2011 – 5th May – Kenilworth Town Council Elections

Abbey (5 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
*Michael Francis Coker	Conservative	1526
*George Reginald Illingworth	Conservative	1417
Katherine Sara Dickson	Lib-Dems	1386
*Patrick Joseph Ryan	Lib-Dems	1339
John Anthony Cooke	Conservative	1335
Susan McGowan	Lib-Dems	1241
Andrew John Guy Garsed	Conservative	1234
Rowena Ann Hill	Conservative	1227

Registered Voters 5099

Ballot Papers Issued 2935 (134 spoilt)

Turnout 57.6%

Park Hill (6 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
*Dave John Shilton	Conservative	2036
*Felicity Gena Bunker	Conservative	1898
*Andrew James Mobbs	Conservative	1808
Shirley Beatrice Shilton	Conservative	1711
Michael Charles Hitchins	Conservative	1638
Mark Vivian Lewis	Conservative	1631
Alison Rita Margaret Tyler	Lib-Dems	1271
Mary Latham Harrison	Lib-Dems	1228
Andrew Christopher Tulloch	Lib-Dems	1185

Registered Voters 6397

Ballot Papers Issued 3432 (164 spoilt)

Turnout 53.6%

St John’s (6 seats)

Candidate	Party	Votes
*Alan James Cockburn	Conservative	1712
Erica Davies	Conservative	1677
*Pauline Winifred Edwards	Conservative	1629
*Richard Ivor Davies	Conservative	1614
John Stephen Dagg	Conservative	1550
*Norman John Vincent	Conservative	1546
Gillian Ann Palmer	Lib-Dems	1167
Richard Guy Dickson	Lib-Dems	1146
Ian Malcolm Fenwick	Lib-Dems	990

Registered Voters 5808

Ballot Papers Issued 3122 (151 spoilt)

Turnout 53.7%

TORIES CONSOLIDATE

The Conservatives retained their majority of 13, from the 2007 election. The only change being seven new councillors, including two married couples.

Tory, John Cooke returns to the town council after 20 long years, he had previously served from 1979 to 1991. New to the Tories is John Dagg, who was easily elected in St. John’s.

The Lib-Dems have a new face on the council, Katherine Dickson, who was elected in Abbey ward along with veteran Pat Ryan, who retained his seat. He had been on the council for the past eight years.

Spoilt Papers Galore

A not so good statistic of the election was the amount of spoilt ballot papers. Each ward having over 100, totalling 449 in all, a record by a long way. The official reasons given for the spoilt papers were: ‘being un-marked’, ‘wholly void for uncertainty’ or for ‘voting for too many candidates’. However, it has to be noted that the Labour party did not put forward any candidates in the election, which probably resulted in some sort of ‘protest vote’ from their supporters.

Lib-Dem, John Whitehouse, WCC member for Abbey ward, said that he found it very interesting that the Lib-Dems called for a smaller town council, and then people voted for fewer councillors than the number they were allowed to vote for on their ballot paper.

Spencer Harrison

Veteran Councillor Spencer Harrision, after a short illness, died on the 23rd December 2010, he was 85. He had been first elected to the town council in 1983, and a member (on-and-off) for a total of 19 years. He also had the distinction of being a ‘Triple’ Mayor.

Arrival of Jubilee House

In late 2011, the council held its last meeting at Southbank Road (Wilton House) before moving to the newly built Jubilee House, in Smalley Place. It had been their home since 1946.

Kenilworth Town Councillors

15 Conservatives (D. Shilton, S. Shilton, E. Davies, R. Davies, A. Cockburn, P. Edwards, J. Dagg, N. Vincent, M. Lewis, M. Hitchins, F. Bunker, A. Mobbs, M. Coker, J. Cooke, G. Illingworth)

2 Lib-Dems (K. Dickson, P. Ryan)

Mayors