2023 Ribble Valley Borough Council election

2023 Ribble Valley Borough Council election
← 2019 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) 2027 →
All 40 seats to Ribble Valley Borough Council
21 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Stephen Atkinson Stewart Fletcher
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats Labour
Last election 28 10 0
Seats before 26 10 0
Seats after 18 8 7
Seat change Decrease10 Decrease2 Increase 7
  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Party Independent Green
Last election 2 0
Seats before 4 0
Seats after 5 2
Seat change Increase3 Increase 2
Leader before election

Stephen Atkinson
Conservative

Leader after election

Stephen Atkinson
Conservative
No overall control

The 2023 Ribble Valley Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect all 40 members of Ribble Valley Borough Council in Lancashire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.

Results

The council was under Conservative majority control prior to the election.[1] Following the results, the Conservatives remained the largest party but lost their majority, leaving the council under no overall control.[2] Efforts by the other parties to put together a coalition administration were unsuccessful, and the Conservative group leader Stephen Atkinson was re-appointed leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 23 May 2023, leading a minority administration.[3][4]

Party Councillors Votes
Of Total Of Total
Conservative Party 18 45.0%
18 / 40
 9,647 41.9%
Labour Party 7 17.5%
7 / 40
 6,354 27.6%
Liberal Democrats 8 20.0%
8 / 40
 3,597 15.6%
Independent 5 12.5%
5 / 40
 2,526 11.0%
Green Party 2 5.0%
2 / 40
 875 3.8%

Ward Results

Incumbent candidates are denoted with an asterisk*.

Alston and Hothershall

Alston and Hothershall (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Lee Brocklehurst Unopposed
Independent James Rogerson*
(Jim Rogerson) 		Unopposed
Conservative hold
Independent gain from Conservative

Jim Rogerson had been elected in 2019 as a Conservative but had left the party to sit as an independent in April 2021.[1] Shown here as independent gain from Conservative to allow comparison with previous election.

Billington and Langho

Billington and Langho (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anthony Michael Austin*
(Tony Austin) 		463 57.2 −4.3
Conservative Steven Farmer*
(Steve Farmer) 		410 50.7 −12.4
Labour Frank Joseph Havard 273 33.7 +5.3
Independent Brian John Robert 242 29.9 N/A
Turnout 811 31.04 −1.50
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Bowland

Bowland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rosemary Joan Elms* Unopposed
Conservative hold

Brockhall and Dinckley

Brockhall and Dinckley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen Alexis Atkinson* 315 77.4 −5.9
Labour Ian James Metcalfe 92 22.6 +5.9
Turnout 407 31.71 +1.25
Conservative hold

Chatburn

Chatburn
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gary Kenneth Scott* 268 65.8 −22.7
Labour Craig Anthony Bryant 88 21.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats Stephen Mark Sutcliffe 51 12.5 N/A
Turnout 407 36.44 −1.86
Conservative hold

Chipping

Chipping
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Hore* 293 67.8 N/A
Labour Alan Williams Matthews 139 32.2 N/A
Turnout 432 37.28 N/A
Conservative hold

Clayton-le-Dale and Salesbury

Clayton-le-Dale and Salesbury
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Louise Edge* Unopposed
Conservative hold

Derby and Thornley

Derby and Thornley (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rachael Elizabeth Ray 377 52.5 +20.9
Labour Kieren Spencer 359 50.0 +19.0
Conservative Stuart Walter Alan Carefoot* 318 44.3 −20.2
Conservative Sarah Rainford* 306 42.6 −20.5
Turnout 718 28.72
Labour gain from Conservative
Labour gain from Conservative

Dilworth

Dilworth (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Nicholas Kenneth Stubbs 417 55.9 +23.3
Labour Lee Cedric Jameson 406 54.4 +21.6
Conservative Craig Stephen Jackson 292 39.1 −25.8
Conservative Lisa Ann Quinn-Jones 288 38.6 −18.9
Turnout 752 33.24
Labour gain from Conservative
Labour gain from Conservative

