Conservative majority cut but they keep control of Devon County Council

The Conservatives have retained the control of Devon County Council for another for years – but with a reduced majority.

Under John Hart’s leadership, they have been in charge of the council since 2009, and Thursday’s local elections saw they stretch that reign until 2025.

Coming into the vote, the Conservatives held 41 of the 60 seats, but they only held onto 39 following the conclusion of the counting on Saturday.

The Liberal Democrats gained three seats to become the official opposition on nine, while Labour gained one seat in Exeter to end on seven.

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The Green Party gained a seat in Broadclyst, as well as holding on to Totnes and Dartington, to return two councillors, while three Independents were elected (in Fremington Rural, Otter Valley and Newton Abbot South).

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The Conservatives remain in control of the council, although their majority is slightly down on how they went into the elections with.

Cllr John Hart, leader of the council, who retained his Bickleigh and Wembury seat, said: “I’m very grateful to everyone who voted – no matter which party they chose – in difficult circumstances.

“We shall continue to govern in Devon for the benefit of the county as a whole and for all our residents.

“They’ve shown great resilience over the past year in ensuring we’ve had some of the lowest Covid infection figures throughout the pandemic.

“But now, with the success of the vaccination programme and the Bank of England’s optimistic forecast for the national economy, we have got to focus on regenerating the Devon economy and driving the strongest possible recovery.

“We mean to get back to work immediately for the benefit of everyone in the county. We have ambitious plans for a cleaner, Greener Devon with a thriving economy. We can’t create jobs but we can provide the right climate for business to create jobs.

“We invested £4 million in the Future Skills Centre at Exeter Airport to help train our young people – and anyone else wanting to change career or re-skill – so that they can find good, well-paid jobs in the careers of the future.

“We are working closely with South Hams District and Plymouth City councils on the new Plymouth and South Devon Freeport.

“We’ve supported work hubs where small businesses or start-ups can hire office space and equipment. There are currently 15 across the county and we’re planning at least seven more.

“Over the next two years, we’ve set aside £6.2 million to provide support to help businesses regenerate and our economy recover.

“We are supporting tourism, hospitality and local producers as our economy continues to re-open. We’ve launched a major Made in Devon marketing campaign to support and promote county businesses to local people and visitors alike.

“This is already supporting food producers and agriculture and will back tourism and hospitality as the restrictions are lifted.

“We are backing the roll-out of fast broadband for rural Devon. An £80 million pound programme is under way in Devon and Somerset which will help to halt the digital divide between rural and urban communities in our county.

“We’re now working on major improvements to the North Devon link road, work’s starting on the facilities to allow passenger rail services from Okehampton to Exeter to re-start and we’re beginning work on the new rail station at Marsh Barton to serve the industrial estate there from both Teignbridge and East Devon.

“And we are very mindful that we have to do all this and get the recovery going whilst keeping our promise to reduce carbon emissions.

“Across the county council, we’ve cut our carbon footprint by almost half and we’re on target to become net-zero carbon by 2030.

“We will continue to invest in LED lighting on our streetlights. That both saves money but also cuts our carbon emissions.

“There will be more charging points for electric cars, solar panels on the roofs of our buildings and we are looking for more land to plant trees to offset our carbon footprint.

“There’s a lot to do as we recover from the pandemic and I can’t wait to get back to work.”

Cllr Sara Randall Johnson, who retained her Broadclyst seat on Saturday added: “It is very clear that the Conservatives and Team Devon have been returned to the authority. I will be working for the people and making sure that we look after them. That is my priority and has always been so,” with her also paying tribute to some of the younger Conservative candidates who stood but didn’t win.

Cllr Jeff Trail, who kept his Exmouth seat, added: “This has been great for the Conservative party and we will work as a team to do the work we said we would do, have been doing, and will continue to do.”

It was two days of little change, with only a handful of seats changing hands, including the Conservatives regaining Bideford West and Hartland from a former-Conservative-turned-Independent, while Phil Bullivant took Newton Abbot North from the Liberal Democrats, and Marcus Hartnell gained Seaton and Colyton from the East Devon Alliance.

The Liberal Democrats took Barnstaple South, South Brent and Yealmpton, Dawlish and Teignmouth from the Tories, to leave them on nine seats, although Newton Says No candidate Janet Bradford took the Newton Abbot South seat from them, to leave them as the official opposition on the council again.

Cllr Alan Connett, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: “I am delighted that we gave put on three seats but we do have a job of work to do holding the Conservatives to account. It is a tired administration at County Ahll and won’t be much change, so our job will be to promote to the people of Devon the things that are important, fixing the roads, mending children’s services, the economy, how we recover from Covid. What I want is a willingness from the Conservatives to work together on mending Devon’s economy.

