Lewes Council - Wards and Councillors

District council · South East · 41 seats in 21 wards · All seats elected every four years · Next election 6 May 2027

Lewes Council is run by a Green / Labour coalition. The council has 41 councillors in 21 wards. Seats by party: Green 18, Lib Dem 14, Labour 7, Other 2. The next election is on 6 May 2027.

A government plan to replace the councils in this area with two unitary councils was paused for review on 7 September 2026. Elections due in May 2027 will go ahead on existing council boundaries. Source

Control

Seats by party

Green / Labour Coalition

41 seats - 21 for a majority

Labour 7Lib Dem 14Green 18Other 2

Seat changes since the 4 May 2023 election Other +2 Green +1 Lib Dem −1 Labour −2

Vote share at the 4 May 2023 election (41 seats, all wards)

ShareSeats won

Green29.7%17

Lib Dem27.1%15

Conservative24.6%0

Labour14.7%9

Other3.4%0

Reform0.4%0

Next election

6 May 2027

all 41 seats up, then every four years

Largest party

Green 18

3 short of the 21 needed for a majority

Closest result

Ditchling & Westmeston

Lib Dem won by 12 votes over Green, 4 May 2023

Latest by-election

Newhaven South

Lib Dem hold, 7 May 2026 (4 since 2021)

Constituencies

3 overlap

2024Now

Voted Leave in 2016

48%

GB 52%

Wards

Who holds each ward

LabourLib DemGreen

Coloured by the party holding most of the ward's seats today; where seats are split evenly, by the party with the higher share at the last election.

All 21 wards

Councillors and last results

Select a ward for its full results, candidates and last by-election.

Ward and councillors	Last election
Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey Mark Slater, Joa Saunders	4 May 2023 Green 51.5% lead 15.8 pts
Ditchling & Westmeston Paul Mellor	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 34.3% lead 1.1 pts
East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs Laurence O'Connor, Ian Alexander, Christine Robinson	4 May 2023 Labour 52.7% lead 27.7 pts
Kingston Stella Spiteri	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 47.5% lead 11.6 pts
Lewes Bridge Janet Baah, Zoe Nicholson	4 May 2023 Green 42.8% lead 4.9 pts
Lewes Castle Nick Kortalla-Bird, Wendy Maples	4 May 2023 Green 42.8% lead 7.6 pts
Lewes Priory Paul Keene, Graham Clews, Imogen Makepeace	4 May 2023 Green 48.3% lead 20.9 pts
Newhaven North Corina Watts, Julie Carr	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 42.2% lead 18.8 pts
Newhaven South James Harrison, Jo Pettitt, Graham Amy	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 40.4% lead 20.0 pts
Newick Charlotte Keenan	4 May 2023 Green 56.5% lead 20.8 pts
Ouse Valley & Ringmer Johnny Denis, Emily O'Brien, Lucy Agace	4 May 2023 Green 53.1% lead 23.8 pts
Peacehaven East Paul Davies, Cathy Gallagher	4 May 2023 Labour 53.6% lead 19.1 pts
Peacehaven North Isobel Sharkey, Ciarron Clarkson	4 May 2023 Labour 51.0% lead 13.4 pts
Peacehaven West Nikki Fabry, Chris Collier	4 May 2023 Labour 55.1% lead 23.9 pts
Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington & St John Daniel Stewart-Roberts	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 66.6% lead 43.5 pts
Seaford Central Stephen Gauntlett, Freddie Hoareau	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 41.4% lead 14.5 pts
Seaford East Ezra Cohen, Becky Francomb	4 May 2023 Green 40.9% lead 4.1 pts
Seaford North Roy Clay, James Meek	4 May 2023 Green 41.5% lead 12.1 pts
Seaford South Christine Brett, Olivia Honeyman	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 49.3% lead 23.3 pts
Seaford West Lesley Boniface, Christina Bristow	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 45.5% lead 10.1 pts
Wivelsfield Sue Morris	4 May 2023 Green 52.6% lead 16.1 pts

Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey

Joa Saunders GreenMark Slater Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Green51.5%

Conservative35.7%

Lib Dem12.8%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Joa Saunders Elected	Green	990
Mark Slater Elected	Green	914
Sharon Davy	Conservative	686
Isabelle Linington	Conservative	640
Marion Joyce Hughes	Lib Dem	247
Peter Edward Spain	Lib Dem	212

