Worthing Council election, 2004
Encyclopedia
The 2004 Worthing Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of Worthing
District
Council in West Sussex
, England
. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election 2003
increasing the number of seats by 1. The Conservative party
gained overall control of the council from no overall control
. Overall turnout
was 38.23%.
The campaign saw a debate between the two main parties on the council over development in Worthing and the fate of the local swimming pool
Aquarina. The results saw the Conservatives make significant gains from the Liberal Democrats to take power in Worthing. The top Liberal Democrat to lose in the election was the leader of the council, Sheila Player, who came fourth in Selden ward
and failed to be elected as a result. The defeat for the Liberal Democrats was put down to anger over a warning that they might have to close the local museum
, art gallery
and swimming pool
to save money.
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
District
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
Council in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, 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 with boundary changes since the last election 2003
Worthing Council election, 2003
The 2003 Worthing Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Worthing District Council in West Sussex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to no overall control. Overall turnout was 28.61%.The...
increasing the number of seats by 1. 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...
. Overall turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 38.23%.
The campaign saw a debate between the two main parties on the council over development in Worthing and the fate of the local swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
Aquarina. The results saw the Conservatives make significant gains from the Liberal Democrats to take power in Worthing. The top Liberal Democrat to lose in the election was the leader of the council, Sheila Player, who came fourth in Selden ward
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:...
and failed to be elected as a result. The defeat for the Liberal Democrats was put down to anger over a warning that they might have to close the local museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
and swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
to save money.