Newark and Sherwood Council - Wards and Councillors

District council · East Midlands · 39 seats in 21 wards · All seats elected every four years · Next election 6 May 2027

Labour run Newark and Sherwood Council as a minority administration. The council has 39 councillors in 21 wards. Seats by party: Conservative 12, Labour 11, Other 10, Lib Dem 3, Reform 2, Green 1. 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

Labour (Minority)

39 seats - 20 for a majority

Reform 2Labour 11Conservative 12Lib Dem 3Green 1Other 10

Seat changes since the 4 May 2023 election Reform +2 Green +1 Other −1 Conservative −2

Vote share at the 4 May 2023 election (39 seats, all wards)

ShareSeats won

Conservative35.2%14

Other27.8%11

Labour23.9%11

Lib Dem9.1%3

Green3.7%0

Reform0.2%0

Next election

6 May 2027

all 39 seats up, then every four years

Largest party

Conservative 12

8 short of the 20 needed for a majority

Closest result

Castle

Independent won by 8 votes over Labour, 4 May 2023

Latest by-election

Dover Beck

Conservative hold, 29 October 2026 (5 since 2021)

Constituencies

2 overlap

2024Now

Voted Leave in 2016

60%

GB 52%

Wards

Who holds each ward

LabourConservativeLib DemReformIndependentSplit evenly

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
Balderton North & Coddington Kay Smith, Johno Lee	4 May 2023 Conservative 35.4% lead 0.8 pts
Balderton South Jean Hall, Simon Forde	4 May 2023 Independent 37.7% lead 1.8 pts
Beacon Rowan Cozens, David Moore, Susan Crosby	4 May 2023 Independent 30.3% lead 0.9 pts
Bilsthorpe Rhona Holloway	4 May 2023 Conservative 52.3% lead 4.6 pts
Boughton Tim Wildgust	4 May 2023 Conservative 52.4% lead 4.8 pts
Bridge Debbie Darby, Irene Brown	4 May 2023 Independent 28.7% lead 6.8 pts
Castle Michelle Home	4 May 2023 Independent 34.8% lead 1.0 pts
Collingham Phil Farmer, Linda Dales	4 May 2023 Conservative 51.5% lead 17.9 pts
Devon Matthew Spoors, Neil Ross, Paul Taylor	4 May 2023 Independent 43.1% lead 11.3 pts
Dover Beck Vacant	4 May 2023 Conservative 71.2% lead 42.4 pts
Edwinstowe & Clipstone Paul Peacock, Celia Brooks, Andy Freeman	4 May 2023 Labour 55.2% lead 10.4 pts
Farndon & Fernwood Jack Kellas, Simon Haynes, Neil Allen	4 May 2023 Conservative 32.5% lead 8.1 pts
Farnsfield Maurice Shakeshaft	4 May 2023 Labour 51.4% lead 2.8 pts
Lowdham Tim Wendels	4 May 2023 Conservative 61.7% lead 23.4 pts
Muskham Sue Saddington	4 May 2023 Conservative 55.5% lead 31.4 pts
Ollerton Mike Pringle, Lee Brazier, Alice Brazier	4 May 2023 Labour 70.5% lead 41.0 pts
Rainworth North & Rufford Claire Penny, Linda Tift	4 May 2023 Labour 40.1% lead 9.5 pts
Rainworth South & Blidworth Tina Thompson, Tom Smith	4 May 2023 Independent 28.5% lead 3.8 pts
Southwell Penny Rainbow, Peter Harris, Karen Roberts	4 May 2023 Conservative 31.5% lead 0.2 pts
Sutton-on-Trent Sylvia Michael	4 May 2023 Conservative 51.4% lead 2.8 pts
Trent Keith Melton	4 May 2023 Lib Dem 47.7% lead 4.2 pts

Balderton North & Coddington

Johno Lee IndependentKay Smith Reform

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Conservative35.4%

Independent34.6%

Labour18.1%

Lib Dem11.9%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Johno Lee Elected	Conservative	809
Emma Louise Oldham Elected	Independent	792
Betty Margaret Brooks	Conservative	715
Lucy Olivia Spoors	Labour	414
Klaus Becher	Lib Dem	272

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Last by-election, 6 November 2025

Reform42.0%

Conservative37.0%

Green13.3%

Labour7.8%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Kay Smith Elected	Reform	545	42.0%
Janette Barlow	Conservative	480	37.0%
Martin James Lunn	Green	173	13.3%
Tracey Jevons-Hazzard	Labour	101	7.8%

