Ward profile: Hove Park

Hove Park: Candidates, 2011 election results, and a profile of the ward.

Candidates (Two seats)

*Jayne Bennett (Conservative)

*Vanessa Brown (Conservative)

Iain Martin (Green, second choice)

Alex Potter (Green, first choice)

John Cooper (Labour)

Dominic Ford (Labour)

Bob Bailey (Liberal Democrats)

Ivan Bonsell (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)

Trevor Hinkley (UKIP)

Mark Simmonds (UKIP)

Poll watch

The Conservatives will win Hove Park.

There. We've said it.

In the last council elections, Councillor Jayne Bennett received more votes than all eight rival candidates put together.

If the streets in and around Hove Park were painted, they would be painted blue.

So let's talk about the also-rans.

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In particular, UKIP '“ whose leaders are concerned we have not properly reflected their presence.

Helpfully, UKIP provided mini pen-portraits of the two candidates in Hove Park: Mark Simmonds - Occupation: International sales manager (construction industry) and Trevor Hinkley - Occupation: retired local policeman.

They are not atypical for UKIP - neither for candidates, nor for potential voters.

But Hove Park is distinctive, clearly one of the wealthiest wards in the city.

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Nearly one in five people (17.8%) is in a higher managerial position; nearly nine in 10 are white (88.4%); the proportion of households with no adults in employment, but with dependent children, is barely one in 50 (2.5%).

Councillor Bennett and her colleague, Councillor Vanessa Brown, have solid records of diligence - and even if John Cooper can quadruple his vote in 2011, they would still be virtually unassailable.

There we've said it. Again.

2011 election results

Candidates                                                           Votes (%)    

Jayne Patricia Bennett (Conservative - elected) 2,557 (35%)

Vanessa Brown (Conservative - elected) 2,368 (32%)

John Cooper (Labour) 661 (9%)

Bernie Katz (Labour) 505 (7%)

Gavin Graham (Green) 458 (6%)

Jane Prisley (Green) 292 (4%)

Anna Gerrard (Liberal Democrats) 198 (3%)

Manrico Oliveri (Liberal Democrats) 158 (2%)

Sasha Louise Stephens (UKIP) 106 (1%)

Factfile (Source: Census 2011)

Households: 4,086

Density (people per hectare): 35

Women: 51% (5,384)

Men: 49% (5,218)

Average age: 41

Higher managerial occupations: 17.8% (1,493)

Unemployed: 4% (214)

White: 88.4% (9,371)

Black/African/Caribbean/Black British: 0.9% (97)

Asian/Asian British: 5% (526)

Number who cannot speak English well: 88

Dependent children in household (% of all households): 35.6%

Christians: 55%

No religion: 29%

Number of same-sex civil partnerships: 66

Divorced: 7%

Living as co-habiting couple: 9.9%

Married: 52.9%

One family - all aged 65 and over: 10.3%

Lone parent - with dependent children: 6%

No adults in employment, with dependent children: 2.5%

Long-term unemployed: 1%

Activities limited a lot by poor health: 6.1%

No cars or vans in household: 13%

No qualifications: 13.4%

Full-time students aged 18 and over: 4.1%

One person in household with long-term health problem/disability - with dependent children: 4.6%

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