WEST Dorset was a sea of blue as Conservatives scooped a number of seats on the district council with large majorities to retain control of the authority - despite fierce opposition from the Liberal Democrats.

This year's elections for West Dorset District Council saw every seat up for grabs and supporters packed into South Walks House in Dorchester donning their party colours as the results were announced on Saturday.

Following a shake-up of ward boundaries since the 2011 election, the number of councillors was cut from 48 to 42 members across 24 wards.

The Conservative party remained in overall control of the district council with 30 seats, but lost two seats and faced opposition from the Lib Dems, who defied the national picture to increase their number of seats on the council from 11 to 12.

The first results of the day saw Alan Thacker and Nigel Bundy elected for the Conservative Party in Broadmayne and Crossways. Mr Bundy was elected with 928 votes and Mr Thacker with 688 votes.

There were some surprise victories as Gerald Duke claimed a previous independent seat for the Conservatives in Dorchester West, winning by just 23 votes.

Robert Freeman, a Conservative, won a previously independent seat in Winterborne St Martin with 666 votes.

Conservative Jacqui Sewell was re-elected in the extended Broadwindsor ward with 922 votes and Conservatives Mark Roberts and Peter Hiscock won seats in Netherbury and the Piddle Valley.
Mr Roberts, who received 919 votes, thanked everyone who assisted him and said he was keen to ensure the rural wards of the district council were not forgotten.
The three seats in the Chickerell and Chesil Bank ward went to Conservative party members Tom Bartlett, Jean Dunseith and Ian Charles Gardener.

The WDDC elections were hailed as ‘democracy in action’ by Conservative Robert Gould, who retained his Queen Thorne seat.

One Lib Dem and two Conservatives were elected for Bridport South. Conservative Sandra Ann Brown was elected with 1,577 votes, Conservative Frances Mackenzie with 1,173 and Lib Dem Dave Rickard with 1,194 votes.

Mr Rickard said: “This is my first time as a district councillor and I’m looking forward to making a difference in Bridport and West Dorset.”

Meanwhile in Bridport North, Lib Dem Ros Kayes held on to her seat with 1,921 votes. She was joined by Conservatives Ronald Coatsworth with 1,526 votes and Keith Day with 1,286 votes.
Elsewhere in Beaminster, Conservatives Anthony Alford and Peter Barrowcliff were both elected with 1,393 and 1,364 votes after a recount.

Lyme Regis saw George Symonds and Daryl Whane Turner hold on to the two Conservative seats.
In Burton Bradstock, Conservative John Russell held on to his seat after gaining 935 votes.

In Chideock and Symondsbury, Conservative Simon Christopher was elected with 823 votes.

Lib Dem Robin Legg and Conservative Margaret Lawrence were elected for the Yetminster and Cam Vale ward, but two recounts were ordered with just three votes separating Conservative Christopher Loder’s defeat.

The Lib Dems held their ground in West Dorset as councillors representing the Dorchester wards vowed to come back ‘stronger than ever’.

At the count, two seats were awarded to Robin Potter and Molly Rennie for the Dorchester South ward.

Two Lib Dems were also elected for Dorchester East - Timothy Harries with 971 votes and Stella Jones with 1,223 votes.

Mr Harries said: “Thank you to the electorate of Dorchester East. It’s been a bad few days for the Lib Dems but we are going to bounce back and we will continue to fight for their values.

“We are going to come back stronger than ever.”

Lib Dems Andy Canning and Susie Hosford retained their seats in the Dorchester North ward while Lib Dem David Taylor was also elected to the council with 806 votes.
Trevor Jones retained his seat for the Liberal Democrats in Dorchester West.

Mr Jones said: “I want to thank everybody for their support; it’s been 40 years since I was first elected.

“Things may have been bad for my party this year but we have had good times in the past and my motto is to always look on the bright side.”

Results:

Beaminster (two-member ward)
*Anthony Alford (Conservative) 1,393
*Peter Barrowcliff (Con) 1,364
Kerry-Anne Gould (Green Party) 548
Jan Page (Liberal Democrat) 1,254
Chris Turner (Lib Dem) 855

Bridport North (three-member ward)
Nick Boothroyd (Labour) 647
Jeremy Brodie (Con) 1,253
*Ronald Coatsworth (Con) 1,526
*Keith Day (Con)  1,286
Karen Ellis (Lab) 509
Ivan Gollop (Lab) 465
Sarah Horniman (Lib Dem) 942 
Julian Jones (Green) 824
*Ros Kayes (Lib Dem) 1,921
Gill Massey (Lib Dem) 830

Bridport South (three-member ward)
Debra Bates (Lab) 644
*Sandra Brown (Con) 1,577
Kelvin Clayton (Green) 795
*Frances McKenzie (Con) 1,173
Richard Nicholls (Lab) 570
Christopher Rakoczi (Green) 650
*Dave Rickard (Lib Dem) 1,194
David Tett (Independent) 961
Sarah Williams (Lib Dem) 1,064
Clare Winterbottom (Lib Dem) 610