East Whalley, Read and Simonstone

East Whalley, Read and Simonstone (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Malcolm Charles Peplow 459 53.6 N/A
Green Gaye Tomasine McCrum 364 42.5 N/A
Conservative Richard John Bennett* 339 39.6 −41.9
Conservative David Alan Peat* 277 32.3 −38.9
Labour Chloe Catherine Hinder 81 9.5 −7.7
Labour Joseph Anthony Kellaway 66 7.7 −6.7
Turnout 866 39.44
Green gain from Conservative
Green gain from Conservative

Edisford and Low Moor

Edisford and Low Moor (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Simon Michael O'Rourke* 417 50.9 +3.5
Liberal Democrats Ryan John Corney 336 41.0 +1.8
Labour Joseph James Batty 212 25.9 +0.2
Labour Chantelle Louise Seddon 176 21.5 −3.9
Conservative Timothy David Jones 131 16.0 −8.4
Conservative Elspeth Russell-Shuker 105 12.8 −8.9
Independent Francis Raw 43 5.3 N/A
Turnout 820 29.96
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold

Gisburn and Rimington

Gisburn and Rimington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles William Hamish McFall 203 64.0 −3.5
Labour Sarah Jane Bryan 69 21.8 −10.7
Independent Jennifer Maynard 45 14.2 N/A
Turnout 317 27.45
Conservative hold

Hurst Green and Whitewell

Hurst Green and Whitewell
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Janet Elizabeth Alcock* 208 59.8 +2.7
Labour Andrew Niall MacFarlane 140 40.2 +8.4
Turnout 348 33.43
Conservative hold

Littlemoor

Littlemoor (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Gaynor Patricia Hibbert* 310 42.8 −15.7
Liberal Democrats Mark Richard French* 289 39.9 −10.8
Conservative Peter Neilson Sharples 199 27.4 +3.6
Conservative Connor Frazer William Graham 188 25.9 +9.6
Labour Carol Ann Makin 163 22.5 +3.0
Labour Susan Elizabeth Riley 138 19.0 +0.4
Independent Kim Haley 52 7.2 N/A
Turnout 726 27.45
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold

Mellor

Mellor (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stella Maria Brunskill* 504 59.0 +1.9
Conservative Robin Eric Walsh* 465 54.4 −0.2
Independent John Russell Fletcher 337 39.5 N/A
Turnout 875 38.56
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Primrose

Primrose (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael St John Graveston 344 43.6 +20.6
Liberal Democrats Mary Robinson* 307 38.9 −19.0
Labour Michael Kenneth Willcox 296 37.5 +16.6
Liberal Democrats Kerry Elizabeth Fletcher* 262 33.2 −22.6
Conservative Benjamin Tyrer Muldoon 121 15.3 +0.2
Conservative Bilal Haider Karim 88 11.2 −2.4
Independent Simon Rice 36 4.6 N/A
Turnout 797 30.71
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats hold

Ribchester

Ribchester
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Karl Peter Barnsley 276 53.3 +14.6
Conservative Alison Mary Brown* 190 36.7 −24.6
Green Paul Ryan Yates 52 10.0 N/A
Turnout 518 43.25
Labour gain from Conservative

Sabden

Sabden
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Richard Newmark*
(Richard Newmark) 		201 48.9 −16.7
Labour Mark Benjamin Dawson 179 43.6 +9.2
Liberal Democrats Steven John Mitchell 31 7.5 N/A
Turnout 411 33.91
Conservative hold

Salthill

Salthill (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Ian Frank Brown* 388 47.2 −0.9
Liberal Democrats Donna Louise O'Rourke* 301 36.6 −0.7
Conservative Kristian Torgersen 249 30.3 −3.9
Liberal Democrats Philip Neilson Young 167 20.3 −9.2
Labour Ian David Turner 120 14.6 −3.0
Labour Carl Peter Nuttall 108 13.1 −2.3
Turnout 826 31.61
Independent gain from Conservative
Liberal Democrats hold

Ian Brown had been elected in 2019 as a Conservative but had left the party to sit as an independent in April 2021.[1] Shown here as independent gain from Conservative to allow comparison with previous election.

