Conservatives retain overall control of Wiltshire Council following an extraordinary election period and year.

Through a pandemic-framed election Wiltshire’s Conservatives have claimed 61 seats out of a possible 98. Previously the Tory group held 62.

The Liberal Democrats – Wiltshire’s largest opposition group – gained six seats for a total of 27.

Labour held its total of three seats while Independents dropped four.

This Is Wiltshire:

While election staff counted away the atrium of County Hall in Trowbridge was filled with an eerie silence only broken up by the jostling of ballots and small conversations.

The overall voter turnout in the elections was 40.53 per cent up from 2017 where the same figure was 39.6 per cent.

FOR A FULL COUNT BREAKDOWN READ: Latest news at the Wiltshire Council election counts - live updates

Terence Herbert, council chief executive and returning officer said: “I’d like to congratulate all the elected Wiltshire Council members, both new and returning, for their successes today.

“We look forward to working with all 98 elected members in the coming years.

“This election has been a huge undertaking for all our staff, who have had to manage the whole process in a safe and Covid-secure way, I’d like to thank them for all their hard work.

“The hard work continues though, and tomorrow we will count the city, town and parish ballots in our three count centres in Trowbridge, Salisbury and Chippenham, and then on Monday we will count the votes for the Wiltshire and Swindon Police and Crime Commissioner in Salisbury.”

In the Calne South ward Sam Pearce-Kearney (Lib Dem) won the previously Conservative held seat with an over 300 vote majority. Wiltshire Tories also made a loss in Corsham Without.

The Liberal Democrats however lost seats at Melksham Forest and Melksham South -- the seat is still held by Cllr Jon Hubbard who is now Independent and formerly of the Lib Dems.

In Trowbridge, seats between Conservative and Lib Dem candidates ebbed and flowed, with Antonio Piazza taking back Drynham for the Tories, while David Vigar and Jo Trigg gained elsewhere in the county town for the Lib Dems.

Lib Dems made some critical gains in Salisbury St Edmund’s and Tisbury.

Unlike in Swindon, where Labour dropped seats, the Wiltshire party retained its three seat presence.

However, the biggest take away from the elections is that Wiltshire Council will next week have a new leader, as Philip Whitehead has taken the decision to step back from the role.

First elected to Urchfont and Bishops Cannings in 2013, Cllr Whitehead took over as leader of the council following the departure of Baroness Jane Scott.

Cllr Whitehead, who was today re-elected, said it was the right time and that he wanted someone else to serve the next full-term as leader.

He added that he is positive about the time he spent as leader having run a "fair, honest and transparent council".

READ MORE: Philip Whitehead to stand down as leader of Wiltshire Council

Here is the full list of councillors taking up seats on Wiltshire Council:

