2003 West Somerset District Council election
# 2003 West Somerset District Council election

The 2003 West Somerset District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of West Somerset District Council in Somerset, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.

## Election result

West Somerset local election result 2003 :

| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Conservative | 18 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 58.1 | 42.1 | 7,157 | -1.9% |
| Independent | 9 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 29.0 | 29.2 | 4,959 | +15.9% |
| Labour | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.5 | 16.7 | 2,837 | -8.9% |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 6.5 | 10.7 | 1,823 | -5.6% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 | 217 | +1.3% |

5 Conservatives, 2 independents and 1 Liberal Democrat were unopposed at the election. One of the independent councillors, Michael Gammon, took the Conservative whip.

## Ward results

Alcombe East (2) :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Jamie Anderson | 265 | | |
| | Conservative | Nicolas Messarra | 262 | | |
| | Labour | Valerie Welch | 138 | | |
| | Labour | Marcus Kravis | 108 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 773 | 20.9 | -3.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

Alcombe West (2) :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Simon Stokes | 379 | | |
| | Labour | Ivor Gibbon | 368 | | |
| | Conservative | John Hickman | 285 | | |
| | Conservative | Pamela Hawkins | 248 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,280 | 34.8 | -4.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

Aville Vale :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Roger Webber | 361 | 78.5 |
| | Independent | Andrew Kelsey | 98 | 21.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 263 | 57.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 459 | 49.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

Brompton Ralph and Haddon :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Independent | David Gliddon | 203 | 60.2 | -23.6 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Day | 134 | 39.8 | +39.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 69 | 20.5 | -47.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 337 | 44.9 | +6.3 |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

Carhampton and Withycombe :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Humber | unopposed | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

Crowcombe and Stogumber :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Vivian Brewer | unopposed | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

Dulverton and Brushford (2) :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Independent | Keith Ross | 718 | |
| | Independent | Michael Gammon | 650 | |
| | Labour | Susan Gibb | 172 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,540 | 52.5 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |

Dunster :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Bryan Leaker | 207 | 60.2 | +10.8 |
| | Independent | John Walker | 72 | 20.9 | -29.7 |
| | Labour | John Dore | 65 | 18.9 | +18.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 135 | 39.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 344 | 50.4 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | | |

Exmoor :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Steven Pugsley | unopposed | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

Minehead North (3) :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Christine Lawrence | 551 | | |
| | Conservative | Ann Foxhuntley | 428 | | |
| | Conservative | Keith Parkes | 428 | | |
| | Labour | David Ross | 356 | | |
| | Labour | John McGee | 324 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Jenkins | 207 | | |
| | Labour | Thomas Welch | 207 | | |
| | UKIP | Marilyn Berrey | 150 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,651 | 37.5 | -1.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

Minehead South (3) :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martyn Snell | 621 | | |
| | Conservative | Terry Venner | 608 | | |
| | Conservative | Colin Hill | 590 | | |
| | Conservative | Ernest Taylor | 514 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Galloway | 480 | | |
| | Labour | Ian Grady | 306 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,119 | 41.2 | -12.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

Old Cleeve (2) :

| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| - | - | - |
| Conservative | Pamela Driver | unopposed |
| Independent | John Nethercott | unopposed |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |

Porlock and District (2) :

| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| - | - | - |
| Conservative | Michael Padgett | unopposed |
| Conservative | Angela Palmer | unopposed |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |

Quantock Vale (2) :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Terence Ayre | 449 | |
| | Conservative | Mary Crowley | 364 | |
| | Independent | Keith Turpin | 353 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,166 | 41.8 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | |

Quarme :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Independent | Frederick Rawle | unopposed | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |

Watchet (3) :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Anthony Knight | 555 | | |
| | Independent | Jennifer Hill | 464 | | |
| | Independent | David Banks | 438 | | |
| | Labour | Adrian Rowe | 414 | | |
| | Independent | Sally De Renzy-Martin | 389 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Bowden | 348 | | |
| | Conservative | Loretta Whetlor | 288 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emily Booker | 167 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,063 | 41.6 | +5.7 |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |

West Quantock :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Barbara Child | 302 | 56.2 |
| | Independent | Jim Laflin | 235 | 43.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 67 | 12.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 537 | 53.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

Williton (2) :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Independent | Hugh Davies | 707 | | |
| | Independent | Edwin May | 361 | | |
| | Independent | John Holden | 271 | | |
| | Conservative | David Wilson | 164 | | |
| | Conservative | Rosemary Woods | 154 | | |
| | UKIP | Kenneth Matthews | 67 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,724 | 45.9 | +4.4 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

## By-elections between 2003 and 2007

Old Cleeve By-election 7 July 2005 :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Independent | Jessica Griffith | 468 | 72.7 |
| | Conservative | Roy Harbour | 136 | 21.1 |
| | Labour | John Garland | 40 | 6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 332 | 51.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 644 | 35.0 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