St Mary's

St Mary's (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stewart Mark Fletcher* 498 54.4 +0.9
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Hill* 419 45.7 −3.7
Conservative Claire Elizabeth Hibbitt 287 31.3 +2.5
Conservative Sue Elizabeth Monk 231 25.2 +5.6
Labour Jonathan James Hinder 157 17.1 −1.8
Labour Frederick Jeevan Redfern 133 14.5 −3.1
Turnout 921 36.94
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold

Waddington, Bashall Eaves and Mitton

Waddington, Bashall Eaves and Mitton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sophie Cowman 212 53.5 +6.9
Liberal Democrats Robert Buller*
(Bob Buller) 		125 31.6 −21.8
Labour Catherine Ruth Lee 59 14.9 N/A
Turnout 396 32.98
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats

West Bradford and Grindleton

West Bradford and Grindleton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kevin Thomas Horkin* 293 60.8 −7.5
Labour Rebecca Anna Haydock 105 21.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Lindsey John Blackledge 84 17.4 −14.3
Turnout 482 36.10
Conservative hold

Whalley and Painter Wood

Whalley and Painter Wood (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mark Andrew Hindle* 336 40.1 −25.3
Independent John Stephen Atherton 327 39.1 N/A
Conservative Gerald Xavier Mirfin*
(Ged Mirfin) 		321 38.4 −22.0
Labour Anthony McNamara 280 33.5 +2.1
Independent Blaire Harthern 199 23.8 −2.6
Turnout 840 37.35
Conservative hold
Independent gain from Conservative

Whalley Nethertown

Whalley Nethertown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Aaron Oghenevwede Wilkins-Odudu 137 33.8 +11.6
Conservative David Andrew Berryman* 127 31.4 −24.5
Independent Katherine Lord-Green 125 30.9 N/A
Independent Robert Charles Edmond 16 4.0 N/A
Turnout 405 35.26
Labour gain from Conservative

Wilpshire and Ramsgreave

Wilpshire and Ramsgreave (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Susan Mary Bibby* 472 52.6 −7.7
Conservative Stuart Alan Hirst* 469 52.2 −9.5
Labour Katherine Elizabeth Burn 381 42.4 +9.7
Labour Charles Berkeley Cathcart 347 38.6 +8.1
Turnout 906 34.42
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Wiswell and Barrow

Wiswell and Barrow (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Birtwhistle* 432 52.9 −2.3
Independent Lee Anthony Street 320 39.2 −10.1
Conservative Andrew John McHugh 271 33.2 +8.9
Conservative Jacqueline Mary Hampson 207 25.3 +2.0
Labour George Iain Poole 125 15.3 +6.9
Labour Paul Anthony Atkinson 111 13.6 +5.6
Turnout 818 37.96
Independent hold
Independent hold

Changes 2023–2027

  • Derek Brocklehust, who was elected as a Conservative, joined Labour in October 2023.[7]
  • Stewart Fletcher, Mark French and Ryan Corney, all elected as Liberal Democrats, left the party in November 2023, becoming independents but sitting together as the 'Progressive Liberal' group.[8]
St Mary's by-election, 4 July 2024[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Hillis Holden 597
Conservative Kristian Torgersen 583
Liberal Democrats Stephen Mark Sutcliffe 464
Independent Andrea Marie Derbyshire 175
Turnout 68.9
Labour gain from Liberal Democrats

By-election triggered by resignation of Stewart Fletcher, who had been elected as a Liberal Democrat but left the party in November 2023.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c Jacobs, Bill (24 April 2023). "Ribble Valley Tory stronghold sees Labour and Lib Dems seeking gains". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  2. ^ Coyle, Simon (2023-05-05). "Election results from Ribble Valley local council election 2023 count". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  3. ^ Jacobs, Bill (11 May 2023). "Battered Ribble Valley Tories seek to keep power as a minority". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Council minutes, 23 May 2023". Ribble Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Borough Elections 2023 - Results". www.ribblevalley.gov.uk. 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  6. ^ "Ribble Valley result - Local Elections 2023". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  7. ^ Boothroyd, David (13 October 2023). "Cheltenham still enraged by bureaucracy". Local Councils. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. ^ Macdonald, Robert (30 November 2023). "Leading Ribble Valley Liberal Democrats quit form new group for 'progressive alliance' with Labour and Green Party". Lancs Live. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  9. ^ "St Mary's Ward By-Election Results - 4 July 2024". Ribble Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  10. ^ Whitbread, Douglas; Macdonald, Robert (8 May 2024). "Fresh Ribble Valley by-election as councillor ups sticks and moves to Scottish island". Lancs Live. Retrieved 11 July 2024.