CONSERVATIVES have retained control of Wychavon District Council but have seen their majority slashed by almost half following the local elections.
Last Thursday’s poll (May 4) was the first since boundary changes were implemented which saw the number of seats contested fall from 45 to 43.
Coun Bradley Thomas retained his Harvington and Norton seat and is likely to lead 29 Conservatives out of the 43 sets available, a majority of 15 compared to the 25 seat majority his party won in 2019.
His party won the seat in Badsey and Aldington while Coun Mark Goodge and Coun Emma Stokes were returned to the Bengeworth
The new Broadway, Sedgeberrow and Childswickham ward was comfortably held for the party by Coun Emma Kearsey and Coun Emma Sims as was Drakes Broughton, Norton and Whittington.
Former Mayor of Evesham Coun Charlie Homer returned to Wychavon District Council in Evesham North but Mayor of Pershore Matthew Winfield – who was cleared of bullying allegations during the campaign – lost in Fladbury to Liberal Democrat Coun Angie Crump.
The Tories comfortably retained all three seats on offer in Hampton meaning success for Coun Andrew Dyke, Coun Robert Raphael and Coun John Clatworthy.
But Tony Rowley was defeated in Bowbrook as Coun Margaret Rowley retained her place on the council on a night which saw the Liberal Democrats once again take a clean sweep in Pershore.
Former Conservative councillor Val Wood finished almost 750 votes shy of Coun Charles Tucker as the trio of Lib Dems all polled in excess of 1,400 votes.
Meanwhile the Green Party doubled its representation on Wychavon District Council from three seats to six including a clean sweep of the two places on offer in Honeybourne, Pebworth and the Littletons as Coun Hannah Robson and Coun Judith Ciotti continued the party’s recent successes in south Worcestershire.
Coun Ed Cohen and Coun Judith Tucker, who made history to become the first Green Party councillors on Wychavon in 2019 retained their Evesham South seats
Meanwhile there was success for the Labour Party as Coun Mary Tasker became the party’s first councillor for eight years when she won in Evesham North.
She will be the sole representative on the new-look council alongside 29 Conservatives, seven Liberal Democrats and six Green Party councillors.
A leader of Wychavon District Council will be appointed at the annual council meeting on Wednesday (May 17) along with appointments to the executive board and the appointment of a new council chairman.
Elections were also held for Evesham Town Council last Thursday, click here for more
