| Election Name: | 2023 Chelmsford City Council election |
| Country: | Essex |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 2019 Chelmsford City Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2019 |
| Next Election: | 2027 Chelmsford City Council election |
| Next Year: | 2027 |
| Seats For Election: | All 57 seats to Chelmsford City Council |
| Majority Seats: | 29 |
| Leader1: | Stephen Robinson |
| Party1: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Last Election1: | 31 seats, 39.8% |
| Seats Before1: | 30 |
| Seats After1: | 33 |
| Seat Change1: | 2 |
| Popular Vote1: | 39,567 |
| Percentage1: | 41.7% |
| Swing1: | 1.9% |
| Leader2: | Roy Whitehead |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 21 seats, 40.5% |
| Seats Before2: | 22 |
| Seats After2: | 21 |
| Popular Vote2: | 37,771 |
| Percentage2: | 39.8% |
| Swing2: | 0.7% |
| Leader4: | Richard Hyland |
| Party4: | Independent politician |
| Last Election4: | 3 seats, 4.3% |
| Seats Before4: | 3 |
| Seats After4: | 3 |
| Popular Vote4: | 4,111 |
| Percentage4: | 4.3% |
| Swing4: | 0.0% |
| Leader5: | Ian Roberts |
| Party5: | South Woodham Ferrers Independents |
| Last Election5: | 2 seats, 2.4% |
| Seats Before5: | 2 |
| Seats After5: | 0 |
| Seat Change5: | 2 |
| Popular Vote5: | 2,003 |
| Percentage5: | 2.1% |
| Swing5: | 0.3% |
| Leader | |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| Before Election: | Stephen Robinson |
| Before Party: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| After Election: | Stephen Robinson |
| After Party: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
The 2023 Chelmsford City Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Chelmsford City Council in Essex, England.[1] This was on the same day as other local elections across England.
The Liberal Democrats retained their majority on the council.
The Liberal Democrats went into the election holding a majority of the council's seats, having taken control from the Conservatives at the previous election in 2019. At the 2023 election the Liberal Democrats increased their majority, making a net gain of two extra seats at the expense of local party the South Woodham Ferrers Council Taxpayers Association, which lost both of the seats it had held on the council.[2] [3]
A new record was set for the youngest person ever to serve on the council with the election of 22-year-old Liberal Democrat candidate Kieron Franks in the Great Baddow East ward.[4]
The overall results were:[5] [6] [7] |-Independent Network candidates are included with the independents in the summary above, but candidates who stood under that banner are recorded as such in the detailed ward results below.
The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Chelmsford City Council following the close of nominations on 5 April 2023.[8] The ward results were as follows, with sitting councillors standing in their previous wards marked with asterisks(*) and sitting councillors standing in different wards marked with double daggers(‡):[9] [10]
Both Moulsham Lodge seats had been won by Liberal Democrats in 2019, but Robert Gisby had won one of the seats for the Conservatives in a by-election in May 2021. He stood for re-election but was defeated. Seat recorded as a Liberal Democrat hold to allow for comparison with 2019 election.
‡Dan Clark was a sitting councillor for Chelmer Village and Beaulieu Park ward before the election.
‡Eleanor Sampson was a sitting councillor for Waterhouse Farm ward before the election.
‡Nora Walsh was a sitting councillor for Great Baddow East ward before the election.
‡Barry Knight was a sitting councillor for Broomfield and the Walthams ward before the election.