Forest Heath District Council elections

Forest Heath District Council in Suffolk, England was elected every four years. between the last boundary changes in 2003 and the final elections in 2015, 27 councillors were elected from 14 wards.^[1] The council was abolished in 2019, with the area becoming part of West Suffolk.

Political control

From the first election to the council in 1973 until its abolition in 2019, political control of the council was held by the following parties:^[2]

Party in control		Years
	Conservative	1973–1976
	No overall control	1976–1979
	Conservative	1979–1983
	No overall control	1983–1987
	Conservative	1987–1991
	No overall control	1991–1999
	Conservative	1999–2019

Leadership

The leaders of the council from 1995 until 2019 were:^[3]

Councillor		From	To
Adrian Rogers^[4]	Liberal Democrats	May 1995	May 1997
Paul Dwane^[5]	Labour	5 Jun 1997	9 May 1999
Geoffrey Jaggard^[6]	Conservative	1999	25 May 2011
James Waters	Conservative	25 May 2011	31 Mar 2019

James Waters served as leader of the West Suffolk shadow authority prior to the new council coming into effect in 2019, but he was unsuccessful in securing a seat at the first election to the new council.

Council elections

1973 Forest Heath District Council election
1976 Forest Heath District Council election
1979 Forest Heath District Council election (New ward boundaries)^[7]
1983 Forest Heath District Council election
1987 Forest Heath District Council election
1991 Forest Heath District Council election (District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)^[8]
1995 Forest Heath District Council election (District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)^[9]
1999 Forest Heath District Council election
2003 Forest Heath District Council election (New ward boundaries increased the number of seats by 2)^[10]^[11]
2007 Forest Heath District Council election
2011 Forest Heath District Council election
2015 Forest Heath District Council election

By-election results

1995-1999

The Rows By-Election 6 March 1997
Party		Votes	%
	Independent	273	38.7
	Conservative	245	34.7
	Labour	188	26.6
Majority		28	4.0
Turnout		706	27.3
	Independent hold	Swing

St Marys By-Election 24 September 1998
Party		Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	444	58.6	+13.6
	Labour	272	35.9	-3.5
	Liberal Democrats	42	5.5	-10.1
Majority		172	22.7
Turnout		758	25.3
	Conservative hold	Swing

2003-2007

Manor By-Election 28 October 2004^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Susan Syvret	269	66.9	+41.0
	Independent		133	33.1	-10.1
Majority			136	33.8
Turnout			402	32.8
	Conservative gain from Independent		Swing

South By-Election 5 May 2005^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Roger Dicker	564	59.7
	Independent	Brian Gray	381	40.3
Majority			183	19.4
Turnout			945	75.9
	Conservative hold		Swing

Red Lodge By-Election 15 December 2005^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Julie Middleton	173	55.3	+55.3
	Conservative	Stuart Hastings	111	35.5	-20.3
	UKIP	David Whitear	29	9.3	+9.3
Majority			62	19.8
Turnout			313	26.0
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing

2007-2011

Manor By-Election 22 November 2007^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Timothy Huggan	281	53.6
	Conservative	Brian Harvey	211	40.3
	UKIP	David Chandler	32	6.1
Majority			70	13.3
Turnout			524	41.3
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing

Red Lodge By-Election 5 June 2008^[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Albert McCloud	321	55.9
	Conservative	Alnoor Hirji	230	40.1
	UKIP	David Chandler	23	4.0
Majority			91	15.8
Turnout			574	38.0
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing

Eriswell & the Rows By-Election 22 October 2009^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Waters	400	45.8	-24.4
	Liberal Democrats	John Smith	346	39.6	+39.6
	UKIP	David Chandler	128	14.6	-15.2
Majority			54	6.2
Turnout			874
	Conservative hold		Swing

2011-2015

Exning By-Election 11 July 2013^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Simon Cole	263	64.1	+64.1
	Conservative	Marion Fairman-Smith	147	35.9	-8.0
Majority			116	28.2
Turnout			410
	Independent gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Market By-Election 19 December 2013^[19]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Bloodworth	266	50.3	-19.9
	UKIP	David Chandler	263	49.7	+49.7
Majority			3	0.6
Turnout			529
	Conservative hold		Swing

2015-2019

Brandon West By-Election 5 May 2016^[20]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	WSI	Victor Lukaniuk	220	29.0	-15.4
	UKIP	Ian Smith	197	26.0	+26.0
	Independent	Edward Stewart	180	23.7	+23.7
	Conservative	Anthony Simmons	161	21.2	-34.4
Majority			23	3.0
Turnout			758
	WSI gain from Conservative		Swing

