St Helens Local election results 2021 – ward by ward

But there were significant wins for the Greens in Haydock and independent candidates in Rainhill and Earlestown.

Nevertheless, the outcome leaves Labour with a commanding majority in the council chamber ahead of the all out elections scheduled for 2022, when all 48 seats will be up for grabs.

The ruling party saw off perceived threats in wards such as Blackbrook, Bold and Sutton to record victories on a day counts took place and results were delivered in the Atlas House offices, rather than St Helens Council, because of Covid measures.

But the Greens did claim a second seat in Haydock, with Paul Hooton recording a comfortable victory over Labour’s Paul Lynch.

Haydock has seen the political debate dominated over the Florida Farm development, where huge warehouses – occupied by Amazon and Kellogg’s have been built on green built.

Council chief executive Kath O'Dwyer reading results at Atlas House

Cabinet member Anthony Burns, who had been a councillor for Haydock but stood in Blackbrook this year, retained his place on the council, pushing the Green Party’s Emma Van Der Burg into second place.

Deputy Council Seve Gomez-Aspron comfortably held the Newton seat but neighbouring Earlestown, where two seats were contested after Pam Howard stepped down last year, saw independent candidate Terry Maguire take the highest share of the vote to claim a seat.

Labour’s Jeanette Banks finished second to take the other seat.

In Rainhill, there was another independent elected to the ward, with Kate Stevenson ousting former council leader Barrie Grunewald from the seat.

Independent candidates in Rainhill now hold all three seats in the ward.

In Eccleston, the Lib Dems maintained their fortress with a resounding victory, while Labour took back control of the Windle seat that had been vacant after Gill Neal, who had moved from Labour to the independent ranks, stepped down from politics last year.

Elsewhere, in Bold, Labour overcame the challenge of the Greens – who took a seat in the ward in 2019 – and also held Sutton, where the vote was split among other contenders.

The results leave the state of play at the council with Labour holding 34 seats, the Lib Dems 4, Conservatives 3, the Greens 3 and 4 independent candidates.

What they said: 

Labour council leader David Baines: “Overall these are great results for Labour and great results for St Helens.

“We were the only party which put forward a deliverable and viable plan for families after Covid.”

The Windle councillor said he believes the results reflect that people recognise “Labour’s record for helping businesses and residents” through the pandemic, adding: “I’m proud to lead a council that works hard for St Helens.”

Asked if the next 12 months must be a time when plans are delivered rather the just talked about  Labour, he said: “Absolutely, we didn’t release glossy CGIs of how the town centre could look before these elections - we could have done - as we are working up the plans with the English Cities Fund.

“I have been pleased to see Chalon Way car park demolished and and the masterplans for the town centre will be published later this year.”

Cllr Baines said he was determined to drive the regeneration plans through to create a town centre and borough “my eight-year-old and four-year-old children” and other people's children can be proud of.

In the communities where Labour had not performed well, he vowed that the party would listen to win their trust back.

John Cunliffe, the chairman of St Helens Conservatives, which held Rainford through new candidate John Case, said his party was positive about its performance in some of the wards and believes they will be in a strong proposition at next year’s “all out” local elections, when all seats will be up for grabs.

“We are very positive, we know people in St Helens are saying they are a bit fed up,” he said. 

He said that if the Conservatives can grow the number of councillors it will give the party a greater chance of St Helens’ voice being heard by Governement - and that this would not be achieved by a Labour council that simply embarks on “Tory bashing”.

The Green Party’s Paul Hooton expressed thanks to his “fellow Yickers” for their support as he seized Haydock from Labour.

He said the development of warehouses on the green belt on Florida Farm at Haydock had been the defining issue in the ward.

“It’s a disgrace that so much green belt was lost for so few jobs.

“I’m going to represent the wishes of the Haydock people - not the party whip - and I’m going to fight against the Local Plan.”

Kate Stevenson, who took the Rainhill seat, to ensure the ward is now represented by three independents, said it was a message to the council that the area has suffered from a lack of investment.

She said: “We need more investment in Rainhill and for the historic element of the community to be respected.

“And we want our green spaces to be respected too. This is a journey that started five or five years ago with the parish council. 