Broadmayne and Crossways (two-member ward)
Jo Archer (Green) 280
*Nigel Bundy (Con) 928
Nick Ireland (Lib Dem) 557
Gillian Pearson (Lib Dem) 519
Philip Scull (Independent) 168
Diana Staines (Lab) 274
*Alan Thacker (Con) 688

Broadwindsor (single member ward)
Edward Gerrard (Lib Dem) 314
Annemieke Lommaert-Blondeel (Ukip) 227
*Jacqui Sewell (Con) 922
Kit Vaughan (Green) 208

Burton Bradstock (single member ward)
Terry Harrison (Lib Dem) 390 
Steve Meek (Green) 392
*John Russell (Con) 935

Cerne Valley (two-member ward)
Anne Clements (Green) 643
*Fred Horsington (Con) 1,502
Lynda Kiss (Lab) 509
Jillian Mahler (Lib Dem) 720
*Timothy Yarker (Con) 1,398
Iain Young (Lib Dem) 787

Chickerell and Chesil Bank (three-member ward)
*Tom Bartlett (Con) 1,734
*Jean Dunseith (Con) 1,889
*Ian Gardner (Con) 1,711
Ryan Hope (Lib Dem) 1,039
Vaughan Jones (Green) 986
Robert Kiss (Lab) 975

Chideock and Symondsbury (single member ward)
Yen Chong (Green) 349
*Simon Christopher (Con) 823 
Philip Colfox (Lib Dem) 318

Dorchester East (two-member ward)
Liz Godolphin (Con) 752
*Timothy Harries (Lib Dem) 971 
Len Herbert (Green) 372
*Stella Jones (Lib Dem) 1,223
Jenny Shackleford (Green) 511
Barry Thompson (Lab) 508

Dorchester North (three-member ward)
Vicki Black (Green) 422
*Andy Canning (Lib Dem) 1,042 
Alistair Chisholm (Independent) 762 
Libby Goodchild (Green) 416
Ian Gosling (Con) 722
*Susie Hosford (Lib Dem) 868 
Geoffrey Markham (Ukip) 455
Margaret Morrissey (Con) 718
Murray Shackleford (Green) 309
Claudia Sorin (Lab) 493
*David Taylor (Lib Dem) 806 
Warwick Taylor (Con) 646

Dorchester South (two-member ward)
Frances Anderson (Lab) 454
Kate Forrester (Green) 421
Neale Hallett (Ukip) 434
*Robin Potter (Lib Dem) 1,007
*Molly Rennie (Lib Dem) 1,302
Mark Smith (Green) 300
Antony Stanley (Con) 786

Dorchester West (two-member ward)
*Gerald Duke (Con) 725
Judy Edwards (Green) 577
*Trevor Jones (Lib Dem) 1,152
Lee Rhodes (Lab) 676
Peter Stein (Con) 684
Roland Tarr (Lib Dem) 702

Frome Valley (single member ward)
*Mary Penfold (Con) 1,099
Rebekah Webb (Green) 424

Lyme Regis and Charmouth (two-member ward)
Jan Gale (Lib Dem) 836
Matthew Holborow (Green) 606 
Steve Miller 196
*George Symonds (Con) 1,470 
Steve Trevethan (Lib Dem) 551
*Daryl Turner (Con) 1,461

Maiden Newton (single member ward)
Geoff Freeman (Labour and Co-operative Party) 237
*Jill Haynes (Con) 940
Benjamin Tyler (Green) 375

Netherbury (single member ward)
Anthea Bay (Lib Dem) 406
Richard Edwards (Green) 275
*Mark Roberts (Con) 919

Piddle Valley (single member ward)
*Peter Hiscock (Con) 1,095
David Marriott (Lab) 182
Hilary Woodall (Green) 315

Puddletown (single member ward)
*Patrick Cooke (Con) 893 
Tony Gould (Lab) 220
Caspar Hulacki (Green) 150 
Mel Lane (Lib Dem) 300

Queen Thorne (single member ward)
*Robert Gould (Con) 1,017
Peter Jenkins (Ukip) 274
Natalie Miles (Green) 226

Sherborne East (two-member ward)
*Dominic Elliott (Con) 1,214 
*Peter Farmer (Con) 1,119
Susan Greene (Green) 802
Guy Patterson (Lib Dem) 871
David Savile Platt (Ukip) 530

Sherborne West (two-member ward)
Christopher Binding (UKIP) 410
*Matthew Hall (Lib Dem) 927
Jan Palmer (Lib Dem) 792
Chris Shaw (Con) 831
*Peter Shorland (Con) 881

Winterborne St Martin (single member ward)
Graham Brant (Ukip) 231
*Robert Freeman (Con) 666
Hazel Gant (Lab) 206
Matthew McCourtie (Green) 298

Yetminster and Cam Vale (two-member ward)
*Margaret Lawrence (Con) 1,497
*Robin Legg (Lib Dem) 1,374
Christopher Loder (Con) 1,371
Michael Sandy (Lib Dem) 988