General Election 2024
Notice of election – UKPGE General Election – North Dorset Constituency – 4 July 2024
The following elections took place on Thursday 2nd May 2024:
- Dorset Council elections for 82 member seats
- Elections for all 150+ parish and town councils across the Dorset Council area.
Please note that this is for a five-year term of office and that there are changes to some town/parish wards, which apply to Shaftesbury.
What’s Changing?
Shaftesbury Town Council previously had 12 councillors serving its residents, but this number rose to 15 for the May 2024 election due to an increase in the town’s population.
Based on the evidence available, Dorset Council considered that a community governance change would:
- help to better reflect the local identities and interests of the Shaftesbury community
- help to secure a more effective and convenient governance of the area.
Furthermore, the previous governance arrangements for the Grouped Parish Council did not achieve electoral equality, and it is the Government’s Guidance that “it is not in the interests of effective and convenient local government either for voters or councillors, to have significant difference in levels of representation between different parish wards”. Dorset Council therefore recommended a change to councillor numbers.
For more information about the Elections, please visit Dorset Council’s website
Please read the Notice of Poll Situation and Polling Station for Shaftesbury.
You can view the election results on Dorset Council’s website for Town Council, Dorset Council, and Police and Crime Commissioner.
Shaftesbury Town Council
Shaftesbury East Ward (8 seats)
Number of votes received per candidate (if elected, the word “ELECTED” appear against the number of votes:
| Candidate | Description (if any) | Number of votes |
|---|---|---|
| BROWN Piers Alexander David (commonly known as Piers Brown) | 322 ELECTED | |
| CHASE Alexander Edward | 442 ELECTED | |
| DIBBEN Lester Mark | 281 ELECTED | |
| MILES Stephen John | 215 | |
| SALKELD Jade | Independent | 386 ELECTED |
| SMITH Conor James (commonly known as Conor Smith) | Independent | 517 ELECTED |
| WILD Lorah | 325 ELECTED | |
| WILD-BRIDGES Joanna Dawn (commonly known as Jo Wild-Bridges) | 274 | |
| WILLIAMS Greg Andrew | 448 ELECTED | |
| YEO Peter David | Justice for Shaftesbury | 369 ELECTED |
| Reason | Number rejected |
|---|---|
| Want of an official mark | 0 |
| Voting for more candidates than voter was entitled to | 0 |
| Writing or mark by which voter could be identified | 0 |
| Being unmarked or wholly void for uncertainty | 24 |
| Rejected in part | 0 |
| Total | 24 |
Number of vacant seats, electorate, ballot papers issued and turnout:
- vacant seats: 8
- electorate: 3608
- ballot papers issued: 986
- turnout: 27.33%
Shaftesbury West Ward (7 seats)
Results for the uncontested election for Shaftesbury West Ward. The validly nominated candidates automatically become councillors on 7th May 2024 without a contest.
| Candidate | Description (if any) |
| BARRATT Elaine Cheryl | |
| EDWYN-JONES Virginia | |
| ELMENDORFF Justine Andrea | |
| HERITAGE Nigel Trevor Roblou | Independent |
| HOLLINGSHEAD Andrew Reginald | Independent |
| LOADER Jeanne Rose | |
| PHILPOTT Anne Jane |
Dorset Council
Shaftesbury Town Ward for Dorset Council – 2 seats
Number of votes received per candidate (if elected, the word “ELECTED” appear against the number of votes:
| Candidate | Description (if any) | Number of votes |
|---|---|---|
| BAVISTER Daniel (commonly known as Dan Bavister) | Labour Party | 233 |
| BEER Derek Leslie | Liberal Democrats | 1403 ELECTED |
| DIBBEN Lester Mark | 187 | |
| EDWYN-JONES Virginia Rhiannon (commonly known as Virginia Edwyn-Jones) | Local Conservatives | 558 |
| HOLLINGSHEAD Andrew Reginald | Independent | 529 |
| JEANES Jack David John | Liberal Democrats | 1008 ELECTED |
| TAYLOR Lester Geoffrey (commonly known as Lester Taylor) | Patriots Alliance – English Democrats and UKIP | 86 |
| UNWIN Steven James (commonly known as Steve Unwin) | Patriots Alliance – English Democrats and UKIP | 118 |
| VON CLEMENS Barry William (commonly known as Barry Von Clemens) | Local Conservatives | 269 |
| Reason | Number rejected |
|---|---|
| Want of an official mark | 0 |
| Voting for more candidates than voter was entitled to | 0 |
| Writing or mark by which voter could be identified | 0 |
| Being unmarked or wholly void for uncertainty | 16 |
| Rejected in part | 0 |
| Total | 16 |
Number of vacant seats, electorate, ballot papers issued and turnout:
- vacant seats: 2
- electorate: 6835
- ballot papers issued: 2351
- turnout: 34.40%
Police and Crime Commissioner
Overall combined result (for the Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council areas)
The total number of votes given for each of the candidates are as follows (if elected, the word “ELECTED” appear against the number of votes:):
| Candidate | Description (if any) | Number of votes |
|---|---|---|
| LEGG Howard Richard | Liberal Democrats | 34774 |
| SIDWICK David John | Conservative Candidate – More Police, Safer Streets | 57994 ELECTED |
| STOKES David | Labour and Co-operative Party | 26884 |
| STOREY Marianne | Independent | 32237 |
The total number of ballot papers rejected was: 2550
| Number of ballot papers | Reason |
|---|---|
| 0 | ballot papers were rejected because they did not bear the official mark |
| 254 | ballot papers were rejected because there was more than one vote given |
| 13 | ballot papers were rejected because there was something written or marked on the ballot paper by which the voter could be identified |
| 1270 | ballot papers were rejected because they were unmarked |
| 1013 | ballot papers were rejected because they were void for uncertainty |
The total number of ballot papers verified: 154436
The turnout in this police area at this election: 25.96%