The 2024 Castle Point Borough Council election was held on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections in the United Kingdom being held on the same day. All 39 members of Castle Point Borough Council in Essex were elected following boundary changes.
Prior to the election, the council was under no overall control, being led by a coalition of two local parties, the Canvey Island Independent Party (which only contested seats on Canvey Island) and the People's Independent Party (which only contested seats on the mainland part of the borough). The election resulted in a clean sweep for the two local parties. The Conservatives lost all their seats. The People's Independent Party were left with a majority, but it was agreed that they would continue to form a joint administration with the Canvey Island Independent Party.
Background Castle Point was a traditionally Conservative council. The Conservative controlled the council from 1976 until 1995, when the Labour Party won a majority. The Conservatives retook control in 2003. This majority lasted until 2022 (aside from a period of no overall control from 2014 to 2015), when the council again fell into no overall control.
In the 2023 election, the People's Independent Party gained 6 seats with 35.4% of the vote, the Canvey Island Independent Party held the 6 seats they were defending with 20.2%, and the Conservatives lost 6 with 28.5%. Following the 2023 election, the CIIP and PIP had formed a majority coalition.
Boundary changes Castle Point 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 Castle Point (Electoral Changes) Order 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024. The change reduces the number of councillors by 2. The electoral system is due to change to whole council elections every 4 years following a vote by the council.
Old wards No. of seats New wards No. of seatsAppleton 3 Appleton 3Boyce 3 Canvey Island Central 3Canvey Island Central 3 Canvey Island East 3Canvey Island East 3 Canvey Island North 3Canvey Island North 3 Canvey Island South 3Canvey Island South 3 Canvey Island Winter Gardens 3Canvey Island West 2 Hadleigh St James 3Canvey Island Winter Gardens 3 St George's 3Cedar Hall 3 St Mary's 3St George's 3 St Michael's 3St James 3 Tarpots 3St Mary's 3 Thundersley North 3St Peter's 3 Thundersley South 3Victoria 3
Previous council composition After 2023 election Before 2024 election After 2024 election Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats 16 15 15 16 16 24 9 8 0 0 1 0 Changes: December 2023: John Payne (CIIP) dies May 2023: Godfrey Isaacs leaves Conservatives to sit as an independent
Results summary
Ward results The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Castle Point Borough Council following the close of nomination on 8 April 2024. Thirteen of the thirty-five Conservative nominations were rejected as invalid. An asterisk denotes an incumbent councillor seeking re-election.
Appleton Electorate: 5,148
Canvey Island Central Electorate: 5,905
Canvey Island East Electorate: 5,839
Canvey Island North Electorate: 5,890
Canvey Island South Electorate: 5,786
Canvey Island Winter Gardens Electorate: 5,688
Hadleigh St James Electorate: 4,604
St George's Electorate: 4,859
St Mary's Electorate: 5,357
St Michael's Electorate: 4,449
Tarpots Electorate: 5,575
Thundersley North Electorate: 5,968
Thundersley South Electorate: 4,128
By-elections
Canvey Island Winter Gardens
By-election triggered by the death of Canvey Island Independent Party councillor Peter Greig.
References