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Ditchling & Westmeston

Paul Mellor Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Lib Dem34.3%

Green33.2%

Conservative32.4%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Paul Anthony David Mellor Elected	Lib Dem	377	34.3%
Edward Elford	Green	365	33.2%
Alan Tom Jones	Conservative	356	32.4%

East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs

Christine Robinson LabourIan Alexander LabourLaurence O'Connor Labour

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (3 seats)

Labour52.7%

Conservative25.0%

Lib Dem15.3%

Green7.0%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Christine Robinson Elected	Labour	1,132
Laurence O'Connor Elected	Labour	1,089
Ian Keith Alexander Elected	Labour	1,087
Paul Alexander Clark	Conservative	538
Simon Marriot Ackroyd	Lib Dem	328
Liz Lee	Lib Dem	180
Nicky Blackwell	Green	151
Donna Simone Martinez-Claras	Lib Dem	132
Nick Tigg	Green	112
Diana Wilkins	Green	106

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Kingston

Stella Spiteri Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Lib Dem47.5%

Green35.9%

Conservative16.5%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Stella Spiteri Elected	Lib Dem	431	47.5%
David Hoare	Green	326	35.9%
Rosemarie Jeffery	Conservative	150	16.5%

Lewes Bridge

Janet Baah Lib DemZoe Nicholson Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Green42.8%

Lib Dem37.9%

Labour11.5%

Conservative7.8%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Zoe Nicholson Elected	Green	916
Janet Baah Elected	Lib Dem	812
Adrian Ross	Green	794
Jeremy William Halley	Lib Dem	491
Matt Kent	Labour	246
Colin French	Conservative	168
Amy Electra Battye Wilkins	Labour	147
Catharine Margaret Robinson	Conservative	144

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Lewes Castle

Nick Kortalla-Bird GreenWendy Maples Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Green42.8%

Labour35.2%

Lib Dem14.5%

Conservative7.5%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Wendy Maples Elected	Green	696
Nicolas Kortalla-Bird Elected	Green	600
Emily Jane Clarke	Labour	572
Stephen Catlin	Labour	356
Kate Wood	Lib Dem	236
Tony Parker	Lib Dem	229
Diane Kay Burman	Conservative	122
Karen French	Conservative	99

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Lewes Priory

Graham Clews GreenImogen Makepeace IndependentPaul Keene Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (3 seats)

Green48.3%

Lib Dem27.4%

Labour15.4%

Conservative8.9%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Imogen Makepeace Elected	Green	1,727
Graham Clews Elected	Green	1,457
Paul Keene Elected	Green	1,420
Kevin West	Lib Dem	981
Paddy Henshaw	Lib Dem	927
Edwina Jane Francesca Livesey	Lib Dem	870
Linda Drabble	Labour	550
Peter Hambly	Labour	515
Danny Sweeney	Labour	423
Catherine Boorman	Conservative	318
Elizabeth Jane Slater	Conservative	283

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Newhaven North

Corina Watts Lib DemJulie Carr Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem42.2%

Independent23.4%

Conservative16.5%

Independent11.5%

Green6.5%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Julie Lyn Carr Elected	Lib Dem	628
Sean Macleod Elected	Lib Dem	589
Steve Saunders	Independent	348
Susan Chowen	Conservative	245
Andrew Richard Winter	Independent	171
Tai Ray-Jones	Green	96
Dirk Campbell	Green	64

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Last by-election, 29 May 2025

Lib Dem51.7%

Reform28.9%

Green9.1%

Conservative4.4%

Independent4.2%

Labour1.7%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Corina Watts Elected	Lib Dem	697	51.7%
Bill Payne	Reform	389	28.9%
David Hoare	Green	122	9.1%
Richard Turner	Conservative	59	4.4%
Steve Saunders	Independent	57	4.2%
Linda Drabble	Labour	23	1.7%

Newhaven South

Graham Amy Lib DemJames Harrison Lib DemJo Pettitt Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (3 seats)

Lib Dem40.4%

Independent20.4%

Conservative17.8%

Green11.4%

Independent10.0%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Graham Roger Amy Elected	Lib Dem	766
James MacCleary Elected	Lib Dem	672
Christoph David Von Kurthy Elected	Lib Dem	611
Pinky McLean-Knight	Independent	387
Bill Giles	Conservative	338
Linda Wallraven	Conservative	263
Abdul Shukur Ahmed	Conservative	239
Holly Atkins	Green	216
Nick Jones	Independent	189
Martin Meadows	Green	140
Martin O'Brien	Green	118

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Last by-election, 7 May 2026 (2 seats)

