Elections to Essex County Council took place on 4 May 2017 as part of the 2017 local elections. All 75 councillors were elected from 70 electoral divisions, which each returned either one or two councillors by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office.
The electoral divisions were the same as those used at the previous elections in 2009 and 2013. No elections were held in Thurrock or Southend-on-Sea, which are unitary authorities outside the area covered by the County Council.
Previous composition 2013 election Party Seats 42 9 9 9 2 1 1 1 1Total75
Composition of council seats before election Party Seats 44 9 8 6 2 1 1 1 1 1Vacant 1Total75
Changes between elections
In between the 2013 election and the 2017 election, the following council seats changed hands:
Division Date Previous Party New Party Cause Resulting Council Composition Con UKIP Lab LDem Grn TF LRes CInd Ind R4U HRABrightlingsea9 October 2014 UKIP incumbent resigned. Conservatives won by-election. 43 8 9 9 2 1 1 1 1 0 0Saffron Walden14 October 2014 New Party Formed. 43 8 9 9 2 1 1 1 0 1 0Basildon Westley Heights16 December 2014 Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. 43 7 9 9 2 1 1 1 1 1 0Bocking5 March 2015 Sitting councillor died. Conservatives won by-election. 44 6 9 9 2 1 1 1 1 1 0Tendring Rural East23 March 2016 Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. 44 5 9 9 2 1 1 1 2 1 0Clacton East31 March 2016 Tendring First incumbent resigned. Holland-on-Sea Residents won by-election. 44 5 9 9 2 0 1 1 2 1 1Laindon Park and Fryerns9 June 2016 Sitting councillor died. UKIP won by-election. 44 6 8 9 2 0 1 1 2 1 1Tendring Rural East28 July 2016 Sitting councillor joined Conservatives. 45 6 8 9 2 0 1 1 1 1 1Halstead5 December 2016 Sitting councillor died.No by-election was held as the death was sufficiently close to the upcoming County election. 44 6 8 9 2 0 1 1 1 1 1
Summary The election saw the Conservative Party retained overall control of the council, with an increased majority.
Results
|-bgcolor=#F6F6F6 | colspan=2 style="text-align: right; margin-right: 1em" | Total | style="text-align: right;" | 75 | colspan=5 | | style="text-align: right;" | 372,834 | style="text-align: right;" |
Election of Group Leaders
David Finch (Hedingham) was re elected leader of the Conservative Group, with Kevin Bentley (Stanway and Pyefleet) as his deputy.
Michael Mackrory (Springfield) was re elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Group, with Anne Turrell (Mile End and Highwoods) as his deputy.
Ivan Henderson (Harwich) was re elected leader of the Labour Group, with Julie Young (Wivenhoe St Andrew) as his deputy.
Chris Pond (Loughton Central) was elected leader of the Non-Aligned Group with James Abbott (Witham Northern) as his deputy.
Election of Leader of the Council
David Finch the leader of the Conservative group was duly elected leader of the council and formed a Conservative administration.
Results by District Basildon
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 6 3 31,454 49.0 +16.8Labour 2 1 13,569 21.1 −2.5Independent 1 1 6,299 9.8 +7.8UKIP 0 3 8,327 13.0 −20.4Liberal Democrat 0 2,562 5.5 +0.3Green 0 701 1.1−1.6
Division Results
Between 2013 and 2017, UKIP gained the Labour seat in a by-election, however it is shown as a hold as the comparison is made to the last full council election.
Braintree
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 7 1 18,704 54.8 +17.0Green 1 3,527 10.3+2.2Labour 0 6,264 18.3 −3.4UKIP 0 1 2,851 8.3 −19.0Liberal Democrat 0 2,792 8.2 +3.7
Division Results
Brentwood
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 2 10,303 53.0 +16.3Liberal Democrat 2 6,042 31.1 +5.7Labour 0 1,690 8.7 −0.4Green 0 713 3.7+0.7UKIP 0 694 3.6 −22.1
Division Results
Castle Point
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 3 1 10,990 54.2 +20.8CIIP 2 1 3,654 18.0 +3.5Labour 0 2,635 13.0 −0.4UKIP 0 2 2,286 11.3 −22.4Liberal Democrat 0 506 2.5 +0.9Green 0 214 1.1−0.2
Division Results
Chelmsford
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 6 20,220 44.0 +11.4Liberal Democrat 3 11,817 25.7 +6.4Labour 0 4,058 8.8 −1.6UKIP 0 2,235 4.9 −18.5Independent 0 1,786 3.9+2.0Green 0 1,372 3.0-0.7
Division Results
Colchester
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 4 18,568 42.3 +12.8Labour 3 1 9,078 20.7 +0.8Liberal Democrat 2 1 10,646 24.2 +2.7Green 0 2,402 5.5 −1.2UKIP 0 1,869 4.3 −16.2Independent 0 1,373 3.1 New
Division Results
Epping Forest
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 6 1 15,695 55.1 +19.1Loughton Residents 1 2,824 9.9 −3.4Liberal Democrat 0 1 4,445 15.6 +5.7Labour 0 3,071 10.8 +2.3Green 0 1,418 5.0 +0.7UKIP 0 994 3.5 −23.2English Democrat 0 58 0.2 −0.2
Division Results
Harlow
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 4 3 12,722 50.5 +23.9Labour 0 3 10,303 40.9+4.4Liberal Democrat 0 1,217 4.8+1.2Green 0 966 3.8+0.9
Division Results
Maldon
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 3 8,400 53.7 +9.2Labour 0 1,753 11.2 −3.6UKIP 0 1,514 9.7−19.8Independent01,4989.6NewLiberal Democrat 0 1,210 7.7NewGreen 0 731 4.7−3.8BNP 0 537 3.4+0.6
Division Results
Rochford
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 5 2 10,073 46.7+11.7UKIP 0 1 2,700 12.5−15.7Labour 0 2,318 10.7−2.4Liberal Democrat 0 2,275 10.5−0.8Green 0 1 1,996 9.2+0.4Rochford Residents 0 1,400 6.5NewRayleigh Independents06553.0NewIndependent01730.8New
Division Results
Tendring
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 6 2 16,888 46.2 +15.7Labour 1 7,024 19.2 +2.8Independent 1 1 1,906 5.2 NewUKIP 0 2 5,361 14.7 −14.3Liberal Democrat 0 2,734 7.5 −0.4Tendring First 0 1 1,332 3.6 −8.5Green 0 1,272 3.5 +0.3
Division Results
Between 2013 and 2017, the seat was won by the Independent candidate in a by-election, however it is shown as a gain as it is compared to the previous full council election.
The Conservative candidate was elected previously as a UKIP candidate and subsequently switched their party affiliation. The seat is therefore shown as a gain.
Uttlesford
District Summary
PartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 4 1 10,884 45.6 +2.9Residents for Uttlesford 0 1 5,231 21.9 +11.9Liberal Democrat 0 4,278 17.9 +1.3Labour 0 1,707 7.1 −1.1UKIP 0 965 4.0 −14.0Green 0 815 3.4 −1.0
Division Results
By-elections Summary
By-election Date Incumbent party Winning partyClacton East3 October 2019
Results Clacton East
Stephenson's vote share change is compared to the 2017 result when he stood as a UKIP candidate.
References