South By-Election 5 May 2016^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UKIP	Roger Dicker	334	51.9	+51.9
	Conservative	Karen Soons	309	48.1	-17.8
Majority			25	3.8
Turnout			643
	UKIP gain from Conservative		Swing

St Mary's By-Election 17 August 2017^[22]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Nobbs	338	50.1	+10.7
	Labour	Michael Jefferys	276	40.9	+8.8
	Green	Alice Haylock	60	8.9	+8.9
Majority			62	9.2
Turnout			674
	Conservative hold		Swing

References

^ "Your Council". Forest Heath District Council. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
^ "Forest Heath". BBC News Online. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
^ "Council minutes". West Suffolk Council. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
^ "Disappointed Shirley stopped from being chairman of council". Newmarket Journal. 25 May 1995. p. 6. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
^ "Council leader elected after second ballot". Newmarket Journal. 12 June 1997. p. 4. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
^ "District Council elects new leaders". Newmarket Journal. 3 June 1999. p. 5. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
^ legislation.gov.uk - The District of Forest Heath (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.
^ legislation.gov.uk - The Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk (County Boundaries) Order 1990. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
^ legislation.gov.uk - The Cambridgeshire and Suffolk (County Boundaries) Order 1992. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.
^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
^ legislation.gov.uk - The District of Forest Heath (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
^ "Labour edges ahead in byelections". guardian.co.uk. 29 October 2004. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
^ "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Forest Heath District Council. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
^ "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Forest Heath District Council. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
^ "Lib Dem by-elections bounce blow for Tories". WalesOnline. 23 November 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
^ "Lib Dems win Red Lodge seat". Newmarket Journal. 11 June 2008.
^ "New councillor at Forest Heath". East Anglian Daily Times. 24 October 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Exning Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Market Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Brandon West Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — South Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
^ "Local Elections Archive Project — St Mary's Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.

By-election results Archived 29 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine

External links

Forest Heath Council

[council-1] "Your Council". Forest Heath District Council. Retrieved 24 October 2009.

[hold-2] "Forest Heath". BBC News Online. Retrieved 24 October 2009.

[3] "Council minutes". West Suffolk Council. Retrieved 22 June 2022.

[4] "Disappointed Shirley stopped from being chairman of council". Newmarket Journal. 25 May 1995. p. 6. Retrieved 22 June 2022.

[5] "Council leader elected after second ballot". Newmarket Journal. 12 June 1997. p. 4. Retrieved 22 June 2022.

[6] "District Council elects new leaders". Newmarket Journal. 3 June 1999. p. 5. Retrieved 22 June 2022.

[7] slation.gov.uk - The District of Forest Heath (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1978. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.

[8] slation.gov.uk - The Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk (County Boundaries) Order 1990. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.

[9] slation.gov.uk - The Cambridgeshire and Suffolk (County Boundaries) Order 1992. Retrieved on 5 November 2015.

[composition-10] "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 24 October 2009.

[11] slation.gov.uk - The District of Forest Heath (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.

[edges-12] "Labour edges ahead in byelections". guardian.co.uk. 29 October 2004. Retrieved 24 October 2009.

[south-13] "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Forest Heath District Council. Retrieved 24 October 2009.

[red-14] "Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Forest Heath District Council. Retrieved 24 October 2009.

[bounce-15] "Lib Dem by-elections bounce blow for Tories". WalesOnline. 23 November 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2009.

[lodge-16] "Lib Dems win Red Lodge seat". Newmarket Journal. 11 June 2008.

[new-17] "New councillor at Forest Heath". East Anglian Daily Times. 24 October 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2009.

[18] "Local Elections Archive Project — Exning Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.

[19] "Local Elections Archive Project — Market Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.

[20] "Local Elections Archive Project — Brandon West Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.

[21] "Local Elections Archive Project — South Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.

[22] "Local Elections Archive Project — St Mary's Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2024.

v t e Council elections in Suffolk
Suffolk County Council	1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
Babergh District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
East Suffolk District Council	2019 2023
Ipswich 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 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Mid Suffolk District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
West Suffolk District Council	2019 2023
East Suffolk 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 Abolished
Forest Heath District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Abolished
St Edmundsbury Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Abolished
Suffolk Coastal District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Abolished
Waveney District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2015 Abolished
West Suffolk 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 Abolished
See also: Wards Boundary changes