North East Lincolnshire wards to watch as local elections night unfolds

Vote counting at Grimsby Auditorium in the 2023 North East Lincolnshire local elections
Vote counting at Grimsby Auditorium in the 2023 North East Lincolnshire local elections -Credit:Jon Corken


Voters have cast their ballots in polling stations across North East Lincolnshire, but how could the council's political make-up change?

Twelve wards are each electing a councillor on North East Lincolnshire Council - this year, Waltham, West Marsh and Wolds voters could only vote in the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner election.

As the polling stations closed at 10pm, and the ballots are verified and counted, what are the key counts to look out for? Grimsby Live gives a rundown of who, what and where to look out for, when the results stream in.

Read More: North East Lincolnshire local election 2024 results - live updates

What is North East Lincolnshire Council's current political make-up?

The council has been run by the Conservatives since 2019. It had 27 of the 42 councillors after last year's elections. Labour has nine, and the Liberal Democrats and Independents for North East Lincolnshire group have three each.

This year's councillor roles were last elected in 2021. Eleven of the twelve posts were won by the Conservatives, the other going to the Lib Dems.

This means it is very possible the Conservatives lose their council majority. Labour could get to half of all councillor roles if it wins every single post this year, but that is a tall order. So the likeliest scenarios are a Conservative majority, or no overall control.

If no party does have a majority, the smaller groups will have a role to play in deciding who leads the council. Previous articles have featured Yarborough and Sidney Sussex wards and their candidates, this picks out other wards to keep an eye out for.

Freshney

Could the Independents for North East Lincolnshire gain complete control of this three-member ward with candidate Paul Bright? Cllr Steve Holland was elected in 2022, and Cllr Lyndsey Downes followed last year. Conservative Tanya Brasted will be hoping to hold the role she won three years ago.

It could also be a three-way race. Back in 2021, it was a Conservative gain off Labour. And last year, Labour were second.

South

Paul Batson won the post up for grabs this time in 2021 for the Conservatives. It was a landmark win, as the ward has long been dominated by Labour.

Given the different national picture now, and 95 vote margin three years ago, Labour ought to gain this post. On the other hand, Paul Batson is a local resident who has stood for election in the ward a number of times, so may have a stronger incumbent vote than others seeking re-election.

Park

Park Ward sees Conservative Daniel Westcott look to retain the role he took off the Lib Dems in 2021. He won with twice the votes of his nearest rival, while the Lib Dems fell to third.

The Lib Dems and their candidate Zach Kellerman have been prominent in petitioning for a debate on stronger housing regulations in Park to limit the spread of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), an issue previously reported on by Grimsby Live. They want an Article 4 direction, that removes permitted development rights for smaller HMOs. Daniel Westcott and fellow ward councillors favour a different means of controlling HMOs, with selective licensing.

Labour have finished second in recent ward elections and could come through the middle to take it. Its candidate last year was only behind the winner by 128 votes.

Immingham

Immingham is highlighted as a good indicator of the contrasting fortunes of the Conservatives and Labour. Since 2018, the Conservatives have dominated the usually two-way tussle in this ward, while before then Labour were on top.

If the Conservatives hold here, there is a good chance they will have done enough to keep a majority, or be so close to one to have the option of running a minority administration. Should Labour triumph, other wards like Heneage and Croft Baker are likely to also go their way. They could be at least in a position to reach out to the smaller groups to lead the council.

Georgia Astbury has not re-stood, meaning there is no potential incumbent vote.

Waltham, West Marsh and Wolds

A reminder again, voters in these wards will not be electing any councillors this time. However, they will still be able to vote in the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner election.

As such, how much the turnout level in these wards differs from elsewhere in North East Lincolnshire will be an intriguing element.