The 2026 Three Rivers District Council election was held on 7 May 2026, alongside the other local elections across the United Kingdom being held on the same day. It elected 13 of 39 members of Three Rivers District Council in Hertfordshire, England.[2]

Prior to the election, the council was under no overall control, run by a Liberal Democrat minority administration. The Conservatives won the majority of the seats contested at this election, but the Liberal Democrats remained the largest party on the council and continued to form a minority administration after the election.[3][4]

Conservatives gained Abbots Langley and Bedmond (which they had won in two by-elections) from the Liberal Democrats, defeated the (Liberal Democrat) Deputy Leader of the council in Penn and Mill End, and defeated the (Labour) Chairman of the council in South Oxhey. They also regained Carpenders Park from an independent who had been elected as a Conservative but was backed by the Liberal Democrats.

Summary

Background

In 2024, the Liberal Democrats retained control of the council.[5][6]

However, the council was in no overall control after the Conservatives subsequently won two by-elections in the previously safe Liberal Democrat ward of Abbots Langley and Bedmond. As a result, the Liberal Democrats relied on support from Labour, Greens and former Conservative councillor Rue Grewal.

Council composition

After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Liberal Democrats 21 Liberal Democrats 19
Conservative 12 Conservative 11
Labour 3 Labour 3
Green 3 Green 3
Independent 0 Independent 3

Changes 2024–2026:

  • May 2024:
    • David Raw (Conservative, Rickmansworth Town) resigns – by-election held July 2024[7]
    • Ian Morris (Conservative, Carpenders Park) leaves party to sit as an independent[8]
  • July 2024:
    • Mike Sims (Conservative) wins by-election in Rickmansworth Town[9]
    • Matthew Bedford (Liberal Democrats, Abbots Langley and Bedmond) resigns – by-election held August 2024[10]
    • Sara Bedford (Liberal Democrats, Abbots Langley and Bedmond) leaves party to sit as an independent[10]
  • August 2024: Vicky Edwards (Conservative) gains by-election in Abbots Langley and Bedmond from Liberal Democrats[11]
  • January 2025: Sara Bedford (Independent, Abbots Langley and Bedmond) resigns – by-election held March 2025[12]
  • February 2025: Rue Grewal (Conservative, Carpenders Park) leaves party to sit as an independent[13]
  • March 2025:
    • Ian Campbell (Conservative) gains by-election in Abbots Langley and Bedmond from Liberal Democrats[14]
    • Jonathon Solomons (Liberal Democrats, Durrants) resigns – by-election held May 2025[15]
  • May 2025: Paul Rainbow (Liberal Democrats) wins by-election in Durrants[16]
  • October 2025: Mike Sims (Conservative, Rickmansworth Town) leaves party to sit as independents[17]

Election result

2026 Three Rivers District Council election[1][18][19]
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Liberal Democrats 5 Decrease 1 38.5 13 18 46.2 7,951 25.7 −16.6
  Conservative 7 Increase 3 53.8 7 14 35.9 10,033 32.5 +0.2
  Green 1 Steady 7.7 2 3 7.7 3,981 12.9 +0.8
  Labour 0 Decrease 1 0.0 2 2 5.1 1,553 5.1 −8.2
  Independent 0 Decrease 1 0.0 2 2 5.1 650 2.1 N/A
  Reform 0 Steady 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 6,719 21.7 N/A
  TUSC 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 19 0.1 N/A

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent Councillor Party Re-standing
Abbots Langley & Bedmond Ian Campbell[c] Conservative Yes
Carpenders Park Rue Grewal[d] Independent Yes
Chorleywood North &
Sarratt		 Philip Hearn Conservative Yes[e]
Chorleywood South &
Maple Cross		 Louise Price[f] Liberal Democrats Yes
Dickinsons Chris Mitchell Green Yes
Durrants Steve Drury Liberal Democrats Yes
Gade Valley Khalid Hussain Liberal Democrats No
Leavesden Kevin Raeburn Liberal Democrats Yes
Moor Park & Eastbury Abbas Merali Conservative No
Oxhey Hall & Hayling Anne Winter Liberal Democrats No
Penn & Mill End Sarah Nelmes Liberal Democrats Yes
Rickmansworth Town Andrea Fraser Conservative Yes
South Oxhey Stephen King Labour Yes

