1979 West Dorset District Council election

1979 UK local government election

← 1976

3 May 1979 (1979-05-03)

1983 →

All 55 seats to West Dorset District Council
28 seats needed for a majority

	First party	Second party	Third party
	Ind	Lib	Con
Party	Independent	Liberal	Conservative
Last election	45 seats, 56.9%	7 seats, 29.1%	1 seat, 3.8%
Seats won	37	8	7
Seat change	8	1	6
Popular vote	26,323	15,502	13,052
Percentage	42.1%	24.8%	20.9%
Swing	14.8%	4.3%	17.1%

	Fourth party	Fifth party
	Lab	IndC
Party	Labour	Ind. Conservative
Last election	1 seat, 9.5%	1 seat, 0.7%
Seats won	2	1
Seat change	1
Popular vote	6,768	836
Percentage	10.8%	1.3%
Swing	1.3%	0.6%

Council control before election

Independent

Council control after election

Independent

The 1979 West Dorset District Council election was held on Thursday 3 May 1979 to elect councillors to West Dorset District Council in England. It took place on the same day as the general election and other district council elections in the United Kingdom. This was the third election to the district council, the election saw terms of councillors extended from three to four years.

The 1979 election saw the Independent councillors maintain their majority control on the Council.

Ward results

Beaminster

Beaminster (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R. Bugler *	1,384	–	*N/A*
	Independent	A. Hudson *	1,252	–	*N/A*
	Independent	S. Davies	609	–	N/A
Turnout				78.0	N/A
Registered electors			2,503
	Independent hold
	Independent hold

Bothenhampton

Bothenhampton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Y. Skyrme *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,427
	Independent hold

Bradford Abbas

Bradford Abbas
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	E. Garrett *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,272
	Independent hold

Bradpole

Bradpole
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ind. Conservative	R. Coatsworth *	612	59.7	*N/A*
	Independent	D. Cash	413	40.3	N/A
Majority			199	19.4	N/A
Turnout				76.7	+23.6
Registered electors			1,337
	Ind. Conservative gain from Independent		Swing

Bridport

Bridport (5 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	A. Bell	2,601	47.1	+13.1
	Liberal	A. Tiltman *	1,854	–
	Independent	C. Samways *	1,463	–
	Labour	L. Dibden *	1,457	26.4	–1.5
	Independent	E. Andrews	1,344	–	*N/A*
	Independent	P. Norfolk *	1,305	–
	Independent	W. Hicks *	1,112	–	N/A
Turnout				74.3	+34.1
Registered electors			5,453
	Liberal hold		Swing
	Liberal gain from Independent		Swing
	Independent hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Broadmayne

Broadmayne
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	B. Course *	665	64.9	+10.3
	Conservative	D. Blake	359	35.1	N/A
Majority			306	29.9	+20.7
Turnout				78.9	+35.5
Registered electors			1,320
	Liberal hold		Swing

Broadwindsor

Broadwindsor
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	C. Coate *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,007
	Independent hold

Burton Bradstock

Burton Bradstock
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R. Bailey	628	75.2	*N/A*
	Independent	J. Bethell	207	24.8	N/A
Majority			421	50.4	N/A
Turnout				73.3	N/A
Registered electors			1,146
	Independent gain from Independent

Caundle Vale

Caundle Vale
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	N. White *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			998
	Independent hold

Cerne Valley

Cerne Valley
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Dione Digby, Lady Digby *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,056
	Independent hold

Charminster

Charminster
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	E. Hanford *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,255
	Independent hold

Charmouth

Charmouth
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W. McLellan *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,177
	Independent hold

Chesil Bank

Chesil Bank
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	M. Pengelly *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,040
	Independent hold

Chickerell

Chickerell (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W. McCarthy *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
	Conservative	E. Edwards-Stuart	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			2,809
	Independent hold
	Conservative gain from Independent

Dorchester Central

Dorchester Central
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	L. Phillips *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			908
	Independent hold

Dorchester East

Dorchester East (4 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Enid Stella Jones *	2,204	58.2	+29.0
	Conservative	P. Seaton *	1,586	41.8	+7.5
	Liberal	H. Nicholson	1,570	–
	Conservative	R. Collins *	1,503	–
	Conservative	H. Attryde	1,235	–
	Conservative	A. Beard	1,129	–
Turnout				81.4	+30.8
Registered electors			4,237
	Liberal hold		Swing
	Conservative hold		Swing
	Liberal gain from Independent		Swing
	Conservative gain from Independent		Swing

