THE CONSERVATIVES maintained control of Bromsgrove District Council with the same majority, gaining two seats and losing two.
The main changes were to the other parties in what, in hindsight, was an election of musical chairs.
As the votes were counted there were some nervous faces in the Conservative group having seen heavy losses for their counterparts around the country overnight.
And at one point it looked as though Bromsgrove may go to no overall control but a late flurry of late Tory seat wins saw the leading group remain on 17.
There were some big losses for the Conservatives with long-standing councillors Kit Taylor and Rita Dent losing their places.
Mr Taylor’s Lickey Hills seat was taken by popular Liberal Democrat campaigner Janet King and the seat Mrs Dent had held in Bromsgrove Central for a number of years was also taken by a Lib Dem – Siobhan Hughes.
The Liberal Democrats were the biggest winners in Bromsgrove with Rob Hunter also gaining one for the party in Norton.
You have to go back 12 years to the late Gordon Selway when the Lib Dems last had a seat on the district council.
Mr Hunter told The Standard: “I’m absolutely delighted – it’s a really great result.
“There is a fantastic community in Norton and Lickey End and I am pleased to get the opportunity to represent them on the council.
“I can’t wait to get to work on things they care about.”
Labour started the day with seven seats and ended it on five with the party losing stalwart Christine McDonald in Rubery South to Conservative Adrian Kriss.
It could have been so different if Labour had held that seat and won in Aston Fields which needed three recounts after just one vote separate the canidates – Conservative Phil Thomas edged out Labour’s Rory Shannon.
Labour Leader Coun Michael Thompson said: “There were a lot of ifs an buts and it did look like it was going to go to no overall control at one point.
“I’m devastated for Rory Shannon as it was so close and he worked so hard.
“I’m also disappointed to lose Christine McDonald.”
The independents are now up one from four to five and the Wythall Residents Association are down from three to one.
The changes to the parties’ seats poses the question as to who will be the Conservative’s opposition.
Coun Thompson pointed out Labour was the party with the second highest number of seats but the Independents would argue they sit and campaigned as an ‘Independent Alliance’ with the Wythall Residents Association. A combintion of those now would give an Indpendent-Wythall Resients Association Alliance six seats and Labour five.
Independent Rachel Jenkins, who held onto her Hagley East seat in emphatic style, winning 727 to 219 over Conservative Cameron Uppal, said: “You cannot take votes for granted an have to get out there.
“I have worked very hard and we have had some new development in my ward so I have been out there introducing myself and the hard work has paid off.”
Reflecting on the overall result the council’s deputy leader Coun Karen May said the party was more relieved than jubilant about maintaining overall control of the council and it was definitely not a cause for celebration.
“The electorate has spoken and we will take on board what they have said.
“We are grateful to the support of everyone who voted for us but it’s not about party politics – it’s about doing what is best for Bromsgrove and for the benefit of the district.
“People are cheesed off with politicians at the moment and quite rightly so – we have to work hard to win their confidence back.”
Leader Coun Geoff Denaro said he was disappointed long-serving councillors Kit Taylor and Rita Dent had lost their seats and praised them for their hard work over the years.
“With Kit and (his mother) Margaret Taylor, there has been a Taylor in the Lickey Hills seat for 46 years.”
The loss of Coun Taylor, the council’s member for housing and planning, will mean there needs to be changes to the cabinet and Coun Denaro hinted there could be a reshuffle.
“We are due to meet on May 14 so we will be discussing what we do then.”
Coun Denaro added he was happy with Adrian Kriss’ victory in Rubery South and was looking forward to the Conservatives being given a chance to work on behalf of Rubery residents, an area the Tories had not traditionally done well in.
The first full meeting of the new-look council takes place on May 22.
