2026 Rochford District Council election

2026 Rochford District Council election
← 2024 7 May 2026 2027 (TBD) →
13 out of 39 seats to Rochford District Council; 20 seats needed for a majority
	Winner of each seat at the 2026 Rochford District Council election.
Leader before election; Danielle Belton; Conservative; No overall control	Leader after election ; TBD; No overall control

The 2026 Rochford District Council election was held on 7 May 2026 to elect members of Rochford District Council in Essex, England.^[1] This was held on the same day as other local elections.

Due to ongoing local government reorganisation, this will be the final election to Rochford District Council before it is abolished and replaced by a successor unitary authority. Elections to the successor authority are due to take place in 2027.

Summary

Background

In 2024, the council remained under no overall control.^[2] The Liberal Democrats were the largest party.^[3]

Council composition

After 2024 election	Before 2026 election
Party	Seats	Party	Seats
	Conservative	10		Conservative	10
	Liberal Democrats	11		Liberal Democrats	7
	Rochford Resident	8		Rochford Resident	7
	Green	1		Green	1
	Independent	9		Independent	12
	Vacant	N/A		Vacant	2

Changes 2024–2026:

May 2025: Richard Linden (Liberal Democrats), Bob Milne (Liberal Democrats) and Sarah Page (Liberal Democrats) leave party to sit as independents^[4]
March 2026: Jim Cripps (Liberal Democrats) and Elliot Mason (Rochford Residents) resign – seats left vacant until 2026 election^[5]

Election result

2026 Rochford District Council election
Party	This election	Full council	This election
Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Reform	13	13	86.7	0	13	31.7	15,741	40.8	N/A
	Independent	1	3	6.7	9	10	24.4	1,648	4.6	–14.5
	Conservative	0	3	0.0	7	7	17.1	8,625	23.9	–6.8
	Liberal Democrats	1	3	6.7	4	5	14.6	5,205	14.4	–3.7
	Rochford Resident	0	4	0.0	5	4	12.2	450	2.2	–9.6
	Green	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	3,672	10.2	+6.1
	Labour	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	1,406	3.9	–12.1
	Heritage	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	37	0.1	–0.1

Incumbents

Ward	Incumbent councillor	Re-standing
Downhall & Rawreth	Chris Stanley	Liberal Democrats	Yes
Foulness & The Wakerings	Jo McPherson^[d]	Independent	No
Hawkwell East	Deborah Squires-Coleman	Rochford Resident	Yes
Hawkwell West	Julie Gooding^[d]	Independent	No
Hockley	John Mason	Rochford Resident	No
Hockley & Ashingdon	Danielle Belton	Conservative	Yes
Hullbridge	Stuart Wilson^[e]	Independent	No
Lodge	Richard Lambourne^[f]	Independent	No
Roche North & Rural	Laureen Shaw	Conservative	Yes
Roche South	Mike Steptoe	Conservative	Yes
Sweyne Park & Grange	Vilma Wilson	Rochford Resident	Yes
Trinity	David Sharp	Liberal Democrats	No
Wheatley	Andrew Cross	Liberal Democrats	Yes

Candidates

Downhall & Rawreth

Downhall & Rawreth (2 seats due to by-election)
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Rob Ince	976	42.7	*N/A*
	Liberal Democrats	Chris Stanley*	746	32.6	–27.0
	Reform	Christopher Thorne	729	31.9	N/A
	Conservative	Stuart Belton	613	26.8	+1.1
	Liberal Democrats	Reece Nelson	613	26.8	–32.8
	Conservative	Ian Lucas	418	18.3	–7.4
	Green	Liam Lonergan	193	8.4	N/A
	Green	Rowland Swain	154	6.7	N/A
	Labour	David Bodimeade	132	5.8	–8.9
Turnout	~2,287
	Reform gain from Liberal Democrats
	Liberal Democrats hold