Balderton South

Jean Hall IndependentSimon Forde Independent

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Independent37.7%

Independent35.9%

Conservative26.4%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Simon Nicholas Forde Elected	Independent	658
Jean Hall Elected	Independent	628
Lydia Hurst	Conservative	461
Ronnie White	Conservative	397

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Beacon

David Moore IndependentRowan Cozens LabourSusan Crosby Independent

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (3 seats)

Independent30.3%

Independent29.4%

Independent22.6%

Conservative17.7%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Susan Crosby Elected	Independent	1,213
Rowan Sally Cozens Elected	Independent	1,180
David Michael Moore Elected	Independent	906
Rita Crowe	Conservative	709
David James Lloyd	Conservative	694
Mathew James Skinner	Conservative	666

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Bilsthorpe

Rhona Holloway Independent

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Conservative52.3%

Labour47.7%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Rhona Holloway Elected	Conservative	413	52.3%
Matt Kerry	Labour	377	47.7%

Boughton

Tim Wildgust Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Conservative52.4%

Labour47.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Tim Wildgust Elected	Conservative	376	52.4%
Marc Steele	Labour	342	47.6%

Bridge

Debbie Darby IndependentIrene Brown Independent

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Independent28.7%

Independent21.9%

Labour18.2%

Independent14.3%

Conservative12.9%

Reform4.0%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Debbie Darby Elected	Independent	500
Irene Brown Elected	Independent	381
Lisa Geary	Labour	317
Mick Darby	Independent	249
Tony Roberts	Conservative	224
Andrew Christopher Rainbow	Conservative	175
Robert Palmer	Reform	69

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Castle

Michelle Home Reform

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Independent34.8%

Labour33.8%

Conservative31.4%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Adrian Charles Amer Elected	Independent	261	34.8%
Glenn William Barker	Labour	253	33.8%
Jenni Oliver	Conservative	235	31.4%

Last by-election, 6 November 2025

Reform29.0%

Conservative27.4%

Labour12.5%

Independent10.5%

Lib Dem9.9%

Green8.7%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Michelle Elizabeth Home Elected	Reform	204	29.0%
Mathew James Skinner	Conservative	193	27.4%
Lisa Geary	Labour	88	12.5%
Jane Harrison	Independent	74	10.5%
Alla Musson	Lib Dem	70	9.9%
Bee Newboult	Green	61	8.7%
Glenis Rix	Independent	14	2.0%

Collingham

Linda Dales ConservativePhil Farmer Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Conservative51.5%

Lib Dem33.6%

Green14.9%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Linda Elaine Dales Elected	Conservative	1,049
Phil Farmer Elected	Conservative	847
Marylyn Rayner	Lib Dem	683
Phil Barron	Lib Dem	662
Martin James Lunn	Green	303

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Devon

Matthew Spoors GreenNeil Ross IndependentPaul Taylor Labour

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (3 seats)

Independent43.1%

Labour31.8%

Conservative25.1%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Neil Ross Elected	Independent	910
Matthew Joseph Thomson Spoors Elected	Labour	671
Paul Taylor Elected	Labour	640
Bob Crowe	Conservative	530
Max Cope	Conservative	514
Keith Frank Girling	Conservative	501

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Dover Beck

Vacant Vacant

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Conservative71.2%

Labour28.8%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Roger James Jackson Elected	Conservative	668	71.2%
Joseph Maurice Spoors	Labour	270	28.8%

Edwinstowe & Clipstone

Andy Freeman LabourCelia Brooks LabourPaul Peacock Labour

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (3 seats)

Labour55.2%

Conservative44.8%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Paul Stephen Peacock Elected	Labour	1,330
Andrew Freeman Elected	Labour	1,248
Anne Celia Brooks Elected	Labour	1,172
Scott Carlton	Conservative	1,081
Rebecca Spademan	Conservative	938
Nigel Jeremy Booth	Conservative	864

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Farndon & Fernwood

Jack Kellas ConservativeNeil Allen ConservativeSimon Haynes Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (3 seats)

Conservative32.5%

Independent24.4%

Labour23.1%

Lib Dem19.9%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Simon Edward Haynes Elected	Conservative	834
Neil Allen Elected	Conservative	829
Jack Logan Kellas Elected	Conservative	823
Declan Patrick Logue	Independent	627
Jane Olson	Labour	593
Chris Adams	Lib Dem	511
Ryan Thomas Cullen	Lib Dem	419
Tom Geraghty	Lib Dem	369

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Farnsfield

Maurice Shakeshaft Labour

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Labour51.4%

Conservative48.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Maurice Arthur Shakeshaft Elected	Labour	604	51.4%
Bruce Laughton	Conservative	572	48.6%

