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.
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
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