Foulness & The Wakerings

Foulness & The Wakerings
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Jo McPherson*	1,108	43.7	+6.2
	Reform	James Cottis	892	35.2	N/A
	Conservative	Rosalind Efde	315	12.4	–24.1
	Green	Philip Hannan	170	6.7	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Tellis	49	1.9	–1.8
Majority	216	8.5	+7.5
Turnout	2,534
	Independent hold

Hawkwell East

Hawkwell East (2 seats due to by-election)
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Katherine Reid	947	44.8	*N/A*
	Reform	Robert Reid	890	42.1	*N/A*
	Rochford Resident	Deborah Squires-Coleman*	450	21.3	–1.5
	Conservative	Eileen Gadsdon	393	18.6	–6.0
	Conservative	Jim Hall	369	17.5	–7.1
	Green	AJ Silver	350	16.6	+6.6
	Independent	Danise Crosbie	271	12.8	–13.0
	Green	Sam Martyn	246	11.6	+1.6
	Liberal Democrats	Roger Gardner	158	7.5	N/A
	Labour	Eleanor Harrin	113	5.4	–8.4
	Heritage	Bella-Elena Armstrong	37	2.9	–1.1
Turnout	~2,112
	Reform gain from Rochford Resident
	Reform gain from Rochford Resident

Hawkwell West

Hawkwell West
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Stephen Mace	1,043	43.6	*N/A*
	Conservative	Tony Warwick	607	25.4	–1.6
	Liberal Democrats	Keith Buchanan	380	15.9	N/A
	Green	Shona Flack	253	10.6	N/A
	Labour	Teddy Ryan	110	4.6	–11.4
Majority	436	18.2	N/A
Turnout	2,393
	Reform gain from Independent

Hockley

Hockley
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Gary Wheeler	901	37.5	*N/A*
	Conservative	Toni Carter	638	26.6	–2.0
	Independent	Sue Taylor	269	11.2	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Nicola O'Riordan-Finley	240	10.0	N/A
	Green	Kaite De-Veuve	230	9.6	–9.0
	Labour	Ian Rooke	125	5.2	–7.5
Majority	263	10.9	N/A
Turnout	2,403
	Reform gain from Rochford Resident

Hockley & Ashingdon

Hockley & Ashingdon
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Carl Turner	952	34.8	*N/A*
	Conservative	Danielle Belton*	926	33.9	–3.3
	Liberal Democrats	Richard Pryor	626	22.9	N/A
	Green	John Waldron	144	5.3	–3.5
	Labour	Patricia Norrington	87	3.2	–16.1
Majority	26	0.9	N/A
Turnout	2,735
	Reform gain from Conservative

Hullbridge

Hullbridge
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Tina Hughes	1,571	54.2	*N/A*
	Green	Chris Taylor	652	22.5	N/A
	Conservative	Chinu Kishore	533	18.4	–0.6
	Labour	David Lench	140	4.8	–7.0
Majority	919	31.7	N/A
Turnout	2,896
	Reform gain from Independent

Lodge

Lodge
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Angela Sutton	1,103	44.1	*N/A*
	Conservative	Jack Lawmon	706	28.3	–14.4
	Liberal Democrats	Ian Jordan	457	18.3	–39.0
	Green	Andrew Argyle	233	9.3	N/A
Majority	397	15.8	N/A
Turnout	2,499
	Reform gain from Independent

Roche North & Rural

Roche North & Rural
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Neil Hookway	1,065	48.6	*N/A*
	Conservative	Laureen Shaw*	516	23.5	–7.0
	Green	Mark Elmes	296	13.5	+5.2
	Labour	James Hedges	197	9.0	–19.4
	Liberal Democrats	Deborah Taylor	119	5.4	+0.1
Majority	549	25.1	N/A
Turnout	2,193
	Reform gain from Conservative

