1970 – 7th May – Kenilworth Urban District Council – Election

Abbey Ward (3 seats)

*E. Thomas EvansConservative Party657
*Ronald StansfieldConservative Party609
*Joan SalkeldConservative Party570
David WaltersLabour Party299
Mrs D. DaviesLabour Party292
Reginald SmithLabour Party283

43.5% Turnout

Windy Arbour Ward (3 seats)

*Florence AdcockConservative Party1020
*Derek MooreConservative Party949
Thomas RobinsonConservative Party923
Haydn ThomasLiberal Party461

48% Turnout

Borrowell Ward (3 seats)

*Kenneth RawnsleyConservative Party823
Helen DoreLiberal Party530
J. WilesConservative Party504
Kenneth HogarthConservative Party496
Peter ThompsonLiberal Party434
Mrs E. TwymanLiberal Party380

50% Turnout

Castle Ward (3 seats)

*Leonard SmalleyConservative Party740
*Bill WhitemanConservative Party657
D. CharltonConservative Party644
Dora GreenwayLiberal Party392
Ronald ScottLiberal Party369
Mrs P. SmithLiberal Party368

41.5% Turnout

St John’s Ward (3 seats)

*Chris WebsterLabour Party596
*Jack CoxConservative Party552
Thomas LitterickLabour Party521
William WozencroftLabour Party491
Eric Bernard SmithConservative Party453
Robert ButlerLiberal Party438
S. PerryConservative Party415

56% Turnout

Park Hill Ward (3 seats)

*Harry PottsConservative Party771
*Bernice GardnerConservative Party754
*Spencer HarrisonConservative Party716
William ClarkeLabour Party317
Kenneth BeardLabour Party307

43% Turnout

*denotes retiring member

STILL A TORY STRONGHOLD

Although their majority dropped from 16 to 13, Kenilworth still holds a strong Tory electorate.

Labour only stood in three wards but managed to get two candidates elected, both in St. John’s. Chris Webster, who had been on the council since 1964, was the only non-Tory and chairman for the previous 12 months. A bench close to the ford is dedicated in his memory, along with his wife Irene.

Thomas Litterick of Quarry Road, was the other labour candidate elected. He was just beginning his political career, which would eventually take him as far as the House of Commons. He became MP for Selly Oak in Birmingham at the October 1974 general election. This made him the only Kenilworth resident to ever become an MP.

With restructuring of local government looming, this turned out to be the last ever KUDC election.

KUDC Councillors

15 Conservative Party (H Potts, S. Harrison, J. Cox, L. Smalley, B. Whiteman, D. Charlton, J. Wiles, K. Rawnsley, E. Evans, R. Stansfield, Bernice Gardner, Joan Salkeld, Florence Adcock, D. Moore, T. Robinson)

2 Labour Party (T. Litterick, C. Webster)

1 Liberal Party (Helen Dore)

Chairman 1970-74

1970-71 Joan Salkeld

1971-72 Ronald Stansfield

1972-73 Derek Moore

1973-74 Kenneth Hogarth

Chairmans Chain of Office – Courtesy of Warwickshire County Records Office. (ref. PH (N) 600/147/3)

1971 – 1st July – Kenilworth Urban District Council – By Election

Park Hill Ward

Kenneth HogarthConservative Party533
Jan MokrzyckiLiberal Party337
William ClarkeLabour Party322

46% Turnout

HOGARTH RETAINS SEAT FOR TORIES

A vacancy became available following the resignation of conservative, Bernice Gardner who had been on the council since 1967. Three candidates put themselves forward.

The Tories chose Kenneth Hogarth of 12a Brookside Ave. He is the Chief Sales Executive of the Post Office Telephones, for the Coventry area.

William John Clarke of Crackley Hill stood for the Labour party. His occupation is an Instructional Officier for the Department of Employment at a training centre in Coventry.

The Liberals put forward Mr. Jan Mokrzycki of Windy Arbour. He runs his own dental practice in Coventry.

All three candidates have contested KUDC elections before without success. Kenneth Hogarth would go on to become the chairman of the the KUDC and later the Mayor of Kenilworth Town Council.

1974 – The End of Kenilworth Urban District Council

URBAN DISTRICTS ARE NO MORE

A directive by the Local Government (Successor Parishes) Order 1973, which had been laid before parliament, came into effect on 6th July 1973. This had been followed by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, the body established under the Local Government Act 1972 to agree boundaries, names and electoral arrangements of the non-metropolitan districts, which came into existence in 1974.

The final meeting of the (temporary) Kenilworth Parish Council, took place on the 26th March 1974 at the castle gatehouse.

The final meeting took place at the castle gatehouse

Members Present

Chairman – Kenneth Hogarth

Florence Adcock, D. Charlton, J. Cox, Helen Dore, E. Evans, S. Harrison, T. Litterick, D. Moore, H. Potts, K. Rawnsley, T. Robinson, Joan Salkeld, C. Webster, L. Wiles.

Absent: R. Stansfield, H, Whiteman

Dr. Leonard Smalley (1898-1974)

The chairman referred to the recent death of Mr. Smalley, M.B.E. who had given tremendous service to the council over 40 years, having been first elected in 1934. The members stood in silence as a mark of respect.

The short stretch of road between the town clock and Barrowfield Lane, along which, Jubilee House stands (the home of the present Town Council), was named in his memory.

The minutes of the final meeting were signed-off by the chairman, Kenneth Hogarth on 3rd April 1974.

So, the Kenilworth Urban District Council was no more, and the new era of the Kenilworth Town Council (and WDC) was just beginning……..