The 2024 Maidstone 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 49 members of Maidstone Borough Council in Kent were elected following boundary changes.
The council remained under no overall control. The Conservative minority administration which had been running the council prior to the election was replaced by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Greens and some of the independent councillors, led by Green councillor Stuart Jeffery.
Overview Prior to the election, the council was under no overall control, being run by a Conservative minority administration with informal support from some of the independent councillors. The leader of the council before the election was Conservative councillor David Burton, who had held the post since 2021. He did not stand for re-election.
Following the election the council remained under no overall control. The Conservatives were still the largest party, but with a significantly reduced share of the seats. A coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Greens and four of the independent councillors subsequently formed to run the council, led by Green councillor Stuart Jeffery. He was formally appointed as leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 18 May 2024.
Boundary changes Maidstone usually elects its councillors in thirds, on a 4-year cycle. However, following boundary changes, all councillors will be elected to the new wards. The change reduces the number of councillors by 6.
Old wards No. of seats New wards No. of seats Allington 3 Allington and Bridge 2 Barming 1 Barming Heath and Teston 2 Bearsted 3 Bearsted and Downswood 3 Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton 1 Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton 1 Boxley 3 Boxley Downs 2 Bridge 2 Coxheath and Farleigh 2 Coxheath and Hunton 3 Fant and Oakwood 3 Detling and Thurnham 1 Grove Green and Vinters Park 3 Downswood and Otham 1 Harrietsham, Lenham and North Downs 3 East 3 Headcorn and Sutton Valence 2 Fant 3 High Street 3 Harrietsham and Lenham 2 Leeds and Langley 2 Headcorn 2 Loose and Linton 2 Heath 2 Marden and Yalding 3 High Street 3 Palace Wood 2 Leeds 1 Park Wood and Mangravet 2 Loose 1 Penenden Heath 3 Marden and Yalding 3 Ringlestone 1 North 3 Senacre 1 North Downs 1 Shepway 3 Park Wood 2 Staplehurst 2 Shepway North 3 Tovil 2 Shepway North 3 Shepway South 2 South 3 Staplehurst 2 Sutton Valence and Langley 1
Previous council composition After 2023 election Before 2024 election After 2024 election Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats 24 25 13 12 12 12 6 4 6 3 3 10 Fant & Oakwood Independents Didn't exist Fant & Oakwood Independents 2 Fant & Oakwood Independents 2 10 9 6 Changes: May 2023: Michelle Hastie (independent) joins Conservatives July 2023: Patrick Coates and Paul Harper leave Labour to sit as independents November 2023: Fant & Oakwood Independents formed - Patrick Coates and Paul Harper (both independents) join party
Results
Ward results An asterisk denotes an incumbent councillor seeking re-election. Allington and Bridge
Barming Heath and Teston
Bearsted and Downswood
Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton
Boxley Downs
Coxheath and Farleigh
Fant and Oakwood
Patrick Coates and Paul Harper were originally elected as Labour Party candidates, but stood under the descriptions of "Fant and Oakwood Independents" at this election.
Grove Green and Vinters Park
Michelle Hastie was originally elected as an Liberal Democrat.
Harrietsham, Lenham and North Downs
Headcorn and Sutton Valence
High Street
Leeds and Langley
Loose and Linton
Marden and Yalding
Palace Wood
Park Wood and Mangravet
Penenden Heath
Ringlestone
Senacre
Shepway
Staplehurst
Tovil
By-elections
Harrietsham, Lenham & North Downs
References