2008 Purbeck District Council election

File:Purbeck UK local election 2008 map.svg

Results of the 2008 Purbeck District Council election

Elections to Purbeck District Council were held on 1 May 2008. Nine of the twenty-four seats on the council were up for election and the council stayed under no overall control. Overall turnout was 44.86%.

A big issue in the election was housing with much criticism of plans to build over five thousand homes in the district by 2026. The nominations for the election saw an unusual event when Liberal Democrat candidate Alexandra Brenton signed the nomination papers for her friend and Labour Party candidate Selby Bennett. Two seats were contested in Lytchett Matravers after Liberal Democrat councillor Michael Peacock stood down in February.

The results saw the Liberal Democrat party gained Wareham and Wool wards from the Conservative Party to pull level on the council. The Conservative party took Swanage South from Liberal Democrat Colin Bright who had defected from the Conservatives the previous month.

After the election, the composition of the council was

• Conservative 11
• Liberal Democrat 11
• Independent 2

Election result

Purbeck Local Election Result 2008

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
		5	2	1	+1	55.6	45.6	6,174	+3.8%
		4	1	2	-1	44.4	47.3	6,399	+8.7%
		0	0	0	0	0	4.8	653	-2.3%
		0	0	0	0	0	2.2	304	-3.2%

Ward results

Lytchett Matravers (2)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Martyn Colvey	785
		David Cross	729
		Alexandra Brenton	715
		Colin Gibb	692
		James Selby Bennett	50
Turnout			2,971	52.7
	hold		Swing
	hold		Swing

Lytchett Minster and Upton East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Wendy Starr	692	57.6
		Simon Williams	509	42.4
Majority			183	15.2
Turnout			1,201	39.1
	hold		Swing

Lytchett Minster and Upton West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Paul Johns	829	65.3
		Mark Howlett	391	30.8
		Ruth Cade	50	3.9
Majority			438	24.5
Turnout			1,270	42.6
	hold		Swing

St Martin

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Beryl Ezzard	563	56.2
		Jane Thomas	438	43.8
Majority			125	12.4
Turnout			1,001	46.5
	hold		Swing

Swanage North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Gloria Marsh	917	59.3
		Philippa Keeling	497	32.1
		Margaret Storey	132	8.5
Majority			420	27.2
Turnout			1,546	46.2
	hold		Swing

Swanage South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Alison Patrick	932	50.6
		Colin Bright	561	30.5
		Marilyn Larthe de Langladure	348	18.9
Majority			371	20.1
Turnout			1,841	38.5
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Wareham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Keith Critchley	1,245	57.6
		Roy Anderson	915	42.4
Majority			330	15.2
Turnout			2,160	47.0
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Wool

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Graham Holmes	725	47.1
		Malcolm Shakesby	438	28.4
		Rosemary Grey-Hodder	304	19.7
		Rosemary Phillips	73	4.7
Majority			287	18.7
Turnout			1,540	46.5
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

References

• 2008 Purbeck election result
• Declaration of Results of Polls – District and Town Council Elections held on 1 May 2008