FINAL SEATS
CON – 17
IND – 5
LAB – 5
LIB DEM – 3
WRA – 1
ALVECHURCH SOUTH – IND GAIN
Trevor Bland – CON – 390
Alan Cooper – LAB – 54
Annette English – IND – 563 – ELECTED
Dean Petters – LIB DEM – 53
ALVECHURCH VILLAGE – IND HOLD
Neil Harris – CON – 104
Louise Humphries – LAB – 46
Kate Van Der Plank – IND – 840 – ELECTED
ASTON FIELDS – CON HOLD
Phil Thomas – CON – 419 – ELECTED
Rory Shannon – LAB – 418
AVONCROFT – CON HOLD
Leah-Nani Alconcel – LIB DEM – 175
John Ellis – LAB – 211
Malcolm Glass – CON – 397 – ELECTED
BARNT GREEN / HOPWOOD – IND HOLD
Charles Hotham – IND – 898 – ELECTED
Mary Marsh – CON
BELBROUGHTON AND ROMSLEY – CON HOLD TWO
Phil Baker – LAB – 309
Karen May – CON – 1,322 – ELECTED
Margaret Sherrey – CON – 1,230 – ELECTED
Caroline Thompson LAB – 301
BROMSGROVE CENTRAL – LIB DEM GAIN
Rita Dent – CON – 383
Jane Elledge – LAB -151
Siobhan Hughes – LIB DEM – 536 – ELECTED
CATSHILL NORTH – CON HOLD
Abdul Jilani – LAB – 239
Jo-Ann Till – CON -323 – ELECTED
CATSHILL SOUTH – CON HOLD
Julian Gray – GREEN – 96
Sarah Mansell – LIB DEM – 42
Matthew Osborne – LAB – 97
Shirley Webb – CON – 339 – ELECTED
Turnout 26.49%
CHARFORD – LAB HOLD
Andrew Sherrey – CON – 142
Michael Thompson – LAB -469 – ELECTED
COFTON – CON HOLD
Richard Deeming – CON – 232 – ELECTED
Tony Maslen – LAB – 91
Jill Harvey – GREEN – 130
Robin Van Der Plank – IND – 208
Sarah Woodhouse – LIB DEM – 70
DRAKES CROSS – WRA HOLD
Sue Baxter – WRA – 460 – ELECTED
Kathryn Powell – CON – 330
HAGLEY EAST – IND HOLD
Rachel Jenkins – IND – 727 – ELECTED
Cameron Uppall – CON – 219
HAGLEY WEST – IND HOLD
Steve Colella – IND – 939 – ELECTED
Kyle Daisley – CON – 267
HILL TOP – LAB HOLD
Luke Mallett – LAB – 681 – ELECTED
Suzanne Morgan – CON – 70
HOLLYWOOD – CON GAIN
Adam Kent – CON – 490 – ELECTED
Marian Leydon – LAB – 81
Keith Yates – WRA – 295
LICKEY HILLS – LIB DEM GAIN
Janet King – LIB DEM – 484 – ELECTED
Kit Taylor – CON – 374
LOWES HILL – CON HOLD
Brenda Henderson – LAB – 236
Rod Laight – CON – 372 – ELECTED
Rebecca Stevens – LIB DEM – 191
MARLBROOK – CON HOLD
Ros Cooke – LAB – 160
Peter Harvey – GREEN -206
Helen Jones – CON -474 – ELECTED
NORTON – LIB DEM GAIN
Jackie Alderson – CON -205
Rob Hunter – LIB DEM -675- ELECTED
PERRYFIELDS – CON HOLD
Drew Beaumont – CON – 308 – ELECTED
Amy Thompson-Lancaster – LAB -234
ROCK HILL – LAB HOLD
Mike Mihailovic – LIB DEM – 65
Harrison Rone-Clark – LAB – 337 – ELECTED
Dean Smith – IND – 94
Del Booth – CON – 246
RUBERY NORTH – LAB HOLD
Faye Kent – CON – 259
Peter McDonald – LAB – 526 – ELECTED
RUBERY SOUTH – CON GAIN
Kevin White – GREEN -67
Steve Capewell – IND – 134
Christine McDonald – LAB- 323
Adrian Kriss – CON – 352 – ELECTED
SANDERS PARK – CON HOLD
Maria Middleton – CON – 467 – ELECTED
Gemma Weavis-Long – LAB – 373
SIDEMOOR – LAB HOLD
Sue Douglas – LAB – 277 –ELECTED
James Jarvis – CON -253
Joshua Robinson – LIB DEM – 151
SLIDESLOW – CON HOLD
Caroline Spencer – CON – 589 – ELECTION
David Skidmore – LAB – 158
Samuel Evans – LIB DEM – 159
TARDEBIGGE – CON HOLD
Sarah Courbet – IND – 179
Nicholas Hind – LIB DEM – 77
Sean Shannon – LAB – 129
Peter Whittaker – CON – 472 – ELECTED
Turnout – 36%
WYTHALL EAST – CON GAIN
Helen Cleaver – WRA – 345
Sarah Hession – CON – 419 – ELECTED
Hazel Jones – LIB DEM 55
WYTHALL WEST – CON HOLD
Geoff Denaro – CON – 371 – ELECTED
Sandra Docker – LIB DEM – 62
Stephen Peters – WRA – 257
Susanna Wilshaw – LAB – 59
