Turnout high for elections (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Turnout high for elections

A HARD-FOUGHT election battle saw Conservative Philip Seccombe hold off Liberal Democrat Richard Cheney to hang on to the Brailes ward on Stratford District Council - but only by a margin of 100 votes.

Turnout was high at 58 per cent of the electorate as Cllr Seccombe, from Lower Tysoe, battled against Shipston-based Mr Cheney, polling 544 votes to 444.

At Long Compton, Stephen Gray, who has just handed over his office of Mayor of Shipston, held onto the seat he won in a district council by-election and is set to join the audit committee on the council.

In West Oxfordshire, turnouts were slightly lower than in the neighbouring region but the Conservatives did well at the expense of the Liberal Democrats.

Of the 16 district seats, 14 were won by Conservative candidates, one by a Liberal Democrat candidate, and one by an Independent candidate, giving an overall balance of the council following the elections of 34 Conservatives; nine Liberal Democrats; five Independents; and one Labour. The previous balance was 28, 13, 7 and 1 respectively.

District and parish council results in full:

In the district of Stratford Parish Council elections in Brailes the turnout was 58.7 per cent. The voting went: Richard Cheney, 460 votes, elected; Nicholas Paul Drury, 301 votes, elected; Brenda Dorothy Foster, 331 votes, elected; Anthony Madeley Jervis, 240 votes, elected; Barbara Dorothy Manley, 331 votes, elected; Christopher Mervin Righton, 374 votes, elected; Glenda Elizabeth Woods, 302 votes, elected; Stephen John Self, 147 votes; Malcolm Arnold Pendery, 123 votes.

In Whichford and Ascott the turnout was 55.21 per cent. The voting went: Kevin Montague Adams, 107 votes, elected; Jonathan Busill Maynard Keeling, 80 votes, elected; Alan Roy Kinch, 70 votes, elected; Frances Margaret Lee, 74 votes, elected; Hilary Worsley, 86 votes, elected; Adam Harrison Jones, 65 votes.

In the West Oxfordshire District Council ward of Chipping Norton the turnout was 42.8 per cent. Voting went Elizabeth Janet Irvine Allen, Liberal Democrat, 138 votes; Robert Llewellyn Evans, Labour, 533 votes, Brian Alexander Luney, Green Party, 94 votes; Robert Townley, Conservative, 1,198 votes, Elected.

In The Bartons the turnout was 37.9 per cent. The voting went: Colin Carritt, Labour, 113 votes; William Arthur Goffe, Conservative, 474 votes, Elected.

In Chipping Norton Town Council the turnout was 42.55 per cent. The voting was: Keith Richard Greenwell, Conservative, 983 votes, Elected; Marion Barbara Jesty, Independent, 431 votes; Patrick McHugh,

Independent, 428 votes.