LOCAL Conservatives won the majority in the Test Valley Borough Council as they improved their number of seats from last term to 26.
Liberal Democrats also improved their seats from last term to 17 to complete the council.
This means Andover and Romsey residents will be represented by just two parties in the new term.
Katie Brooks, Stewart MacDonald, Alex Gillies, Lisa Matthews, Mark Leech, Susanne Hasselmann, Debbie Cattell are the new Conservative members in the council.
Four of the 23 sitting Conservative councillors who contested this time were defeated.
READ MORE: Recap of Test Valley election results updates
Karen Dunleavey, Amanda Ford, Luigi Gregori, Robin Hughes, Rohit Kohli, Sally Yalden are the new LibDem members in the council.
None of the 12 sitting LibDem councillors who contested this time were defeated.
Test Valley Borough Council seats at the end of the previous term
Test Valley Borough Council seats for 2023-27 term
Council leader and winning Conservative candidate Phil North shared his delight after the results.
He said: "I am delighted that the Conservative Administration has been returned in Test Valley with an increased majority. In the light of results nationally, the fact that our residents have continued to put their trust in us is testament to the hard work and dedication of our councillors over the last four years.
"I’m personally proud of our record running the Council under my leadership over the last six years. Particularly, on how the Council responded to the Covid pandemic; the start we’ve made on town centre regeneration, putting together and beginning to deliver the masterplans; our zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping & illegal traveller incursions and maintaining and enhancing our parks and green spaces. All of which has been made easier by the hardwork and dedication of Test Valley Borough Council staff.
"Losing colleagues is always hard, and I would like to pay tribute to the outstanding effort made by my team. Those who worked so hard yet were unsuccessful should be proud of their effort and I am very sorry to have lost some excellent colleagues. I look forward too to welcoming new councillors who will bring fresh insight to our work.
"Elections are over. It’s back to working tirelessly for the residents of Test Valley, to them I say: “we will not let you down".
LibDem group leader Cllr Neil Gwynne said: “It’s a mix of emotions. Disappointing because we didn’t win the majority. We thought we had a chance and we did have a chance. We lost four seats by less than 50 votes.
“We still took five extra seats, taking our tally to 17. It was extremely close in many seats. We came so close to taking majority. It was due to extremely large amount of work by the resources of this party. Our people worked incredibly hard. So big thank you to all of them.”
Here are the full results for Test Valley Borough Council:
- Ampfield and Braishfield ward
M-J Rawson-Smith (Local Conservatives) - 376 votes
Sally Yalden (Liberal Democrats) - 614 votes
Turnout: 45 per cent
- Bourne Valley ward
Phil North (Local Conservatives) - 576 votes
Graham Nicholas Walters (Liberal Democrats) - 318 votes
Turnout: 36.59 per cent
- Andover Downlands ward
Colin Stuart Burgess (Liberal Democrats) - 192 votes
Kristian Nicholas Cotter (Labour Party) - 200 votes
Christopher David Donnelly (Local Conservatives) - 526 votes
Kevin Paul Hughes (Liberal Democrats) - 261 votes
Nick Lodge (Local Conservatives) - 451 votes
Turnout: 20.66 per cent
- Andover Harroway ward
Carl Stephen Borg-Neal (Local Conservatives) - 652 votes
Tony Burley (Local Conservatives) - 645 votes
Luigi Stefano John Gregori (Liberal Democrats) - 781 votes
Karen Louise Hamilton (Local Conservatives) - 642 votes
Robin Hughes (Liberal Democrats) - 716 votes
Gary Mark Juliff (Independent) - 248 votes
Lance Mitchell (Green Party candidate) - 309 votes
Edward Charles Reynolds (Liberal Democrats) - 581 votes
Philippa Jane Roll (Labour Party) - 295 votes
Turnout: 25.61 per cent
- Andover Millway ward
Zilliah Helena Brooks (Local Conservatives) - 936 votes
Dan Emmerson (Independent) - 233 votes
Mark Llewellyn Farren (Independent) - 421 votes
Thomas James Gregory (Liberal Democrats) - 756 votes
Catherine Hosen (Green Party candidate) - 424 votes
Mark Alan Leech (Local Conservatives) - 770 votes
Michael Robert McGarry (Liberal Democrats) - 698 votes
Jim Neal (Local Conservatives) - 794 votes
Andy Pomphrey (Green Party) - 369 votes
Nicholas Gordon Simmonds (Liberal Democrats) - 529 votes
Turnout: 32.39 per cent
- Andover Romans ward
Katie Louise Brooks (Local Conservatives) - 577 votes
Steve Hardstaff (Independent) - 364 votes
Richard Jeremy Kidd (Liberal Democrats) - 549 votes
Scott William John Lindfield (Labour Party) - 290 votes
Josephine Hazel Iris Msonthi (Liberal Democrats) - 554 votes
Kirsty Marie North (Local Conservatives) - 557 votes
Jason Lloyd Sangster (Liberal Democrats) - 659 votes