Ward results

Abbots Langley & Bedmond

Abbots Langley & Bedmond
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Campbell* 926 38.2 +18.1
Liberal Democrats Jane Lay 753 31.1 –27.4
Reform Kodi-Chantal Lloyd 436 18.0 N/A
Green Jane Powell 226 9.3 +1.8
Labour Pierce Culliton 80 3.3 –10.5
Majority 173 7.1 N/A
Turnout 2,421 49.7 +16.6
Registered electors 4,893
Conservative hold Swing Increase22.8

Carpenders Park

Carpenders Park
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Krutika Patel 970 38.3 –3.5
Independent Rue Grewal* 650 25.6 N/A
Reform Martin Thomas 572 22.6 N/A
Green Matt Jones 187 7.4 +0.2
Labour Don Wilkinson 156 6.2 –12.3
Majority 320 12.7 +3.3
Turnout 2,535 47.9 +13.2
Registered electors 5,308
Conservative gain from Independent

The Liberal Democrats declined to stand a candidate, instead endorsing Rue Grewal, the incumbent Independent councillor.

Chorleywood North & Sarratt

Chorleywood North & Sarratt
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Matthew Hunt 1,203 47.2 –11.6
Reform Caroline Ansell 576 22.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats Mohinder Kalsi 481 18.9 –10.3
Green Peter Loader 199 7.8 +2.3
Labour Margaret Gallagher 92 3.6 –2.6
Majority 627 24.6 –5.0
Turnout 2,551 44.9 +10.1
Registered electors 5,689
Conservative hold

Chorleywood South & Maple Cross

Chorleywood South & Maple Cross
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Louise Price* 1,000 37.1 –18.1
Conservative Philip Hearn*[g] 857 31.8 +3.4
Reform Natalie Johnson 511 19.0 N/A
Green Roger Stafford 258 9.6 +1.0
Labour John Monk 67 2.5 –5.3
Majority 143 5.3 –21.5
Turnout 2,693 46.7 +13.6
Registered electors 5,777
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease10.8

Dickinsons

Dickinsons
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Chris Mitchell* 1,234 50.8 +1.2
Liberal Democrats Atif Wasay 455 18.7 –19.4
Reform Alison Wall 445 18.3 N/A
Conservative Rupert Barnes 235 9.7 +2.0
Labour Jeni Swift-Gillett 59 2.4 –2.2
Majority 779 32.1 +20.6
Turnout 2,428 47.1 +5.0
Registered electors 5,177
Green hold Swing Increase10.3

Durrants

Durrants
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Steve Drury* 1,242 52.4 –12.6
Green Andy Delius 441 18.6 –2.5
Reform Dominic Evans 417 17.6 N/A
Conservative Neil Marathe 219 9.2 +0.6
Labour John Grillo 50 2.1 –3.2
Majority 801 33.9 –10.0
Turnout 2,369 47.7 +6.9
Registered electors 4,973
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease5.1

Gade Valley

Gade Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Aidan Bentley 716 32.8 –17.4
Conservative Jo Colledge-Miller 697 31.9 +5.4
Reform Sachin Dhir 508 23.3 N/A
Green Andrew Gallagher 162 7.4 +1.1
Labour Bruce Prochnik 100 4.6 –12.4
Majority 19 0.9 –22.8
Turnout 2,183 42.8 +16.2
Registered electors 5,110
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease11.4

Leavesden

Leavesden
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Kevin Raeburn* 888 40.5 –14.7
Reform Nicky Rowe 538 24.6 N/A
Conservative Anne Jervis 438 20.0 –4.2
Green Michael Rayment 193 8.8 +3.1
Labour Colin Gray 114 5.2 –9.6
TUSC Richard Shattock 19 0.9 N/A
Majority 350 15.9 –15.1
Turnout 2,190 37.5 +8.4
Registered electors 5,850
Liberal Democrats hold

