2026 Adur District Council election

2026 Adur District Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
14 out of 29 seats to Adur District Council
15 seats needed for a majority
Registered49,003
Turnout23,024
47.0%[1]
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Jeremy Gardner None
Party Labour Reform Independent
Last election 17 seats, 48.5% Did not stand 2 seats, 6.7%
Seats before 17[2] 0 4
Seats won 5 6 2
Seats after 17 6 3
Seat change Steady Increase 6 Decrease 4
Popular vote 5,871 6,700 2,138
Percentage 25.7% 29.3% 9.3%
Swing Decrease 22.8% N/A Increase 2.6%
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Neil Parkin
Party Green Conservative
Last election 2 seats, 12.9% 8 seats, 28.4%
Seats before 2 3
Seats won 1 0
Seats after 2 1
Seat change Steady Decrease 2
Popular vote 4,213 2,601
Percentage 18.4% 11.4%
Swing Increase 5.5% Decrease 17.0%
Winner of each seat at the 2026 Adur District Council election.
Leader before election

Jeremy Gardner
Labour

 Leader after election

Jeremy Gardner
Labour

The 2026 Adur District Council election was held on 7 May 2026, alongside the other local elections across the United Kingdom being held on the same day, to elect 14 of 29 members of Adur District Council in West Sussex, England.[3]

Labour retained its majority on the council at this election.[4]

Summary

Background

In 2024, the Labour Party won majority control of the council.[5] In January 2026, the council asked for the election to be postponed pending local government reorganisation.[6][7] However it was rescheduled on 16 February 2026.[8]

Council composition

After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 17 Labour 17
Conservative 8 Conservative 2
Green 2 Green 2
Independent 2 Independent 8

Changes 2024–2026:

  • July 2024: Steve Neocleous (Conservative) leaves party to sit as an independent[9]
  • April 2025: Nigel Jenner (Labour) dies – by-election held June 2025[10]
  • June 2025: Kate Davis (Labour) wins by-election[11]
  • November 2025: Paul Mansfield (Conservative) leaves party to sit as an independent[12]
  • February 2026: Andy McGreggor, Neil Parkin, Carson Albury and Carol Albury leave the Conservative Party, and try to defect to Reform, but are refused entry. They subsequently sit as independents. [13]

Election result

2026 Adur District Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Candidates Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour {{{candidates}}} 5 Steady 35.7 12 17 58.6 5,871 25.7 –22.8
  Reform {{{candidates}}} 6 Increase 6 42.9 0 6 20.7 6,700 29.3 N/A
  Independent {{{candidates}}} 2 Decrease 4 14.3 1 3 10.3 2,138 9.3 +2.6
  Green {{{candidates}}} 1 Steady 7.1 1 2 6.9 4,213 18.4 +5.5
  Conservative {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 2 0.0 1 1 3.4 2,601 11.4 –17.0
  Liberal Democrats {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 1,353 5.9 +3.1

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Buckingham Emma Evans Conservative No
Churchill Steve Neocleous Independent Yes
Cokeham Tony Bellasis Conservative Yes
Eastbrook Carol O'Neal Labour No
Hillside Neil Parkin[a] Independent No
Manor Carol Albury[a] Independent Yes
Marine Julia Watts Independent Yes
Mash Barn Lee Cowen Labour Yes
Peverel Paul Mansfield[a] Independent Yes
Southlands Dan Flower Labour Yes
Southwick Green Jude Harvey Labour No
St Mary's Jeremy Gardner Labour Yes
St Nicolas Julian Shinn Green No
Widewater Andy McGregor[a] Independent No

Candidates

Buckingham

Buckingham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Devoy 632 38.5 –12.4
Reform David Cotton 393 23.9 N/A
Conservative Kevin Boram 364 22.2 –9.5
Green Gabe Crisp 159 9.7 +4.5
Liberal Democrats William Harpley 95 5.8 –6.5
Majority 239 14.6 –4.6
Turnout 1,643 53.7 +9.7
Labour gain from Conservative

Churchill

Churchill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Mike Mendoza 459 29.7 N/A
Independent Steve Neocleous* 388 25.1 N/A
Labour Vikki Fryer 225 14.6 –30.5
Green Stuart Richardson 194 12.6 +0.9
Conservative Tony Nicklen 157 10.2 –33.0
Liberal Democrats Ashley Ridley 122 7.9 N/A
Majority 71 4.6 N/A
Turnout 1,545 45.1 +17.9
Reform gain from Independent

Cokeham

Cokeham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Jim Doubtfire 650 42.7 N/A
Conservative Tony Ballasis* 303 19.9 –14.4
Labour Alun Jones 270 17.8 –21.1
Green Adam Baxter 201 13.2 +5.6
Liberal Democrats David Thompson 97 6.4 –0.3
Majority 347 22.8 N/A
Turnout 1,521 44.5 +14.0
Reform gain from Conservative

Eastbrook

Eastbrook
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Lovelidge 501 36.1 –22.5
Reform Joby Pannell 379 27.3 N/A
Conservative Kelvin Fry 219 15.8 –17.4
Green Patrick Ginnelly 219 15.8 +7.5
Liberal Democrats Jacqueline Bartram 70 5.0 N/A
Majority 122 8.8 –16.6
Turnout 1,388 42.4 +11.2
Labour hold

