One third of the seats were being contested, with an extra seat being up for election in St Bartholomew ward after the sitting Conservative councillor, Flick Drummond, emigrated to the USA and thus failed to attend any council meetings in the required 6-month period. The Liberal Democrats had a majority of 13 seats before the election and despite defending 9 seats were expected to remain in control of the council. 3 sitting councillors, all Liberal Democrats, stood down at the election, Miranda Bulloch, Phrynette Dickens and Alan Laidlaw.
