
Conservative hold Swing

Scole ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Scole ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jenny Wilby* 609 68.0
UKIP Roy Philpot 156 17.4
Liberal Democrats Brian Fookes 131 14.6
Majority 453 50.6
Turnout 896 47.50
Conservative hold Swing

Stoke Holy Cross ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Stoke Holy Cross ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Trevor Lewis* 635 50.3
Conservative Stella Rice 403 31.9
Green Jane Hutchings 151 12.0
UKIP Jeremy Kent 74 5.9
Majority 232 18.4
Turnout 1263 55.13
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Stratton ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Stratton ward
(2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Terry Blowfield 962 33.5
Conservative Andrew Pond 709 24.7
Liberal Democrats Alistair Miller 479 16.7
Labour Janet King 374 13.0
Liberal Democrats Linden Parker 344 12.0
Turnout 2868 40.84
Conservative hold Swing
Conservative hold Swing

Tasburgh ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Tasburgh ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Florence Ellis 636 59.8
Liberal Democrats Philippa Grant 428 40.2
Majority 208 19.6
Turnout 1064 55.91
Conservative hold Swing

Thurlton ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Thurlton ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Kemp* 540 50.7
Green Derek West 271 25.4
Liberal Democrats Claire Jackson 255 23.9
Majority 269 25.3
Turnout 1066 46.87
Conservative hold Swing

Town ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Town ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lee Hornby 715 62.7
Labour Michael Crouch 277 24.3
Liberal Democrats Jane Walker 148 13.0
Majority 438 38.4
Turnout 1140 46.43
Conservative hold Swing

Wicklewood ward

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South Norfolk District Council Elections 2011: Wicklewood ward
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Edney 665 59.6
Labour Dominic Roskrow 234 21.0
Liberal Democrats Paul Blathwayt 149 13.4
Independent Jessica Austin 67 6.0
Majority 431 38.6
Turnout 1115 52.05
Conservative hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ "Clegg announces date for AV referendum". BBC Democracy Live. 5 July 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  2. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated - District Council Elections 2011" (PDF). South Norfolk Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  3. ^ "2011 District election results". South Norfolk Council. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  4. ^ "District councillor Hedley Smith dies". Diss Mercury. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  5. ^ "Councillors". South Norfolk Council. Retrieved 20 April 2011.