Lowdham

Tim Wendels Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Conservative61.7%

Labour38.3%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Tim Wendels Elected	Conservative	594	61.7%
Kevin Scoles	Labour	369	38.3%

Muskham

Sue Saddington Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Conservative55.5%

Green24.1%

Labour20.5%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Sue Saddington Elected	Conservative	618	55.5%
Jude Andrews	Green	268	24.1%
Adrian James Loftus	Labour	228	20.5%

Ollerton

Alice Brazier LabourLee Brazier LabourMike Pringle Labour

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (3 seats)

Labour70.5%

Conservative29.5%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Mike Pringle Elected	Labour	1,198
Alice Brazier Elected	Labour	963
Lee Robert Brazier Elected	Labour	953
Kelly Fordham	Conservative	501

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Rainworth North & Rufford

Claire Penny LabourLinda Tift Labour

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Labour40.1%

Conservative30.6%

Independent16.4%

Green10.3%

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition2.5%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Linda Mary Joan Tift Elected	Labour	632
Claire Penny Elected	Labour	549
Lois Kirsten Fisher	Conservative	482
Petra Harvey-Barker	Conservative	460
Carrie Young	Independent	258
Sheila Greatrex-White	Green	163
Kirsty Denman	Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition	40

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Rainworth South & Blidworth

Tina Thompson IndependentTom Smith Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (2 seats)

Independent28.5%

Conservative24.7%

Labour20.8%

Independent19.2%

Independent6.8%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Tina Thompson Elected	Independent	516
Tom Smith Elected	Conservative	448
Gary Frazer Fisher	Conservative	419
Bill Bates	Labour	376
Martin Gary Atherton	Independent	347
Callam Walsh	Labour	266
Edward Litchfield	Independent	124

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Southwell

Karen Roberts Lib DemPenny Rainbow ConservativePeter Harris Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023 (3 seats)

Conservative31.5%

Lib Dem31.3%

Labour20.4%

Green12.5%

Independent4.3%

Candidate	Party	Votes
Penny Rainbow Elected	Conservative	1,355
Peter Harris Elected	Lib Dem	1,346
Karen Roberts Elected	Lib Dem	1,314
Jeremy Michael Berridge	Lib Dem	1,039
Curtis Marshall	Conservative	1,000
Michael John Jeffrey	Conservative	955
Jamie Oliver William Bostock	Labour	878
Steven Patrick Morris	Green	540
Jools Cosgrove	Independent	186

Party shares count each party's leading candidate.

Sutton-on-Trent

Sylvia Michael Conservative

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Conservative51.4%

Independent48.6%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Sylvia Mary Michael Elected	Conservative	544	51.4%
Roger Bell	Independent	515	48.6%

Trent

Keith Melton Lib Dem

Last scheduled election, 4 May 2023

Lib Dem47.7%

Conservative43.5%

Green8.8%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Keith Myers Melton Elected	Lib Dem	555	47.7%
Malcolm Yates	Conservative	506	43.5%
Eric Bignell	Green	102	8.8%

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
Balderton North & Coddington	Johno Lee	Conservative 2023	Independent
Beacon	Rowan Cozens	Independent 2023	Labour
Bilsthorpe	Rhona Holloway	Conservative 2023	Independent
Devon	Matthew Spoors	Labour 2023	Green

By-elections

Every council by-election since 2021

5 by-elections since July 2021, 3 of them gains.

Date	Ward	Result	Winner's share
29 October 2026	Dover Beck	Conservative hold	41.7%
6 November 2025	Balderton North & Coddington	Reform gain from Independent	42.0%
6 November 2025	Castle	Reform gain from Independent	29.0%
20 October 2022	Edwinstowe	Labour gain from Conservative
30 June 2022	Ollerton	Labour hold

Parliament

Parliamentary constituencies

Constituency	Share of council	2024 winner	Projected now
Newark	61%	Conservative	Conservative 34%
Sherwood Forest	39%	Labour	Reform 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 Newark and Sherwood

122,956 residents in 53,339 households

Voted Leave in 2016

60% 8 above GB

Degree or higher

29% 5 below GB

No qualifications

19% 1 above GB

Own their home

69% 8 above GB

Rent from a council or housing association

14% 3 below GB

Rent privately

16% 4 below GB

Aged 15 to 34

26% 5 below GB

Aged 65 and over

27% 5 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

Amber ValleyLabour (Minority)ErewashLabour (Majority)RossendaleLabour (Majority)DoverLabour (Minority)CumberlandLabour (Majority)

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.