1973 West Dorset District Council election

10 May 1973 (1973-05-10) 1976 →
All 55 seats to West Dorset District Council 28 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Ind Lib Party Independent Liberal Seats won 44 9 Popular vote 28,607 11,354 Percentage 60.2% 23.9%   Third party   Lab Party Labour Seats won 2 Popular vote 7,569 Percentage 15.9%
Council control after election Independent

The 1973 West Dorset District Council election was held on Thursday 10 May 1973 to elect councillors to the new West Dorset District Council in England. It took place on the same day as other district council elections in the United Kingdom.

These were the first elections to the new district council, which would come into effect on 1 April 1974. Future elections would take place every three years, with the next election scheduled for 6 May 1976.

The 1973 election saw Independent councillors take a significant majority on the Council.

Ward results[edit]

Beaminster[edit]

Beaminster (2 seats)^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	A. Hudson	654	–	N/A
	Independent	R. Bugler	488	–	N/A
	Independent	C. Coole	456	–	N/A
	Independent	S. Chaffey	391	–	N/A
Turnout				29.2	N/A
Registered electors			2,239
	Independent win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)

Bothenhampton[edit]

Bothenhampton^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	O. Aburrow	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,197
	Independent win (new seat)

Bradford Abbas[edit]

Bradford Abbas^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	M. Winder	269	50.9	N/A
	Independent	P. Bagnall	259	49.1	N/A
Majority			10	1.8	N/A
Turnout				42.4	N/A
Registered electors			1,244
	Liberal win (new seat)

Bradpole[edit]

Bradpole^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	M. West	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,137
	Liberal win (new seat)

Bridport[edit]

Bridport (5 seats)^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	H. Smith	1,430	–	N/A
	Independent	P. Norfolk	946	–	N/A
	Liberal	A. Tiltman	840	27.3	N/A
	Labour	L. Dibden	812	26.3	N/A
	Labour	H. Skevington	721	–	N/A
	Independent	C. Samways	701	–	N/A
	Independent	A. Cummins	676	–	N/A
	Independent	T. Storrs	469	–	N/A
	Independent	G. Fitzgerald	385	–	N/A
Turnout				59.6	N/A
Registered electors			5,169
	Independent win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Broadmayne[edit]

Broadmayne^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W. White	197	56.1	N/A
	Independent	H. Ross-Skinner	154	43.9	N/A
Majority			43	12.2	N/A
Turnout				30.8	N/A
Registered electors			1,139
	Independent win (new seat)

Broadwindsor[edit]

Broadwindsor^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	C. Coate	282	68.6	N/A
	Independent	R. Biggs	129	31.4	N/A
Majority			153	37.2	N/A
Turnout				39.8	N/A
Registered electors			1,032
	Independent win (new seat)

Burton Bradstock[edit]

Burton Bradstock^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	G. Cheney	392	59.6	N/A
	Independent	J. Mallinson	266	40.4	N/A
Majority			126	19.2	N/A
Turnout				61.6	N/A
Registered electors			1,068
	Independent win (new seat)

Caundle Vale[edit]

Caundle Vale^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	N. White	181	37.6	N/A
	Liberal	E. Chant	161	33.5	N/A
	Independent	D. Randolph	139	28.9	N/A
Majority			20	4.1	N/A
Turnout				50.0	N/A
Registered electors			962
	Independent win (new seat)

Cerne Valley[edit]

Cerne Valley^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W. Best	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			928
	Independent win (new seat)

Charminster[edit]

Charminster^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	E. Hanford	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,269
	Independent win (new seat)

Charmouth[edit]

Charmouth^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R. Fouger	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,146
	Independent win (new seat)

Chesil Bank[edit]

Chesil Bank^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	M. Pengelly	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			993
	Independent win (new seat)

Chickerell[edit]

Chickerell (2 seats)^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	L. Bennett	384	–	N/A
	Independent	W. McCarthy	336	–	N/A
	Independent	M. Groves	290	–	N/A
Turnout				15.6	N/A
Registered electors			2,461
	Independent win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)

Dorchester Central[edit]

Dorchester Central^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	L. Phillips	368	62.3	N/A
	Independent	W. Bowering	164	27.7	N/A
	Labour	A. Beards	59	10.0	N/A
Majority			204	34.6	N/A
Turnout				57.4	N/A
Registered electors			1,029
	Independent win (new seat)

Dorchester East[edit]

Dorchester East (4 seats)^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R. Collins	1,205	–	N/A
	Independent	J. Parsons	1,029	–	N/A
	Liberal	Enid Stella Jones	977	32.8	N/A
	Liberal	R. Brissenden	963	–	N/A
	Independent	A. Woodroffe	921	–	N/A
	Independent	J. Matthews	894	–	N/A
	Liberal	P. Lucas	823	–	N/A
	Labour	F. Holme	793	26.7	N/A
	Labour	J. Brown	530	–	N/A
	Labour	G. Megson	529	–	N/A
	Labour	P. Gregory	529	–	N/A
Turnout				68.3	N/A
Registered electors			4,354
	Independent win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)