Dorchester West

Dorchester West (5 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Trevor Jones *	2,208	32.1	–4.7
	Conservative	C. Lucas *	1,859	27.0	*N/A*
	Independent	G. Powell *	1,759	–
	Liberal	E. Boothman *	1,726	–
	Conservative	F. Alderman	1,535	–
	Conservative	I. McLellan	1,353	–
	Independent	P. Adams	1,224	–	N/A
	Labour	G. Standfield	1,051	15.3	–4.7
	Labour	K. Matthews	816	–
	Labour	S. Minto	671	–
	Labour	E. Salholm	578	–
Turnout				76.4	+29.2
Registered electors			5,552
	Liberal hold		Swing
	Conservative gain from Independent		Swing
	Independent hold		Swing
	Liberal hold		Swing
	Conservative gain from Independent		Swing

Frome Valley

Frome Valley
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	B. Bryant *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			994
	Independent hold

Halstock

Halstock
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	T. Frost *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,163
	Independent hold

Holnest

Holnest
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	M. Cockburn *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,141
	Independent hold

Loders

Loders
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	A. Adams	345	47.1	*N/A*
	Conservative	D. Fry	258	35.2	N/A
	Independent	M. West	130	17.7	N/A
Majority			87	11.9	N/A
Turnout				77.2	N/A
Registered electors			950
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis (3 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J. Broom *	1,409	–
	Independent	J. Nuttall *	1,314	–
	Independent	V. Homyer	1,001	–
	Independent	E. Hallett *	970	–
Turnout				77.6	+24.9
Registered electors			2,870
	Independent hold		Swing
	Independent hold		Swing
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Maiden Newton

Maiden Newton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	H. Haward *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			996
	Independent hold

Netherbury

Netherbury
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	C. Poole *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,224
	Independent hold

Owermoigne

Owermoigne
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R. Symes *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,239
	Independent hold

Piddle Valley

Piddle Valley
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	M. Walker	666	80.2	+43.4
	Independent	D. Barrs	164	19.8	N/A
Majority			502	60.5	N/A
Turnout				73.4	+16.2
Registered electors			1,131
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Puddletown

Puddletown
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	A. Banfield	509	77.8	*N/A*
	Labour	E. Adams	145	22.2	N/A
Majority			364	55.6	N/A
Turnout				75.5	+24.4
Registered electors			867
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Queen Thorne

Queen Thorne
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J. Brewer *	643	75.0	*N/A*
	Conservative	G. Burgess	214	25.0	N/A
Majority			429	50.1	N/A
Turnout				78.4	N/A
Registered electors			1,093
	Independent hold

Sherborne

Sherborne (5 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	M. Matson *	2,674	30.3	*N/A*
	Independent	E. Dyke *	2,081	–	*N/A*
	Independent	E. King *	2,073	–	*N/A*
	Labour	E. Noake	2,050	23.2	*N/A*
	Conservative	R. Farrant *	2,021	22.9	*N/A*
	Independent	R. Ludd	1,569	–	N/A
Registered electors			5,932
	Liberal hold
	Independent hold
	Independent hold
	Labour gain from Liberal
	Conservative gain from Independent

Stinsford

Stinsford
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	L. Coleman *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			824
	Independent hold

Symondsbury

Symondsbury
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	G. Summers *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,156
	Independent hold

Thorncombe

Thorncombe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	P. Atyeo *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,013
	Independent hold

Tolpuddle

Tolpuddle
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	M. Kraft *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			713
	Independent hold

Whitchurch Canonicorum

Whitchurch Canonicorum
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W. Fowell *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,113
	Independent hold

Winterborne St Martin

Winterborne St Martin
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	S. Slade *	620	73.5	*N/A*
	Ind. Conservative	G. Duke	224	26.5	N/A
Majority			436	46.9	N/A
Turnout				83.3	N/A
Registered electors			1,029
	Independent hold

Yetminster

Yetminster
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	W. Anderson *	unopposed	*N/A*	*N/A*
Registered electors			1,156
	Conservative gain from Ind. Conservative

References

^ "West Dorset District Council Election Results 1973-2011" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 22 April 2020.