Lib Dem50.9%

Reform25.4%

Green12.0%

Conservative7.0%

Labour4.7%

Candidate	Party	Votes
James Harrison Elected	Lib Dem	1,105
Jo Pettitt Elected	Lib Dem	1,059
Archie Barry Edward Wilson	Reform	550
Bill Payne	Reform	474
Scott Burrell	Green	261
Tai Ray-Jones	Green	232
Catherine Boorman	Conservative	151
Richard Turner	Conservative	108
Joe Moughrabi	Labour	102

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Newick

Charlotte Keenan Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Green56.5%

Conservative35.7%

Lib Dem7.7%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Charlotte Keenan Elected	Green	533	56.5%
Nathaniel Delo	Conservative	337	35.7%
Samantha Claire Robbins	Lib Dem	73	7.7%

Ouse Valley & Ringmer

Emily O'Brien GreenJohnny Denis GreenLucy Agace Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (3 seats)

Green53.1%

Conservative29.3%

Lib Dem17.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Johnny Denis Elected	Green	1,263
Emily O'Brien Elected	Green	1,213
Lucy Agace Elected	Green	1,042
Richard Turner	Conservative	697
Matthew Raymond Crisp	Conservative	659
Katie Sanderson	Conservative	595
Victoria Jane Vincent	Lib Dem	420
Cathy Bryan	Lib Dem	383
Lindsey MacLeod	Lib Dem	367

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Peacehaven East

Cathy Gallagher LabourPaul Davies Labour

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Labour53.6%

Conservative34.5%

Lib Dem6.3%

Green5.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Paul Thomas Davies Elected	Labour	620
Cathy Gallagher Elected	Labour	537
Nigel David Enever	Conservative	399
Tara Mary Moore	Conservative	324
Emily Cecilia Kramers	Lib Dem	73
Lesley Orr	Green	65
Helena Elizabeth Pickup	Lib Dem	61
Anthony Shuster	Green	43

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Peacehaven North

Ciarron Clarkson GreenIsobel Sharkey Labour

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Labour51.0%

Conservative37.6%

Lib Dem6.0%

Green5.5%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Ciarron Clarkson Elected	Labour	555
Isobel Louise Sharkey Elected	Labour	553
Keira O'Neill	Conservative	409
Andy Smith	Conservative	389
Joyce Dixon Bell	Lib Dem	65
Liz Mansfield	Green	60
Rikki Begley	Green	56
David Jan Stechler	Lib Dem	49

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Peacehaven West

Chris Collier IndependentNikki Fabry Labour

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Labour55.1%

Conservative31.2%

Lib Dem8.0%

Green5.7%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Chris Collier Elected	Labour	689
Nikki Fabry Elected	Labour	557
Keiran Lee Sefton	Conservative	390
Liz Webb	Lib Dem	100
Emily Slater	Green	71
Fawzia Catherine Whittuck	Lib Dem	46
Debra Vice-Holt	Green	44

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington & St John

Daniel Stewart-Roberts Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Lib Dem66.6%

Conservative23.1%

Green10.3%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Daniel James Banfield Stewart-Roberts Elected	Lib Dem	601	66.6%
Tam Large	Conservative	208	23.1%
John Oughton	Green	93	10.3%

Seaford Central

Freddie Hoareau Lib DemStephen Gauntlett Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem41.4%

Conservative26.9%

Labour19.4%

Green12.3%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Stephen John Gauntlett Elected	Lib Dem	632
Freddie Hoareau Elected	Lib Dem	523
Geoff Rutland	Conservative	411
Elaine Susan Sammarco	Labour	297
Christopher Purser	Labour	276
Alice McCarthy Sommerville	Green	188
Roy Francomb	Green	185

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Seaford East

Becky Francomb GreenEzra Cohen Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Green40.9%

Conservative36.8%

Lib Dem11.9%

Reform6.8%

Independent3.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Becky Francomb Elected	Green	774
Ezra Cohen Elected	Green	764
Sam Adeniji	Conservative	695
Julian Peterson	Conservative	583
Lindsay James Stirton	Lib Dem	225
Maggie Wearmouth	Lib Dem	215
Alan Norman Latham	Reform	129
Lorraine Janet Crawley	Independent	68

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Seaford North

James Meek GreenRoy Clay Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Green41.5%

Conservative29.4%

Lib Dem29.1%

Candidate	Party	Votes
James Meek Elected	Green	584
Roy Clay Elected	Green	566
Sylvia Lord	Conservative	414
Jim Lord	Conservative	409
Morag Everden	Lib Dem	409
Sally Gwendolen Markwell	Lib Dem	404

