North Somerset Council election, 2007
Encyclopedia
The 2007 North Somerset Council election took place on 3 May 2007 to elect members of North Somerset
Unitary
Council in Somerset
, England
. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party
gained overall control of the council from no overall control
.
the council was controlled by a coalition between the Liberal Democrat and Labour
parties. Many of the swing wards
on the council were in Weston-super-Mare
, with a major issue in the town being the derelict Tropicana lido
. The high number of pensioners in the town and lack of things for young people to do in the new estates were also factors in the area.
s including Liberal Democrat Isabel Cummings in Yatton
after 15 years on the council and the Labour couple Derek and Muriel Kraft.
The election in Weston-super-Mare
North Worle
ward was delayed after the death of the Liberal Democrat leader of the council Alan Hockridge, meaning it was not held at the same as the other seats. The postponed election in North Worle as held on 7 June and all 3 seats were won by the Conservatives taking the party to 46 seats.
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
Unitary
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
Council in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
gained overall control of the council from no overall control
No overall control
Within the context of local councils of the United Kingdom, the term No Overall Control refers to a situation in which no single party achieves a majority of seats and is analogous to a hung parliament...
.
Background
Since the 2003 electionNorth Somerset Council election, 2003
The 2003 North Somerset Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of North Somerset Unitary Council in Somerset, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative Party lost overall control of the council to no overall control.-Election result:-Ward...
the council was controlled by a coalition between the Liberal Democrat and Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
parties. Many of the swing wards
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
on the council were in Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
, with a major issue in the town being the derelict Tropicana lido
Lido
The Lido is an 11 km long sandbar located in Venice, northern Italy, home to about 20,000 residents. The Venice Film Festival takes place at the Lido every September.-Geography:...
. The high number of pensioners in the town and lack of things for young people to do in the new estates were also factors in the area.
Election result
The results saw the Conservatives win a majority with 43 of the 61 seats contested. Both the Liberal Democrat and Labour parties suffered heavy losses, with the defeated councillorCouncillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s including Liberal Democrat Isabel Cummings in Yatton
Yatton
Yatton is a village and civil parish within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located south-west of Bristol. Its population in 2001 was 9,176...
after 15 years on the council and the Labour couple Derek and Muriel Kraft.
The election in Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
North Worle
Worle
Worle is a village in North Somerset that is now totally absorbed by the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. Despite this, Worle pre-dates Weston and was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. In the book, it is said that Worle was owned by Walter of Douai, and consisted of and valued at 6.5...
ward was delayed after the death of the Liberal Democrat leader of the council Alan Hockridge, meaning it was not held at the same as the other seats. The postponed election in North Worle as held on 7 June and all 3 seats were won by the Conservatives taking the party to 46 seats.