Wyre Forest District Council election, 2002

Map of the results of the 2002 Wyre Forest District Council election. Health Concern in pink, Conservatives in blue, Liberal in olive and Labour in red. Wards in grey were not contested in 2002.

The 2002 Wyre Forest District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Wyre Forest District Council in Worcestershire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.^[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

• Health Concern 21
• Conservative 6
• Labour 5
• Liberal 5
• Liberal Democrats 2
• Independent 2
• Vacant 1^[2]

Campaign

Before the election the council was run by a coalition of Health Concern, Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Liberal councillors.^[3] 14 seats were initially expected to be contested with the Conservatives unopposed in Chaddesley ward.^[3] However in mid April the defending Liberal Democrat councillor for Sutton Park, Steve Roberts, died meaning that the election in that ward was postponed until a by-election could be held.^[4] With Labour defending 6 of the seats which were being contested there was an expectation that the Health Concern group could gain a majority on the council.^[3][5] Since the last election in 2000, Richard Taylor from Health Concern had gained the parliamentary constituency from Labour in the 2001 general election.^[6]

The issue of the downgrading of the local Kidderminster hospital, which had dominated the last two council election, continued to remain a significant theme of the campaign.^[5][7] Another issue which was raised in the campaign was concern over plans to establish a new incinerator in Kidderminster,^[7] which was opposed by all the parties contesting the election.^[5]

Election result

The results saw the Health Concern party gain control of the council after making a net gain of five seats.^[6][8] This meant that Health Concern had 21 seats,^[9] 15 more than any other party.^[6] They thus had control of the council on the chairman's casting vote.^[10]

The gains for Health Concern were mainly at the expense of Labour who lost five seats, with the Liberal Democrats also losing a seat.^[6] However both the Conservative and Liberal parties gained one seat each.^[6] Overall turnout at the election was 32%.^[10]

Ward results

By-elections between 2002 and 2003

A by-election was held in Sutton Park on 13 June 2002 after the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Roberts.^[24] The seat was gained for the Conservatives by Marcus Hart with a majority of 77 votes over Health Concern candidate Jennifer Harrison.^[24] This meant Health Concern no longer had a majority on the council, but continued to run the council with the casting vote of the council chairman, as they had 21 of the 42 seats on the council.^[24]

References

Council elections in Worcestershire Worcestershire County Council 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 Bromsgrove District Council 1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Malvern Hills District Council 1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Redditch Borough Council 1973 1976 1979 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 Worcester City Council 1973 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 Wychavon District Council 1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 Wyre Forest District Council 1973 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015

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