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Seaford South

Christine Brett Lib DemOlivia Honeyman Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem49.3%

Conservative26.0%

Green13.4%

Labour11.2%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Christine Anne Brett Elected	Lib Dem	799
Olivia Honeyman Elected	Lib Dem	760
Mark Frederick Mallin Brown	Conservative	422
Melvyn George Simmons	Conservative	349
Miranda Suheimat	Green	218
Alun Gwyn Tlusty-Sheen	Labour	182
Rachel Fryer	Green	150

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Seaford West

Christina Bristow GreenLesley Boniface Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Lib Dem45.5%

Conservative35.4%

Green11.7%

Labour7.4%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Christina Kathleen Bristow Elected	Lib Dem	851
Lesley Boniface Elected	Lib Dem	733
Liz Boorman	Conservative	663
Bill Payne	Conservative	606
Robert Burns	Green	219
Gemma McFarlane	Green	155
Martin William Waite	Labour	139

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Wivelsfield

Sue Morris Green

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Green52.6%

Conservative36.5%

Lib Dem10.8%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
William Coupland Elected	Green	497	52.6%
Nancy Bikson	Conservative	345	36.5%
Julie Catherine Salmon	Lib Dem	102	10.8%

Last by-election, 10 October 2024

Green42.3%

Lib Dem29.0%

Conservative28.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Sue Morris Elected	Green	315	42.3%
Nadine Stothard	Lib Dem	216	29.0%
Sarah Victoria Webster	Conservative	213	28.6%

Councillors

Changed party since the election

4 councillors now sit for a different party from the one they were elected for.

Ward	Councillor	Elected as	Now
Lewes Priory	Imogen Makepeace	Green 2023	Independent
Peacehaven North	Ciarron Clarkson	Labour 2023	Green
Peacehaven West	Chris Collier	Labour 2023	Independent
Seaford West	Christina Bristow	Lib Dem 2023	Green

By-elections

Every council by-election since 2021

4 by-elections since July 2021, 1 of them gains.

Date	Ward	Result	Winner's share
7 May 2026	Newhaven South	Lib Dem hold	53.5%
29 May 2025	Newhaven North	Lib Dem hold	52.0%
10 October 2024	Wivelsfield	Green hold	42.3%
25 May 2022	Peacehaven West	Labour gain from Conservative

Parliament

Parliamentary constituencies

Constituency	Share of council	2024 winner	Projected now
Lewes	68%	Lib Dem	Lib Dem 39%
Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven	23%	Labour	Labour 35%
East Grinstead and Uckfield	10%	Conservative	Conservative 32%

Share of the council: the proportion of its census neighbourhoods (2021 LSOAs) in each seat. The projection is PollCheck's demographic model at current polling, not a forecast.

People

Who lives in Lewes

99,903 residents in 43,683 households

Voted Leave in 2016

48% 4 below GB

Degree or higher

35% 1 above GB

No qualifications

16% 2 below GB

Own their home

71% 10 above GB

Rent from a council or housing association

11% 6 below GB

Rent privately

17% 3 below GB

Aged 15 to 34

22% 9 below GB

Aged 65 and over

31% 9 above GB

GB figure. 2021 Census (Scotland: 2022): age as a share of residents aged 15 and over, qualifications of residents aged 16 and over, housing as a share of households. Leave: 2016 EU referendum, Electoral Commission results by counting area.

Similar

Councils most like this one

Westmorland and FurnessLiberal Democrats (Majority)TeignbridgeLiberal Democrats (Majority)West DevonIndependent / Green / Liberal Democrats / Labour Coalition North SomersetLiberal Democrats / Labour / Green / Independent Coalition North YorkshireConservative (Minority)

Closest on the measures above: the 2016 Leave vote, age, qualifications and housing. Maps show which party holds each ward.

Sources

Sources and method

Seat totals and control: PollCheck council control tracker. Councillors: Open Council Data (CC BY-SA 4.0). Election results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), with some vote counts from DCLEAPIL, Leman (2025) (CC BY-SA 4.0), and corrections checked against councils' official declarations. Ward boundaries: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Census: Office for National Statistics and National Records of Scotland.

Councillor lists and DCLEAPIL-derived vote counts on this page are available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

In wards electing more than one councillor, a party's share counts only its leading candidate (the Rallings and Thrasher method). Independents count individually. The lead is the gap between the top two parties' shares.