“This is part of the journey back. We knew it would be a long haul and we are up for the fight and we are up to work with the administration when they have sensible ideas which are good for the people of Devon. But they haven’t fixed the roads and for eight long years children’s services has been inadequate and it has got to stop.”

On a difficult day for Labour nationally, the party held onto all seven seats in Exeter, but failed to make any gains in the city or elsewhere.

Group leader Cllr Rob Hannaford said: “I am absolutely thrilled we have held all seven seats in Exeter. We have a fantastic team of county councillors who will bring a lot of strength and experience to County Hall. We will move forward with confidence and hold the administration to account. In Exeter, we have bucked the national trend. Labour nationally clearly had a difficult round of elections but in Exeter we have held our own as we keep the campaign local, but I am disappointed more progress outside Exeter wasn’t made.

“We will be a constructive opposition, if they are doing the right thing, we will back it, but if it needs to change, we will raise issues and lobby and get things done.”

The most votes went to Jess Bailey, an Independent who took the Otter Valley seat with more than 3,000 votes, taking over from Claire Wright.

Cllr Bailey said: “I am absolutely thrilled and stunned and so grateful for all who voted for me. I am absolutely delighted and I want to say thank you to all those who voted for me. One of priorities will be the state of the roads, road safety, patchy broadband, Tipton St John school, and I am absolutely thrilled.”

Cllr Henry Gent, the Green party councillor who won the Broadclyst seat from a Conservative, added: “Thank you to the votes here how have realised that if you want Green, you must vote Green. As a Green I care for this patch of earth, the local people, and all our posterity.

“The only promise I make as a Green county councillor is to work hard and do my best for the people and place that I love most in the world.”

