2023 Derbyshire Dales District Council election

2023 Derbyshire Dales District Council election

← 2019 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) 2027 →
All 34 seats to Derbyshire Dales District Council 18 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Steve Flitter Susan Hobson[1] Mike Ratcliffe (retired) Party Liberal Democrats Conservative Labour Last election 8 seats, 23.6% 20 seats, 40.1% 6 seats, 26.2% Seats won 12 11 6 Seat change 4 9 0 Popular vote 15,653 15,070 9,536 Percentage 34.2 33.0 20.9 Swing 10.2 7.1 5.3   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Neil Buttle Party Green Independent Last election 2 seats, 5.3% 3 seats, 3.7% Seats won 4 1 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 2,809 2,491 Percentage 6.1 5.5 Swing 0.8 1.8
Map showing the composition of Derbyshire Dales District Council following the election. Striped wards have mixed representation.
Leader before election Susan Hobson (acting) Conservative No overall control Leader after election Steve Flitter Liberal Democrat No overall control

The 2023 Derbyshire Dales District Council election was held on 4 May 2023 to elect all 34 councillors for Derbyshire Dales District Council. This was on the same day as other local elections.

For the first time since 1995, the Conservative Party failed to win a majority of seats. Instead, the Liberal Democrats won the largest number of seats, beating the Conservatives by one seat, the same margin as in 1995, but again failing to win a majority of their own.^[2]

This was the first election to the Derbyshire Dales District Council to be held under the current ward boundaries. The total number of councillors was reduced from 39 to 34, and the total number of wards was reduced from 25 to 21. Consequently, the boundaries of most of the wards were different compared to those which had been in use since the 2003 election. The arrangements for each new ward are described below.^[3]

Prior to the election the council was under no overall control, with the majority held by the Conservatives following the 2019 election having been lost through defections and resignations. Less than two months before the election the Conservative leader, Garry Purdy, who had led the council since 2019, was suspended and then resigned over private promises made to a local tourist attraction. Susan Hobson took over as Conservative leader and became acting leader of the council, with formal appointment of a new leader of the council deferred until after the election.^[4] Immediately before the election the council was being run by a coalition comprising the Conservatives, the SDP councillor and three of the independent councillors.^[5]

A "progressive alliance" coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Labour and Greens subsequently formed to take control of the council, with Liberal Democrat group leader Steve Flitter being appointed leader of the council at the annual council meeting on 25 May 2023.^[6][7]

In the instance in which the boundaries of a ward are identical to those in the 2019 election, the percentage changes have been calculated relative to the results in that ward from 2019. In the instance in which a ward is broadly coterminous with a previous ward or has only been slightly expanded, the percentage change is calculated in the same way from the corresponding ward in 2019, but in these instances this value is only indicative and some changes to party political support will be a result of the boundary changes. The results in each ward were as follows:^[8][9]

Ashbourne North was still represented by two councillors and was slightly expanded.

Ashbourne North (2 Seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Dobbs	653	46.9	16.6
	Conservative	Stuart Lees	575	41.3	6.8
	Conservative	Sue Bull	561	40.3	8.2
	Liberal Democrats	Monty Stuart-Monteith	528	37.9	13.3
	Labour	Eileen Ashley	246	17.7	0.8
Majority			14	0.5
Turnout			1,393	41
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	12.0
	Conservative hold		Swing

Ashbourne South was now represented by three councillors instead of two and was expanded.

Ashbourne South (3 Seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Rob Archer	1,101	52.5	13.5
	Liberal Democrats	Nick Wilton	884	42.1	New
	Conservative	Anthony Bates	857	40.8	2.5
	Conservative	Tom Donnelly	820	39.1	1.7
	Liberal Democrats	Robin Shirtcliffe	794	37.8	5.4
	Conservative	Matthew Taylor	697	33.2	New
	Labour	Matt Ginnis	453	21.6	9.9
Majority			37	0.7
Turnout			2,099	39
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	6.2
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing
	Conservative win

Bakewell was now represented by two councillors instead of three but remained geographically the same.