Tracey Lorraine Tasker (Local Conservatives) - 540 votes
- Andover St Mary's ward
Iris Anita Andersen (Local Conservatives) - 676 votes
Katherine Anne Bird (Liberal Democrats) - 457 votes
Andrew John Briggs (Liberal Democrats) - 206 votes
Jan Franciszek Budzynski (Local Conservatives) - 504 votes
Debbie Cattell (Local Conservatives) - 538 votes
Judith Elizabeth Cole (Labour Party) - 426 votes
Andrew David Fitchet (Labour Party) - 479 votes
Peter Alan Hurst (Liberal Democrats) - 200 votes
Stuart George Waue (Independent) - 306 votes
Turnout: 23.32 per cent
- Andover Winton ward
Alex Gillies (Local Conservatives) - 645 votes
Adrian Stephen Hall-Cooper (Liberal Democrats) - 330 votes
Andrew Kevin Horsnell (Independent) - 195 votes
Joseph Henry Hughes (Liberal Democrats) - 410 votes
Lisa Jayne Matthews (Local Conservatives) - 552 votes
Rebecca Avis Meyer (Independent) - 283 votes
Richard Rowles (Independent) - 161 votes
Turnout: 29.4 per cent
- Anna ward
Carol Marie Bartholomew (Green Party) - 360 votes
Paul Steven Burnage (Liberal Democrats) - 454 votes
Maureen Flood (Local Conservatives) - 1,373 votes
Susanne Hasselmann (Local Conservatives) - 1,102 votes
Christopher Thom (Liberal Democrats) - 387 votes
Turnout: 40.3 per cent
- Bellinger ward
George David Johnson (Liberal Democrats) - 268 votes
Phil Lashbrook (Local Conservatives) - 531 - votes
Turnout: 31.39 per cent
- Blackwater ward
Nick Adams-King (Local Conservatives) - 1,465 votes
Gordon Leslie Bailey (Local Conservatives) - 969 votes
Andrew Robert Beesley (Liberal Democrats) - 293 votes
Christopher Leonard Craig (Independent) - 643 votes
Thomas Harold George Ezard (Liberal Democrats) - 858 votes
Jason Martin Reeves (Green) - 294 votes
Turnout: 43.82 per cent
- Bourne Valley ward
Phil North (Local Conservatives) - 576 votes
Graham Nicholas Walters (Liberal Democrats) - 318 votes
Turnout: 36.59 per cent
- Charlton & The Pentons ward
Paul Howland (Green Party) - 163 votes
Linda Lashbrook (Local Conservatives) - 429 votes
Jean Reynolds (Liberal Democrats) - 253 votes
Norman Henry Richard Woods (UK Independence Party) - 49 votes
Turnout: 34.42 per cent
- Chilworth, Nursling & Rownhams ward
Lee Berry (Liberal Democrats) - 1060 votes
Phil Bundy (Local Conservatives) - 1144 votes
Karen Dunleavey (Liberal Democrats) - 1190 votes
Julie Gomer (Liberal Democrats) - 1048 votes
Mike Maltby (Local Conservatives) - 1037 votes
Terese Ann Swain (Local Conservatives) - 1091 votes
Turnout: 35.89 per cent
- Harewood ward
David Nicholas Alwyne Drew (Local Conservatives) - 652 votes
Duncan James Clark (Liberal Democrats) - 601 votes
Turnout: 48.1 per cent
- Mid Test ward
Jonathon Cotterell (Green) - 368 votes
Jane Carole Elliott (Labour) - 256 votes
David Ian Hall (Liberal Democrats) - 1,225 votes
Ian Jeffrey (Local Conservatives) - 1,382 votes
Alison Mary Johnston (Local Conservatives) - 1,402 votes
Stewart MacDonald (Local conservatives) - 1,351 votes
Alan Geoffrey Marshall (Liberal Democrats) - 972 votes
Connor Edward Shaw (Green) - 405 votes
Russell Theron (Liberal Democrats) - 897
Turnout: 40.88 per cent
- North Baddlesley ward
Joe Billet (Local Conservatives) - 483 votes
Lynne Colton (Local Conservatives) - 513 votes
Geoff Cooper (Liberal Democrats) - 1,239 votes
Amanda Ford (Liberal Democrats) - 1,373 votes
Richard Jan Frankie (Local Conservatives) - 416 votes
Callum Peter Jackson (Labour) - 227 votes
Alan Warnes (Liberal Democrats) - 1,198 votes
- Romsey Abbey ward
Nik Daas (Liberal Democrats) - 1,017 votes
Joe Dwyer (Local Conservatives) - 642 votes
Sandra Julia Gidley (Liberal Democrats) - 1,132 votes
Nick Michell (Local Conservatives) - 704 votes
Andrew Drummond Peterson (Heritage Party) - 71 votes
Bernard Lawrence Van Den Berg (Labour) - 167
Turnout: 41.79 per cent
- Romsey Cupernham ward
Janet Louise Burnage (Liberal Democrats) - 1,435 votes
Ann Cameron Chillingworth (Labour Party) - 326 votes
Neil Alan Gwynne (Liberal Democrats) - 1,327 votes
Rohit Kohli (Liberal Democrats) - 1,187 votes
Dave Maslen (Local Conservatives) - 664 votes
Tim Mayer (Local Conservatives) - 869 votes
John Anthony William Ray (Local Conservatives) - 768 votes
Turnout: 36.36 per cent
- Romsey Tadburn ward
David Charles Bloomfield (Local Conservatives) - 410 votes
Clive Wellesley Collier (Local Conservatives) - 494 votes
Mark Geoffrey Cooper (Liberal Democrats) - 1,463 votes
Carolyn Ann Nixson (Labour) - 201 votes
John Stephen Parker (Liberal Democrats) - 1,304 votes
Turnout: 43.143 per cent
- Valley Park ward
Michael Anthony Ball (Local Conservatives) - 356
Sam George Davies (Local Conservatives) - 330
Alan George Dowden (Liberal Democrats) - 1,458
Celia Mary Dowden (Liberal Democrats) - 1,297
*An earlier version of this article said 'One of the 12 sitting LibDem councillors who contested this time was defeated' when it should have said 'None of the 12 sitting LibDem councillors who contested this time were defeated'. We apologise for the error.
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