INDEPENDENT councillors enjoyed success at last week’s Evesham Town Council elections, taking half of the 24 seats on offer.
While the Conservatives remain the largest party with 10 seats, the Evesham Independents group have seven seats on the new-look council.
Five independent councillors including current deputy Mayor of Evesham Coun Sarah Schaathun and former Mayor Coun Alan Booth were also returned meaning half of the members of the Town Council have no party affiliation.
It was also good news for the Green Party who retained their seat while Coun Heather Kelleher won a seat for Labour in Little Hampton.
Coun Emma Nishigaki and Coun Tim Haines comfortably won seats in Avon in a result which saw the Conservatives finish fourth and fifth behind independent Phillip Rowne-Speed.
Current Mayor of Evesham Coun Mark Goodge was one of two Conservatives elected in Bengeworth alongside local author Coun Stan Brotherton.
But the party was denied a clean sweep with more success for Evesham Independents for Coun Julie Haines and Coun Callum Gailey while long-serving Coun Booth won another term.
The results were a real family affair as Coun Callum Gailey will be joined by wife Coun Terri Gailey who won the Fairfield seat for the Evesham Independents.
Long serving Conservatives Coun Andrew Dyke and Coun Robert Raphael were returned in Little Hampton while there was more success for independents in the South ward.
Councillors John Campbell-Muir, Nigel Deacon and Chrissy Smith won three of the five seats up for grabs together with former Mayor of Evesham Coun Sue Amor and the Green Party’s Coun Julie Tucker.
A mixed night for the Conservatves was soothed by taking both seats in Twyford through Coun Patrick Boyd and Coun Marion Griffiths just ahead of Labour’s Mary Tasker and David Tasker who both finished within 15 votes of winning the seat.
There were no elections to Pershore Town Council this year due to a lack of candidates.
A Mayor of Evesham will be appointed on Monday (May 15) evening while Pershore will appoint its first citizen on Thursday (May 18).