Moor Park & Eastbury

Moor Park & Eastbury
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Anaika Chopra 1,025 58.0 –14.0
Reform Shailja Shah 262 14.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Peter Harman 224 12.7 –0.3
Green Jan Blatchford-Pace 193 10.9 +2.9
Labour Mashkoor Khan 63 3.6 –3.3
Majority 763 45.3 –13.7
Turnout 1,767 39.8 +6.5
Registered electors 4,444
Conservative hold

Oxhey Hall & Hayling

Oxhey Hall & Hayling
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Shelley Gormley 866 36.8 –19.5
Reform Alex Trainor 746 31.7 N/A
Conservative Vishal Patel 396 16.8 –4.9
Green Noah Yeates 201 8.5 +3.3
Labour Jason St John 146 6.2 –10.6
Majority 120 5.1 –29.5
Turnout 2,355 43.5 +9.1
Registered electors 5,420
Liberal Democrats hold

Penn & Mill End

Penn & Mill End
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kerry Milliken 892 37.5 +1.7
Reform Dane Clarke 623 26.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Sarah Nelmes* 574 24.1 –18.3
Green Malcolm Lee 204 8.6 –1.2
Labour Joanne Cox 86 3.6 –8.5
Majority 269 11.3 N/A
Turnout 2,379 46.6 +17.7
Registered electors 5,129
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats

Rickmansworth Town

Rickmansworth Town
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrea Fraser* 1,380 49.5 +5.8
Liberal Democrats Katy Sorkin 667 23.9 –17.8
Reform Melvyn Clifford 373 13.4 N/A
Green Kelly Critcher 282 10.1 +3.4
Labour Philip Lockett 85 3.0 –4.9
Majority 713 25.6 +23.6
Turnout 2,787 49.4 +5.9
Registered electors 5,650
Conservative hold Swing Increase11.8

South Oxhey

South Oxhey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Kavan Trivedi 795 35.2 –0.9
Reform Taylor Smith 712 31.5 N/A
Labour Stephen King* 465 20.6 –29.5
Green Chris Lawrence 201 8.9 +1.8
Liberal Democrats Rhys Southall 85 3.8 –2.8
Majority 83 3.7 N/A
Turnout 2,258 39.8 +10.9
Registered electors 5,693
Conservative gain from Labour

References

  1. ↑ Liberal Democrats minority
  2. ↑ Liberal Democrats minority
  3. ↑ Elected at the 2025 Abbots Langley & Bedmond by-election.
  4. ↑ Originally elected as a Conservative, but subsequently left the party to sit as an Independent.
  5. ↑ Standing in Chorleywood South & Maple Cross.
  6. ↑ Elected at the 2023 Chorleywood South & Maple Cross by-election.
  7. ↑ Incumbent councillor in Chorleywood North and Sarratt, but standing for election in Chorleywood South and Maple Cross instead of for re-election in Chorleywood North and Sarratt.
  1. 1 2 "Three Rivers Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 5 February 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  2. ↑ "Council wants Three Rivers elections to go ahead as planned". www.threerivers.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  3. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Liam (8 May 2026). "Election 2026 - full Three Rivers District Council results". Watford Observer. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Leadership team appointed at Annual Council". Three Rivers District Council. 21 May 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Three Rivers result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "District Council Election Results 2 May 2024". www.threerivers.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  7. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Kingstanding still". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  8. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Grand post-election roundup". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Rickmansworth Town Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  10. 1 2 Allen, Nik (24 July 2024). "'DEDICATED COUNCILLOR': By-election to be held following Three Rivers District Council Deputy Leader's resignation". My News Mag. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Abbots Langley and Bedmond Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Day, Christopher (31 January 2025). "Councillor resigns after nearly 30 years amid ongoing row". Watford Observer. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Day, Christopher (17 February 2025). "Councillor 'left with no choice' but to resign from Conservative group". Watford Observer. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Abbots Langley and Bedmond Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Liam (21 March 2025). "District councillor resigns seat - by-election to be held". Watford Observer. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Durrants Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  17. ↑ McGuinness, Fintan (27 October 2025). "Tory chairman becomes third councillor to resign from party". Watford Observer. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  18. ↑ "Three Rivers election result - Local Elections 2026". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  19. ↑ "District Council Election Results 7 May 2026". Three Rivers District Council. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Three_Rivers_District_Council_election