“Rainhill now has two female councillors in the town hall - whihc is important to note too.”

Cllr James Tasker, who, along with Cllr Donna Greaves makes up the contingent of Independents in the Rainhill ward, added: "We focus very much on the local issues - and that's what local elections are all about.

"People want littering and fly-tipping sorted, local businesses being supported - national issues are important but in local elections it's very much about local issues.

 

Here's a full breakdown of the local election 2021 results. Labour maintains its overall majority.

Billinge and Seneley Green

Nancy Jane Ashcroft – Conservative Party: 952

Dennis McDonnell – Labour Party: 1197 votes

Sue Rahman – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 666 votes

Blackbrook

Anthony James Burns – Labour Party: 1080 votes

Melanie Ann Marie Lee – Conservative Party: 368 votes

Emma Carolyn Van Der Burg – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 723 votes

Bold

Stuart Barton – Labour Party: 654 votes

Andrew Donnelly – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 459 votes

Allen John Makin – Independent: 378 votes

Brian Spencer Thomas – Liberal Democrat: 299 votes

Barbara Evelyn Woodcock – Conservative Party: 282 votes

Earlestown (two seats being contested)

Jeanette Susan Banks – Labour Party: 1159 votes

Allan Albert Dockerty – Conservative Party: 374 votes

Terry Maguire – Independent: 1395 votes

Paula Halina Pietrzak – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 468 votes

Charlie Preston – Labour Party: 679 votes

Eccleston

Andy Davidson – Labour Party: 710 votes

James Forshaw – Conservative Party: 509 votes

Teresa Veronica Sims – Liberal Democrats: 2085 votes

Haydock

Judith Margaret Collins – Conservative Party: 332 votes

Linda Mary Collins – The For Britain Movement: 47 votes

Paul Robert Hooton – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 1319 votes

Paul Michael John Lynch – Labour Party: 775 votes

Moss Bank Ward

Deb Connor – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 303 votes

Tracy Paula Dickinson – Labour Party: 1144 votes

Margaret Hilda Harvey – Conservative Party: 633 votes

Dave Kent – Liberal Democrat: 241 votes

Newton

Phil Cass – Liberal Democrats: 331 votes

Lisa Cunliffe – Conservative Party: 589 votes

Seve Gomez-Aspron – Labour Party: 1544 votes

John Michael Richards – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 331 votes

Parr

Andy Bowden – Labour Party: 996 votes

Martin William Ellison – Independent: 126 votes

Michael Skidmore – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 144 votes

Madeleine Patricia Wilcock – Conservative Party: 284 votes

Rainford

David Anders – Green Party, Save Our Green Space; 399 votes

John Case – Conservative Party: 1519 votes

Julian Kevin Hanley – Labour Party: 673 votes

Rainhill

Barrie Andrew Grunewald – Labour Party: 1101 votes

Phillip Lee Speakman – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition: 129 votes

Henry Spriggs – Conservative Party: 476 votes

Kate Elizabeth Stevenson – Independent: 1471 votes

Sutton

Frederick Barrett – Liberal Democrat: 223 votes

Mackenzie France – Conservative Party: 356 votes

Stephen Howell Granville – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 556 votes

David Edward Hawley – Independent: 252 votes

Anthony Albert Johnson – Labour Party: 848 votes

Thatto Heath

Nova Louise Charlton – Labour Party: 1291 votes

Terence Stephen Price – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 390

David Leslie Skeech – Conservative Party: 561 votes

Town Centre

Iris Brown – Conservative Party: 324 votes

Alison Jill Donnelly – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 242 votes

Mark Joseph Hitchen – Independent: 139 votes

Glynn Lloyd Jones – Social Democratic Party: 40 votes

Anne Helen McCormack – Labour Party: 816 votes

Tex Oakes – The For Britain Movement: 50 votes

West Park

Richard William Barton – Conservative Party: 557

Jess Northey – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 462 votes

Damien Patrick O’Connor – Labour Party: 1186 votes

Windle

Lynn Susan Clarke – Labour Party: 1020 votes

John Phillip Cunliffe – Conservative Party: 745 votes

Francis Joseph Williams – Green Party, Save Our Green Space: 598 votes