Dorchester West[edit]

Dorchester West (5 seats)^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	G. Powell	1,399	–	N/A
	Independent	H. Durrant	1,152	–	N/A
	Liberal	M. Bird	1,116	33.9	N/A
	Liberal	David Trevor Jones	1,101	–	N/A
	Liberal	D. Anderson	1,048	–	N/A
	Labour	G. Standfeild	775	23.6	N/A
	Labour	S. Balistrari	759	–	N/A
	Labour	A. Yelling	704	–	N/A
	Labour	A. Waldron	697	–	N/A
	Labour	M. Murray	661	–	N/A
Turnout				71.2	N/A
Registered electors			4,622
	Independent win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)

Frome Valley[edit]

Frome Valley^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	B. Bryant	282	58.0	N/A
	Independent	I. Collins	204	42.0	N/A
Majority			78	16.0	N/A
Turnout				49.5	N/A
Registered electors			982
	Independent win (new seat)

Halstock[edit]

Halstock^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	T. Frost	299	67.3	N/A
	Independent	S. Hammick	145	32.7	N/A
Majority			154	34.6	N/A
Turnout				39.7	N/A
Registered electors			1,117
	Independent win (new seat)

Holnest[edit]

Holnest^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	M. Cockburn	211	47.0	N/A
	Independent	J. Gray	121	26.9	N/A
	Independent	A. Hill	117	26.1	N/A
Majority			90	20.1	N/A
Turnout				43.7	N/A
Registered electors			1,028
	Independent win (new seat)

Loders[edit]

Loders^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	E. Golding	399	76.7	N/A
	Independent	C. Lucas	121	23.3	N/A
Majority			278	53.6	N/A
Turnout				62.4	N/A
Registered electors			833
	Independent win (new seat)

Lyme Regis[edit]

Lyme Regis (3 seats)^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J. Broom	627	–	N/A
	Independent	E. Hallett	580	–	N/A
	Independent	V. Homyer	529	–	N/A
	Independent	G. Upjohn	311	–	N/A
	Independent	R. Hill	229	–	N/A
Turnout				22.7	N/A
Registered electors			2,761
	Independent win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)

Maiden Newton[edit]

Maiden Newton^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	H. Haward	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			959
	Independent win (new seat)

Netherbury[edit]

Netherbury^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	P. Tiarks	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,216
	Independent win (new seat)

Owermoigne[edit]

Owermoigne^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D. Baldwin	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,010
	Independent win (new seat)

Piddle Valley[edit]

Piddle Valley^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	C. Green	379	89.6	N/A
	Independent	S. Clear	44	10.4	N/A
Majority			335	79.2	N/A
Turnout				40.1	N/A
Registered electors			1,054
	Independent win (new seat)

Puddletown[edit]

Puddletown^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	E. Bown	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			894
	Independent win (new seat)

Queen Thorne[edit]

Queen Thorne^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J. Brewer	290	64.3	N/A
	Independent	P. Thornton-Wood	161	35.7	N/A
Majority			129	28.6	N/A
Turnout				44.6	N/A
Registered electors			1,011
	Independent win (new seat)

Sherborne[edit]

Sherborne (5 seats)^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	E. King	1,400	–	N/A
	Liberal	M. Matson	1,228	46.7	N/A
	Independent	A. Sweet	1,217	–	N/A
	Independent	E. Dyke	1,100	–	N/A
	Independent	R. Farrant	1,030	–	N/A
	Liberal	J. Barker	996	–	N/A
	Liberal	W. Vincent	978	–	N/A
	Independent	A. Lugg	917	–	N/A
	Liberal	V. Quick	854	–	N/A
Turnout				46.7	N/A
Registered electors			5,629
	Independent win (new seat)
	Liberal win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)

Stinsford[edit]

Stinsford^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	E. Williams	334	63.6	N/A
	Independent	W. Wakely	191	36.4	N/A
Majority			143	27.2	N/A
Turnout				64.7	N/A
Registered electors			812
	Independent win (new seat)

Symondsbury[edit]

Symondsbury^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R. Forbes	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,032
	Independent win (new seat)

Thorncombe[edit]

Thorncombe^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	P. Atyeo	112	66.3	N/A
	Independent	M. Saunders	57	33.7	N/A
Majority			55	32.6	N/A
Turnout				17.2	N/A
Registered electors			962
	Independent win (new seat)

Tolpuddle[edit]

Tolpuddle^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	M. Kraft	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			722
	Independent win (new seat)

Whitchurch Canonicorum[edit]

Whitchurch Canonicorum^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W. Fowell	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,083
	Independent win (new seat)

Winterborne St Martin[edit]

Winterborne St Martin^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R. Childs	239	51.6	N/A
	Independent	R. Hyde	224	48.4	N/A
Majority			15	3.2	N/A
Turnout				49.8	N/A
Registered electors			930
	Independent win (new seat)

Yetminster[edit]

Yetminster^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	F. Lawrence	unopposed	N/A	N/A
Registered electors			1,071
	Independent win (new seat)

References[edit]