2003 Richmondshire District Council election

[4] Almost a third of the councillors stood down at the 2003 election, including a former chairperson of the council, Jane Metcalfe, and the Liberal Democrat group leader, Richard Good.

[5] Other councillors who stood down included Alison Appleton, Colin Bailey, Grace Buckle, Sylvia Golding, Mike Graham, Terry Jones, Andrea Robson and Nigel Watson.

[5] Meanwhile, the leader of the council, John Blackie, contested the election as a Conservative after having previously led the Richmondshire Association of Independent Councillors.

[6] The council leader John Blackie held his seat in Hawes as a Conservative, while councillors who were defeated included Liberal Democrat Patrick Brennan in Catterick, Richmondshire Independent Helen Grant and Katherine Kerr in Richmond Central.

[11] The seat was won by independent William Heslop with a majority of 116 votes over Conservative candidate Margaret Turnbull.

Map of the results of the 2003 Richmondshire District Council election. Conservatives in blue, independents in light grey, Liberal Democrats in yellow, Richmondshire Independents in white and Social Democratic Party in purple.