Roche South

Roche South
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Tino Callaghan	813	40.3	*N/A*
	Conservative	Mike Steptoe*	645	31.9	–8.6
	Green	Richard Beasley	237	11.7	+2.4
	Labour	Shona Hyde-Williams	232	11.5	–28.8
	Liberal Democrats	Derek Brown	92	4.6	–5.3
Majority	168	8.4	N/A
Turnout	2,019
	Reform gain from Conservative

Sweyne Park & Grange

Sweyne Park & Grange
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Stuart Prior	911	39.7	*N/A*
	Conservative	Scott Peters	387	16.9	–8.4
	Liberal Democrats	Dawn Balding	379	16.5	N/A
	Rochford Resident	Vilma Wilson*	349	15.2	N/A
	Green	Stephen Shrubsole	186	8.1	N/A
	Labour	Lorraine Ridley	82	3.6	–12.0
Majority	524	22.8	N/A
Turnout	2,294
	Reform gain from Rochford Resident

Trinity

Trinity
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Sanjoy Ghosh	1,013	36.3	*N/A*
	Conservative	David Sperring	868	31.1	–5.9
	Liberal Democrats	Sam Reed	605	21.7	–30.8
	Green	Charles Joynson	175	6.3	N/A
	Labour	Stephen Cooper	129	4.6	–5.8
Majority	145	5.2	N/A
Turnout	2,790
	Reform gain from Liberal Democrats

Wheatley

Wheatley
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Adi Malviya	935	36.3	*N/A*
	Liberal Democrats	Andy Cross*	741	28.7	–5.6
	Conservative	Max Ellul	691	26.8	–0.4
	Green	Roy Williams	153	5.9	N/A
	Labour	Victoria Williams	59	2.3	–8.6
Majority	194	7.6	N/A
Turnout	2,579
	Reform gain from Liberal Democrats

References

^ Michael Hoy was leader of the Non-Aligned group (6 seats), Richard Linden was leader of the Associated Independents group (4 seats), and Arthur Williams was leader of the Rochford, Foulness & Wakering Independents group (3 seats).
^ ^a ^b Including one vacant seat previously held by the party.
^ Conservative–Rochford District Residents–Independent coalition.
^ ^a ^b Originally elected as a Conservative, but subsequently left the party to sit as an Independent.
^ Originally elected as a Green, but subsequently left the party to sit as an Independent.
^ Originally elected as a Rochford District Resident, but subsequently left the party to sit as an Independent.

^ "Upcoming Elections". Rochford Council. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
^ Lee, Matt (3 May 2024). "Rochford local election results as council remains in political limbo". Essex Live. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
^ "Rochford result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
^ Boothroyd, David. "Only here for the Beer". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
^ Boothroyd, David. "Refined win for Reform in Milford Haven". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2026.

This Elections in England related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

[1] Michael Hoy was leader of the Non-Aligned group (6 seats), Richard Linden was leader of the Associated Independents group (4 seats), and Arthur Williams was leader of the Rochford, Foulness & Wakering Independents group (3 seats).

[vacant-2] Including one vacant seat previously held by the party.

[3] Conservative–Rochford District Residents–Independent coalition.

[conind-9] Originally elected as a Conservative, but subsequently left the party to sit as an Independent.

[10] Originally elected as a Green, but subsequently left the party to sit as an Independent.

[11] Originally elected as a Rochford District Resident, but subsequently left the party to sit as an Independent.

[4] "Upcoming Elections". Rochford Council. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2026.

[5] Lee, Matt (3 May 2024). "Rochford local election results as council remains in political limbo". Essex Live. Retrieved 30 January 2026.

[6] "Rochford result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 30 January 2026.

[7] Boothroyd, David. "Only here for the Beer". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2026.

[8] Boothroyd, David. "Refined win for Reform in Milford Haven". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2026.

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v t e Council elections in Essex
Essex County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1965 1967 1970 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2026
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Maldon District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Rochford District Council	1973 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026
Southend-on-Sea City Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026
Tendring District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Thurrock Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026
Uttlesford District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
See also: Wards Boundary changes

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