The 2024 Havant Borough Council election took place on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections in the United Kingdom being held on the same day. All 36 members of Havant Borough Council in Hampshire were elected following boundary changes.
Prior to the election the Conservatives held a majority of the seats on the council. Following the election the council was left under no overall control, and the Conservative leader of the council, Alex Rennie, lost his seat. The Conservatives remained the largest party, but a coalition of Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Green Party formed to run the council, led by Labour councillor Philip Munday. He was appointed as leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 15 May 2024.
Background Since its creation in 1974, Havant has been a consistently strong council for the Conservatives. They have held majorities on the council since 1980, aside from periods of no overall control between 1990 and 2002, where the Liberal Democrats became the largest group on the council for 4 years.
In the previous election in 2023, the Conservatives lost 5 seats with 39.4% of the vote, Labour gained 1 with 24.5%, the Liberal Democrats gained 2 with 20.6%, and the Green Party won their first seat with 14.3%.
Boundary changes Havant usually elects its councillors in thirds, on a 4-year cycle. However, following boundary changes, all councillors were elected to the new wards. The change fixes the number of councillors for every ward at 3, which reduces the total number of councillors by 2. Each voter could cast up to three votes. The councillors elected to each ward will serve two, three or four year terms, based on their relative vote share, with the longest term being served by the councillor with the largest number of votes.
Old wards No. of seats New wards No. of seats Barncroft 2 Bedhampton 3 Battins 2 Cowplain 3 Bedhampton 3 Emsworth 3 Bondfields 2 Hart Plain 3 Cowplain 3 Havant St Faith's 3 Emsworth 3 Hayling East 3 Hart Plain 3 Hayling West 3 Hayling East 3 Leigh Park Central and West Leigh 3 Hayling West 3 Leigh Park Hermitage 3 Purbrook 3 Purbrook 3 St Faith's 3 Stakes 3 Stakes 3 Waterloo 3 Warren Park 2 Waterloo 3
Summary
Council composition After 2023 election Before 2024 election After 2024 election Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats 30 28 13 4 4 10 2 2 7 1 1 4 1 0 0 Vacant 0 Vacant 3 2 Changes: January 2024: Carly Scannell (Conservative) resigns; seat left vacant until 2024 election February 2024: Tom Moutray (independent) resigns; seat left vacant until 2024 election March 2024: David Guest (Conservative) resigns; seat left vacant until 2024 election
Election result
Ward results
The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Havant Borough Council following the close of nominations on 5 April 2024.
Bedhampton
Cowplain
Emsworth
Hart Plain
Havant St. Faith's
Hayling East
Hayling West
Leigh Park Central & West Leigh
Leigh Park Hermitage
Purbrook
Stakes
Waterloo
References