Bakewell (2 Seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Wakeman	1,011	61.2	5.8
	Conservative	Gareth Gee	581	35.2	31.2
	Labour	Ben Carter	526	31.9	1.5
	Green	Nicola Peltell	307	18.6	New
	Liberal Democrats	Robert Court	178	10.8	New
	Independent	Rachel Elnaugh-Love	175	10.6	New
	Liberal Democrats	Patricia Wildgoose	166	10.1	New
Majority			55	1.9
Turnout			1,651	47
	Conservative hold		Swing	9.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

Bonsall and Winster was a new ward which was to be represented by one councillor. It was broadly coterminous with the old ward of Winster and South Darley, which was also represented by one councillor.

Bonsall & Winster (1 Seat)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Matthew Buckler	578	69.4	New
	Conservative	Chris Stait	255	30.6	New
Majority			323	38.8
Turnout			833	44
	Green gain from Independent		Swing	83.3

Bradwell was still represented by one councillor and was slightly expanded.

Bradwell (1 Seat)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Andy Nash	506	73.8	31.2
	Conservative	Chloe Sinker	180	26.2	31.2
Majority			326	47.5
Turnout			686	44
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	31.2

Brailsford was still represented by one councillor and was geographically the same.

Brailsford (1 Seat)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Geoff Bond	379	57.3	22.6
	Green	Morgan Bryan	117	17.7	New
	Labour	Fraser McGuire	100	15.1	5.0
	Liberal Democrats	Midge Dobbs	66	10.0	New
Majority			262	39.6
Turnout			662	39
	Conservative hold		Swing	20.2

Calver and Longstone was a new ward which is to be represented by one councillor. It was predominantly formed of parishes from the old wards of Calver, and Litton and Longstone.

Chatsworth was still represented by one councillor and was slightly expanded.

Chatsworth (1 Seat)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Susan Hobson	458	62.0	12.0
	Liberal Democrats	Claire Cadogan	170	23.0	6.8
	Green	John Ward	111	15.0	New
Majority			288	39.0
Turnout			739	43
	Conservative hold		Swing	9.4

Cromford and Matlock Bath was a new ward which is to be represented by one councillor. It was predominantly formed of parishes from the old ward of Masson.

Darley Dale was still represented by three councillors and was slightly expanded.

Darley Dale (3 Seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	David Burton	1,104	54.7	29.9
	Liberal Democrats	Marilyn Franks	917	45.4	23.8
	Liberal Democrats	Rodger Shelley	761	37.7	23.8
	Conservative	Ann Elliott	642	31.8	11.7
	Conservative	Dave Oakley	609	30.1	9.4
	Labour	Sarah Halliwell	555	27.5	8.8
	Conservative	Richard Walsh	461	22.8	14.8
	Independent	Andrew Statham	291	14.4	New
Majority			119	2.2
Turnout			2,020	42
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	21.3
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing

Dovedale, Parwich and Brassington was a new ward which was to be represented by one councillor. It was broadly coterminous with the old ward of Dovedale and Parwich, which was also represented by one councillor.

Dovedale, Parwich & Brassington (1 Seat)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Nigel Walker	464	57.8	15.9
	Labour	Kevin Welsh	120	14.9	2.2
	Green	Richard Rowlatt	119	14.8	New
	Liberal Democrats	Henry Jebb	100	12.5	1.1
Majority			344	42.8
Turnout			803	44
	Conservative hold		Swing	9.1

Doveridge and Sudbury was still represented by one councillor and was geographically the same.

Doveridge & Sudbury (1 Seat)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Bointon	458	58.0	20.7
	Independent	Jacqueline Allison	331	42.0	11.8
Majority
Turnout			789	44
	Conservative gain from Independent		Swing	16.3

Hartington and Taddington was still represented by one councillor and was slightly expanded.

