| Election Name: | 1996 North Hertfordshire District Council election |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1995 North Hertfordshire District Council election |
| Previous Year: | 1995 |
| Next Election: | 1998 North Hertfordshire District Council election |
| Next Year: | 1998 |
| Seats For Election: | 18 of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council |
| Majority Seats: | 26 |
| Image1: | Lab |
| Leader1: | David Kearns |
| Party1: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Seats Before1: | 21 |
| Seats After1: | 26 |
| Seat Change1: | 5 |
| Leader2: | F. John Smith |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Seats Before2: | 22 |
| Seats After2: | 16 |
| Seat Change2: | 5 |
| Image4: | LD |
| Leader4: | Ian Simpson |
| Party4: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Seats Before4: | 6 |
| Seats After4: | 7 |
| Seat Change4: | 1 |
| Image5: | Ind |
| Party5: | Independent politician |
| Seats Before5: | 1 |
| Seats After5: | 1 |
| Policy chairman | |
| Before Election: | David Kearns Labour |
| Before Party: | No overall control |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| After Election: | David Kearns |
| After Party: | Labour Party (UK) |
The 1996 North Hertfordshire District Council election was held on 2 May 1996, at the same time as other local elections across England. There were 18 out of 50 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council up for election, being the usual third of the council plus a by-election in Hitchin Oughton ward.[1] [2]
The council had previously been under no overall control, being led by a Labour minority administration with some support from the Liberal Democrats. Labour gained five extra seats at the election, giving them a majority on the council for the first time in its history. The Labour leader, David Kearns, was given the title leader of the council after the election, confirming the position he had de facto held since May 1995 by virtue of being chairman of the policy and resources committee.[3]
The overall results were as follows:
The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk(*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election.[4] [5]
The by-election in Hitchin Oughton ward was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor David Harbourne on 18 March 1996.[6]
The Letchworth Wilbury ward by-election was triggered by the death of Labour councillor David Evans.[7]