Aldbourne & Ramsbury

James Henry Sheppard - Conservative

Alderbury & Whiteparish

Richard Britton - Conservative

Amesbury East & Bulford

Mark Gregory Verbinnen - Conservative

Amesbury South

Rob Yuill - Conservative

Amesbury West

Monica Devendran - Conservative

Avon Valley

Ian Charles Duke Blair-Pilling - Conservative

Bowerhill

Nick Holder - Conservative

Box & Colerne

Brian George Felton Mathew - Liberal Democrats

Bradford on Avon North

Tim Trimble - Liberal Democrats

Bradford on Avon South

Sarah Gibson - Liberal Democrats

Brinkworth

Elizabeth Buff Threlfall - Conservative

Bromham, Rowde & Roundway

Laura Evelyn Mayes - Conservative

By Brook

Nick Botterill - Conservative

Calne Central

Ian Leslie Thorn - Liberal Democrats

Calne Chilvester & Abberd

Tony Trotman - Conservative

Calne North

Tom Rounds - Conservative

Calne Rural

Ashley O’Neill - Conservative

Calne South

Sam Pearce-Kearney - Liberal Democrats

Chippenham Cepen Park & Derriads

Nic Puntis - Conservative

Chippenham Cepen Park & Hunters Moon

Peter John Hutton - Conservative

Chippenham Hardenhuish

Kathryn Farrah Macdermid - Liberal Democrats

Chippenham Hardens & Central

Liz Alstrom - Liberal Democrats

Chippenham Lowden & Rowden

Ross Henning - Liberal Democrats

Chippenham Monkton

Nick Murry - Independent

Chippenham Pewsham

Clare Morforwyn Cape - Liberal Democrats

Chippenham Sheldon

Adrian David Foster - Liberal Democrats

Corsham Ladbrook

Ruth Mary Catherine Hopkinson - Liberal Democrats

Corsham Pickwick

Helen Clare Belcher - Liberal Democrats

Corsham Without

Derek Charles Walter - Liberal Democrats

Cricklade & Latton

Bob Jones - Liberal Democrats

Devizes East

Kelvin James Nash - Conservative

Devizes North

Iain Wallis - Conservative

Devizes Rural West

Tamara Reay - Conservative

Devizes South

Simon David Jacobs - Conservative

Downton & Ebble Valley

Richard John Clewer - Conservative

Durrington

Graham Wright - Independent

Ethandune

Suzanne Grahem Wickham - Conservative

Fovant & Chalke Valley

Nabil Habib Najjar - Conservative

Hilperton

Ernie Clark - Independent

Holt

Trevor William Carbin - Liberal Democrats

Kington

Howard Greenman - Conservative

Laverstock

Ian David McLennan - Labour

Ludgershall North & Rural

Christopher Michael Williams - Conservative

Lyneham

Allison Mary Bucknell - Conservative

Malmesbury

Gavin Grant - Liberal Democrats

Marlborough East

Caroline Susan Thomas - Conservative

Marlborough West

Jane Francis Davies - Conservative

Melksham East

Mike Sankey - Conservative

Melksham Forest

Jack Oatley - Independent

Melksham South

Jon Hubbard - Independent

Melksham Without North & Shurnhold

Phil Alford - Conservative

Melksham Without West & Rural

Jonathon Seed - Conservative

Mere

George Edwin Jeans - Independent

Minety

Chuck Berry - Conservative

Nadder Valley

Bridget Anne Wayman - Conservative

Old Sarum & Lower Bourne Valley

Andrew Peter Oliver - Conservative

Pewsey

Jerry Kunkler - Conservative

Pewsey Vale East

Stuart John Kennedy Wheeler - Conservative

Pewsey Vale West

Paul Oatway - Conservative

Purton

Jacqui Lay - Conservative

Redlynch & Landford

Zoë Diana Clewer - Conservative

Royal Wootton Bassett East

Steve Bucknell - Conservative

Royal Wootton Bassett North

Mary Champion - Conservative

Royal Wootton Bassett South & West

David Michael Bowler - Liberal Democrats

Salisbury Bemerton Heath

Caroline Susan Corbin - Labour

Salisbury Fisherton & Bemerton Village

Ricky Rogers - Labour

Salisbury Harnham East

Sven Hocking - Conservative

Salisbury Harnham West

Brian Edward Dalton - Liberal Democrats

Salisbury Milford

Charles Samuel McGrath - Conservative

Salisbury St Edmund`s

Paul William Leslie Sample - Liberal Democrats

Salisbury St Francis & Stratford

Mark Jonathan Lamdin McClelland - Conservative

Salisbury St Paul`s

Mary Elsie Webb - Conservative

Sherston

Martin Fausing Smith - Liberal Democrats

Southwick

Horace John Prickett - Conservative

The Lavingtons

Dominic Rafael Miguel Muns - Conservative

Tidworth East & Ludgershall South

Anthony Kenneth John Pickernell - Conservative

Tidworth North & West

Mark Connolly - Conservative

Till Valley

Kevin Stuart Daley - Conservative

Tisbury

Nick Errington - Liberal Democrats

Trowbridge Adcroft

Edward Kirk - Conservative

Trowbridge Central

Stewart Martin Palmen - Liberal Democrats

Trowbridge Drynham

Antonio Calogero Piazza - Conservative

Trowbridge Grove

David Charles Vigar - Liberal Democrats

Trowbridge Lambrok

Jo Trigg - Liberal Democrats

Trowbridge Park

Daniel Ryan Cave - Conservative

Trowbridge Paxcroft

Mel Jacob - Liberal Democrats

Urchfont & Bishops Cannings

Philip Whitehead - Conservative

Warminster Broadway

Tony Jackson - Conservative

Warminster East

Andrew Davis - Conservative

Warminster North & Rural

Bill Parks - Conservative

Warminster West

Pip Ridout - Conservative

Westbury East

Gordon Ian King - Liberal Democrats

Westbury North

Carole King - Liberal Democrats

Westbury West

Matthew Jonathan Anthony Dean - Independent

Wilton

Pauline Elizabeth Church - Conservative

Winsley & Westwood

Johnny Kidney - Conservative

Winterslow & Upper Bourne Valley

Rich Rogers - Conservative

Wylye Valley

Christoper Newbury - Conservative