FULL RESULTS

Name of ward

Seats available

Held by party

Candidates

Party

Votes

Alphington & Cowick

LAB

Katherine New

CON

1700

Alphington & Cowick

LAB

Julyan Marq Levy

GRN

507

Alphington & Cowick

LAB

Yvonne Atkinson

LAB

1955

Alphington & Cowick

LAB

Rod Ruffle

483

Ashburton & Buckfastleigh

CON

Sarah Parker-Khan

CON

1741

Ashburton & Buckfastleigh

CON

Andy Williamson

GRN

549

Ashburton & Buckfastleigh

CON

Su Maddock

LAB

501

Ashburton & Buckfastleigh

CON

John Nutley

1444

Axminster

CON

Ian L Hall

CON

1672

Axminster

CON

Paul Hayward

IND

1439

Axminster

CON

Oliver Tucker

LAB

498

Axminster

CON

Jules Hoyles

209

Barnstaple North

Natasha Vukic

CON

742

Barnstaple North

Rob Pet

FREEDOM ALLIANCE

Barnstaple North

Robbie Mack

GRN

837

Barnstaple North

Nick Agnew

LAB

227

Barnstaple North

Ian Roome

1499

Barnstaple South

CON

David William Hoare

CON

1217

Barnstaple South

CON

Josie Knight

FREEDOM ALLIANCE

Barnstaple South

CON

Lou Goodger

GRN

250

Barnstaple South

CON

David Graham Luggar

IND

328

Barnstaple South

CON

Philip Hawkins

LAB

202

Barnstaple South

CON

Caroline Frances Herringham Leaver

1436

Bickleigh & Wembury

CON

John Hart

CON

2470

Bickleigh & Wembury

CON

Emma Elizabeth Relph

FREEDOM ALLIANCE

Bickleigh & Wembury

CON

Win Scutt

GRN

416

Bickleigh & Wembury

CON

Ed Parsons

LAB

534

Bickleigh & Wembury

CON

Christopher Michael Oram

353

Bideford East

CON

Linda Joan Hellyer

CON

1450

Bideford East

CON

Will Douglas-Mann

GRN

368

Bideford East

CON

James Andrew Craigie

IND

304

Bideford East

CON

Jude Gubb

IND

298

Bideford East

CON

Annie Brenton

LAB

585

Bideford East

CON

Stephen Potts

226

Bideford West & Hartland

CON

Jeffrey Wilton-Love

CON

1003

Bideford West & Hartland

CON

Paul Jelf

FREEDOM ALLIANCE

Bideford West & Hartland

CON

Keith Stuart Funnell

GRN

280

Bideford West & Hartland

CON

Joel Alexander Herron

IND

265

Bideford West & Hartland

CON

Robin Julian

IND

224

Bideford West & Hartland

CON

Tony Inch

IND

465

Bideford West & Hartland

CON

Dylan Billson

LAB

405

Bideford West & Hartland

CON

Bert Bruins

216

Bovey Rural

CON

George John Gribble

CON

2004

Bovey Rural

CON

Anna Katherine Presland

GRN

378

Bovey Rural

CON

Eoghan Eamon Kelly

IND

460

Bovey Rural

CON

Lisa Robillard Webb

LAB

522

Bovey Rural

CON

Sally Angela Morgan

881

Braunton Rural

CON

Pru Maskell

CON

1514

Braunton Rural

CON

Stewart Andrew Hans Johnstone

FREEDOM ALLIANCE

Braunton Rural

CON

David Charles John Relph

GRN

454

Braunton Rural

CON

Mark Cann

LAB

495

Braunton Rural

CON

Liz Spear

1024

Broadclyst

Sara M Randall Johnson

CON

1671

Broadclyst

Tom Hobson

CON

1488

Broadclyst

Henry Gent

GRN

1992

Broadclyst

Peter Faithfull

IND

535

Broadclyst

Ellis Davies

LAB

571

Broadclyst

Mathieu Holladay

LAB

599

Broadclyst

Jamie Kemp

896

Chudleigh & Teign Valley

CON

Jerry Brook

CON

1704

Chudleigh & Teign Valley

CON

Emily Joyce Simcock

GRN

674

Chudleigh & Teign Valley

CON

Rick Webb

LAB

485

Chudleigh & Teign Valley

CON

Richard Michael Keeling

1479

Chulmleigh & Landkey

CON

Paul John Henderson

CON

1523

Chulmleigh & Landkey

CON

Turtle Knight

FREEDOM ALLIANCE

Chulmleigh & Landkey

CON

Nick Withers

GRN

447

Chulmleigh & Landkey

CON

Glyn Lane

IND

620

Chulmleigh & Landkey

CON

Philip Christopher Mason

IND

Chulmleigh & Landkey

CON

Val Cann

LAB

208

Chulmleigh & Landkey

CON

Victoria Clare Nel

431

Combe Martin Rural

CON

Andrea Davis

CON

2476

Combe Martin Rural

CON

Katherine Lucy Armitage

FREEDOM ALLIANCE

Combe Martin Rural

CON

Steven William White

GRN

456

Combe Martin Rural

CON

Oliver Bell

LAB

333

Combe Martin Rural

CON

Julie Lynda Hunt

556

Crediton

Martin David Binks

CON

1645

Crediton

Christopher Raymond Hurley

FREEDOM ALLIANCE

Crediton

Elin Bold

LAB

543

Crediton

Frank William Letch

1811

Creedy, Taw & Mid Exe

CON

Margaret Squires

CON

2798

Creedy, Taw & Mid Exe

CON

Ann Patricia Conway

FREEDOM ALLIANCE

103

Creedy, Taw & Mid Exe

CON

Paul Edwards

GRN

946

Creedy, Taw & Mid Exe

CON

Tom Stephenson

LAB

477

Creedy, Taw & Mid Exe

CON

David Wilson

784

Cullompton & Bradninch

CON

John Berry

CON

1861

Cullompton & Bradninch

CON

Hannah Nicole Watson

GRN

449

Cullompton & Bradninch

CON

Edd Southerden

LAB

411

Cullompton & Bradninch

CON

Andrea Theresa Glover

765

Dartmouth & Marldon

CON

Jonathan Denis Hawkins

CON

2380

Dartmouth & Marldon

CON

Christian Charles Parkes

FREEDOM ALLIANCE

Dartmouth & Marldon

CON

Kevin John

LAB

549

Dartmouth & Marldon

CON

Simon Rake

707

Dartmouth & Marldon

CON

Carlo Bragagnolo

REFORM

Dartmouth & Marldon

CON

Lynn Gunnigle

TUSC

Dawlish

CON

Noel Nickless

CON

1818

Dawlish

CON

Linda Petherick

IND

571

Dawlish

CON

Jeff Pocock

LAB

375

Dawlish

CON

Martin Wrigley

1920

Dawlish

CON

Richard Charles Ward

REFORM

Dawlish

CON

Bruce Mattock

TUSC

Duryard & Pennsylvania

CON

Percy Prowse

CON

1370

Duryard & Pennsylvania

CON

Rich Parker

GRN

425

Duryard & Pennsylvania

CON

Martyn Snow

LAB

1201

Duryard & Pennsylvania

CON

Michael Norman Mitchell

549

Duryard & Pennsylvania

CON

Bea Gare

WEP

136

Exminster & Haldon

Terry Tume

CON

806

Exminster & Haldon

Lucy Dora Rockcliffe

GRN

312

Exminster & Haldon

Bhav Studley

LAB

222

Exminster & Haldon

Alan Michael Connett

2521

Exmouth

Jeff Trail

CON

3727

Exmouth

Richard Scott

CON

3685

Exmouth

Michael J Rosser

GRN

1214

Exmouth

Joe Whibley

IND

2373

Exmouth

Daniel Wilson

LAB

1224

Exmouth

Josie C Parkhouse

LAB

1509

Exmouth

Tim Dumper

1844