Hillside

Hillside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Rhys Grinstead 463 34.1 N/A
Labour Pat McGrath 345 25.4 –28.9
Conservative Leila Williams 343 25.2 –14.1
Green Declan Decke 208 15.3 +8.9
Majority 118 8.7 N/A
Turnout 1,359 40.6 +7.4
Reform gain from Independent

Manor

Manor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Carol Albury* 599 38.3 N/A
Reform Mark Burton 473 30.2 N/A
Labour Jude Harvey 221 14.1 –19.7
Green Effy Walsh 221 14.1 +5.1
Liberal Democrats Cheikh Gueye 51 3.3 –1.6
Majority 126 8.1 N/A
Turnout 1,565 49.0 +14.6
Independent hold

Marine

Marine
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Julia Watts* 997 48.7 –19.0
Green Troy Wade 531 25.9 +17.2
Reform Paul Garrett 289 14.1 N/A
Labour Pat Alden 178 8.7 –11.8
Liberal Democrats Neville Pressley 52 2.5 –0.5
Majority 466 22.8 –24.4
Turnout 2,047 57.8 +18.6
Independent hold

Mash Barn

Mash Barn
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lee Cowen* 631 38.5 –24.8
Reform Victoria Fairman 598 36.5 N/A
Conservative Susan Fry 183 11.2 –17.4
Green Katie Piatt 165 10.1 +2.0
Liberal Democrats Carolyn White 62 3.8 N/A
Majority 33 2.0 –32.7
Turnout 1,639 43.8 +14.3
Labour hold

Peverel

Peverel
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Stuart Parsons 548 38.5 N/A
Conservative Matt Fry 267 18.8 –25.4
Labour Henry Allinson 261 18.3 –30.8
Green Saffi Price 194 13.6 +6.8
Independent Paul Mansfield* 154 10.8 N/A
Majority 281 19.7 N/A
Turnout 1,424 42.2 +10.4
Reform gain from Independent

Southlands

Southlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Nigel Hepworth 456 35.9 N/A
Labour Peter Ashley 376 29.6 –27.1
Green Maggie Rumble 251 19.7 +14.0
Liberal Democrats Keith Humphrey 188 14.8 +7.3
Majority 80 6.3 N/A
Turnout 1,271 41.1 +9.9
Reform gain from Labour

Southwick Green

Southwick Green
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dan Flower* 674 42.8 –21.3
Reform Stuart Bower 326 20.7 N/A
Conservative Julie Searle 265 16.8 –6.1
Green Helen Mears 231 14.7 +8.8
Liberal Democrats Anthony Stuart 79 5.0 –2.1
Majority 348 22.1 –19.1
Turnout 1,575 46.4 +10.6
Labour hold

St Mary's

St Mary's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Jeremy Gardner* 839 43.6 –18.8
Green Angie Buhl-Nielsen 431 22.4 +5.6
Reform Kate Michaela 367 19.1 N/A
Conservative Maryam Shapouri 194 10.1 –10.6
Liberal Democrats Dawn Rowatt 95 4.9 N/A
Majority 408 21.2 N/A
Turnout 1,926 48.1 +12.1
Labour Co-op hold Swing Decrease12.2

St Nicolas

St Nicolas
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Liam Tidy 770 40.8 +0.7
Reform Jennifer Mendoza 354 18.8 N/A
Conservative Bob Towner 306 16.2 –11.3
Labour Kathryn Upton 295 15.6 –9.1
Liberal Democrats Ian Jones 162 8.6 +5.7
Majority 416 22.0 +9.4
Turnout 1,887 58.7 +7.9
Green hold

Widewater

Widewater
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Joe Pannell 945 45.3 N/A
Green Connor Ranahan 438 21.0 –1.2
Labour Joseph O'Halloran 423 20.3 –17.8
Liberal Democrats Samantha Eaton 280 13.4 N/A
Majority 507 24.3 N/A
Turnout 2,086 45.3 +9.3
Reform gain from Independent

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Originally elected as a Conservative, but left the party to sit as an Independent.

References

  1. ↑ "Official declaration of results - Adur District election results - 7th May 2026" (PDF).
  2. ↑ "Adur Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  3. ↑ mhclgpress (16 February 2026). "Update on May 2026 local authority elections – MHCLG in the Media". mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  4. ↑ Gladkauskaite, Samanta (27 May 2026). "Jeremy Gardner re-elected as Adur District Council leader". The Argus. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Adur result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  6. ↑ "Councils support election delay to focus on major local restructure". The Argus. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  7. ↑ "Will Sussex get to vote in 2026 or will elections be called off?". BBC News. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  8. ↑ "Elections back on across Sussex after government U-turn". Brighton and Hove News. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  9. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Three Rivers Lib Dems are two down". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  10. ↑ Le Duc, Frank (5 April 2025). "Tributes paid after sudden death of councillor and former youth worker". Brighton and Hove News. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  11. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Buckingham Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  12. ↑ Boothoryd, David. "Greens Wincheap from Lib Dems". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  13. ↑ "Tory councillors who quit party rejected by Reform". The Argus. 26 February 2026. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
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