Hartington & Taddington (1 Seat)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Chapman	391	62.7	2.9
	Liberal Democrats	Eleanor Nancolas	117	18.8	6.2
	Green	Catherine Handy	116	18.6	1.6
Majority			274	43.9
Turnout			624	37
	Conservative hold		Swing	1.7

Hathersage was a new ward which was to be represented by two councillors. It is broadly coterminous with the old ward of Hathersage and Eyam, which was also represented by two councillors.

Hathersage (2 Seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Peter O'Brien	1,387	76.0	34.7
	Labour	Simon Ripton	1,092	59.8	20.9
	Conservative	Jason Atkin	420	23.0	15.6
	Conservative	Steve Bull	335	18.4	15.4
Majority			672	20.8
Turnout			1,825	53
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing	26.6
	Labour hold		Swing

Hulland was still represented by one councillor and was slightly redrawn.

Hulland (1 Seat)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dermot Murphy	395	51.4	28.8
	Labour	Diane Fletcher	148	19.3	0.5
	SDP	Richard Bright	145	18.9	New
	Liberal Democrats	Barbara Bowman	80	10.4	New
Majority			247	32.1
Turnout			768	44
	Conservative hold		Swing	14.2

Matlock East and Tansley was a new ward which was to be represented by three councillors. It was broadly coterminous with the old ward of Matlock St. Giles, which was also represented by three councillors.

Matlock East and Tansley (3 Seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Flitter	1,215	67.7	14.7
	Liberal Democrats	Joanne Linthwaite	1,083	60.4	16.2
	Liberal Democrats	David Hughes	1,074	59.9	19.9
	Labour	Suqie Banwait	477	26.6	5.3
	Conservative	Danny Hopkinson	476	26.5	1.6
Majority			597	13.8
Turnout			1,794	39
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	20.0
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Matlock West was a new ward which was to be represented by three councillors. It was broadly coterminous with the old ward of Matlock All Saints, which was also represented by three councillors.

Matlock West (3 Seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Sue Burfoot	1,665	78.6	9.9
	Liberal Democrats	Martin Burfoot	1,526	72.0	10.0
	Liberal Democrats	Steve Wain	1,471	69.5	14.0
	Labour	John Weir	422	19.9	1.7
	Conservative	Rosemary Oakley	323	15.3	10.5
	Conservative	Thomas Pearce	263	12.4	3.5
	Conservative	Harvey Griffin	258	12.2	New
Majority			1,049	17.7
Turnout			2,118	46
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	4.6
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Norbury was still represented by one councillor and was slightly expanded.

Norbury (1 Seat)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tony Morley	492	67.3	15.6
	Labour	David Walker	123	16.8	0.3
	Green	John Hill	116	15.9	New
Majority			369	50.5
Turnout			731	40
	Conservative hold		Swing	7.7

Tideswell was still represented by one councillor and was slightly expanded.

Tideswell (1 Seat)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Neil Buttle	514	66.5	24.4
	Conservative	Harry Shirt	259	33.5	1.0
Majority			255	33.0
Turnout			773	42
	Green hold		Swing	12.7

Wirksworth was still represented by three councillors and was slightly expanded.

Wirksworth (3 Seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Pete Slack	1,491	69.9	13.8
	Labour	Dawn Greatorex	1,454	68.2	8.6
	Labour	Lucy Peacock	1,375	64.5	10.4
	Conservative	Steven Kennel	567	26.6	2.7
	Conservative	Paul Williamson	559	26.2	2.3
	Conservative	Tony Britner	554	26.0	New
Majority			808	13.5
Turnout			2,132	44
	Labour hold		Swing	0.5
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Youlgrave was a new ward which was to be represented by one councillor. It was broadly coterminous with the old ward of Lathkill and Bradford, which was also represented by one councillor.

Youlgrave (1 Seat)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Laura Mellstrom	390	43.5	New
	Independent	Thomas Elliott	307	34.2	51.8
	Conservative	John Pearce	200	22.3	New
Majority			83	9.3
Turnout			897	50
	Green gain from Independent		Swing	47.7

^[10]