Ashford Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Ashford in Kent, England. The council is elected every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2019, 47 councillors have been elected from 39 wards.[1]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:[2]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| 1973–1976 | ||
| 1976–1979 | ||
| 1979–1983 | ||
| 1983–1995 | ||
| 1995–2003 | ||
| 2003–2022 | ||
| [3] | 2022–present | |
The leaders of the council since 1999 have been:[4]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Clokie | 1999 | 13 May 2010 | ||
| Paul Bartlett | 13 May 2010 | 9 Nov 2010 | ||
| Peter Wood | 9 Nov 2010 | 1 Mar 2013 | ||
| Gerry Clarkson | 18 Apr 2013 | 7 May 2023 | ||
| Noel Ovenden | 30 May 2023 | |||
The 2014 Wye by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Steve Wright.
The 2016 Beaver by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Jill Britcher.
The 2018 Kennington by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Phil Sims.
The 2019 Downs North by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Stephen Dehnel.The 2020 Park Farm North by-election was triggered by the election of Councillor Jo Gideon to the UK Parliament as MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central.
The 2021 Beaver by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Alex Ward.
The 2021 Downs North by-election was triggered by the resignation of Councillor Charles Dehnel.
The 2021 Highfield by-election was triggered by the death of Councillor Gerald White.