v t e Council elections in Dorset
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council	2019 2023
Dorset Council	2019 2024
Dorset County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 Abolished
Bournemouth Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1996 1998 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Abolished
Christchurch Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Abolished
East Dorset District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Abolished
North Dorset District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Abolished
Poole Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1996 1998 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Abolished
Purbeck District Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 Abolished
West Dorset District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1984 1986 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Abolished
Weymouth and Portland Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 Abolished
See also: Wards Boundary changes

v t e (1978 ←) 1979 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1980)
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District councils (England)	Adur Allerdale Alnwick Amber Valley Arun Ashfield Ashford Aylesbury Vale Babergh Barrow-in-Furness Basildon Basingstoke and Deane Bassetlaw Bath Beaconsfield Berwick-upon-Tweed Beverley Blaby Blackburn Blackpool Blyth Valley Bolsover Boothferry Boston Bournemouth Bracknell Braintree Breckland Brentwood Bridgnorth Brighton Bristol Broadland Bromsgrove Broxbourne Broxtowe Burnley Cambridge Cannock Chase Canterbury Caradon Carlisle Carrick Castle Morpeth Castle Point Charnwood Chelmsford Cheltenham Cherwell Chester Chesterfield Chester-le-Street Chichester Chiltern Chorley Christchurch Cleethorpes Colchester Congleton Copeland Corby Cotswold Craven Crawley Crewe and Nantwich Dacorum Darlington Dartford Daventry Derby Derwentside Dover Durham Easington East Cambridgeshire East Devon East Hampshire East Hertfordshire East Lindsey East Northamptonshire East Staffordshire Eastbourne Eastleigh Eden Ellesmere Port and Neston Elmbridge Epping Forest Epsom and Ewell Erewash Exeter Fareham Fenland Forest Heath Forest of Dean Fylde Gedling Gillingham Glanford Gloucester Gosport Gravesham Great Yarmouth Grimsby Guildford Halton Hambleton Harborough Harlow Harrogate Hart Hartlepool Hastings Havant Hereford Hertsmere High Peak Hinckley and Bosworth Holderness Horsham Hove Huntingdon Hyndburn Ipswich Kennet Kerrier Kettering Kingston upon Hull Kingswood Lancaster Langbaurgh Leicester Leominster Lewes Lichfield Lincoln Luton Macclesfield Maidstone Maldon Malvern Hills Mansfield Medina Medway Melton Mendip Mid Bedfordshire Mid Devon Mid Suffolk Mid Sussex Middlesbrough Milton Keynes Mole Valley New Forest Newark Newbury Newcastle-under-Lyme North Bedfordshire North Cornwall North Devon North Dorset North East Derbyshire North Hertfordshire North Kesteven North Norfolk North Shropshire North Warwickshire North West Leicestershire North Wiltshire North Wolds Northampton Northavon Norwich Nottingham Nuneaton Oadby and Wigston Oswestry Oxford Pendle Penwith Peterborough Plymouth Poole Portsmouth Preston Purbeck Reading Redditch Reigate and Banstead Restormel Ribble Valley Richmondshire Rochford Rossendale Rother Rugby Runnymede Rushcliffe Rushmoor Rutland Ryedale Salisbury Scarborough Scunthorpe Sedgefield Sedgemoor Selby Sevenoaks Shepway Shrewsbury and Atcham Slough South Bedfordshire South Cambridgeshire South Derbyshire South Hams South Herefordshire South Holland South Kesteven South Lakeland South Norfolk South Northamptonshire South Oxfordshire South Ribble South Shropshire South Staffordshire South Wight Southampton Southend-on-Sea Spelthorne St Albans St Edmundsbury Stafford Staffordshire Moorlands Stevenage Stockton-on-Tees Stoke-on-Trent Stratford-on-Avon Stroud Suffolk Coastal Surrey Heath Swale Tamworth Tandridge Taunton Deane Teesdale Teignbridge Tendring Test Valley Tewkesbury Thamesdown Thanet The Wrekin Three Rivers Thurrock Tonbridge and Malling Torbay Torridge Tunbridge Wells Tynedale Uttlesford Vale of White Horse Vale Royal Wansbeck Wansdyke Warrington Warwick Watford Waveney Waverley Wealden Wear Valley Wellingborough Welwyn Hatfield West Derbyshire West Devon West Dorset West Lancashire West Lindsey West Norfolk West Oxfordshire West Somerset West Wiltshire Weymouth and Portland Wimborne Winchester Windsor and Maidenhead Woking Wokingham Woodspring Worcester Worthing Wychavon Wycombe Wyre Wyre Forest Yeovil York
District councils (Wales)	Aberconwy Afan Alyn and Deeside Anglesey - Ynys Môn Arfon Blaenau Gwent Brecknock Cardiff Carmarthen Ceredigion Colwyn Cynon Valley Delyn Dinefwr Dwyfor Glyndŵr Islwyn Llanelli Lliw Valley Meirionnydd Merthyr Tydfil Monmouth Montgomery Neath Newport Ogwr Preseli Radnor Rhondda Rhuddlan Rhymney Valley South Pembrokeshire Swansea Taff-Ely Torfaen Vale of Glamorgan Wrexham Maelor
Referendums	Scottish devolution Welsh devolution
See also: UK General election European Parliament election

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