THE Liberal Democrats kept their hold of Chard Town Council and Crewkerne Town Council in last week’s local elections.

People across Somerset went to the polls on Thursday, May 5 to elect representatives to the county's new unitary authority and, in some places, their town and parish councils. 

The Liberal Democrats took overall control of the new Somerset Council by securing 61 seats in the local elections – five more than were required for a majority.

The Lib Dems also had successful campaigns in Chard and Crewkerne, where they won 10 out of 15 and eight out of 12 seats respectively.

In Chard, the Green Party won four seats, while one independent was elected.

Crewkerne’s election saw two Conservatives and two independents elected.

There were also parish council elections across South Somerset, including in Buckland St Mary, Chaffcombe, and Stoke-sub-Hamdon.

Here are the list of results from last week’s local town and parish council elections:

Chard Town Council

Avishayes Ward (three seats)

Andrew Kenton (Liberal Democrats), 249 votes (20 per cent) – ELECTED

Victoria Bates (Liberal Democrats), 236 votes (19 per cent) – ELECTED

Banah Crook (Green Party), 228 votes (18 per cent) – ELECTED

Cath Morrison (Independent), 199 votes (16 per cent)

Tristan Hague (Liberal Democrats), 176 votes (14 per cent)

Dan Wilshere (Green Party), 176 votes (14 per cent)

Combe Ward (two seats)

Jenny Kenton (Liberal Democrats), 320 votes (31 per cent) – ELECTED

Jason Charles Hawkes (Green Party), 252 votes (25 per cent) – ELECTED

Serena Angela Wootton (Green Party), 244 votes (24 per cent)

Tricia O’Brien (Liberal Democrats), 210 votes (20 per cent)

Crimchard Ward (three seats)

Martin John Carnell (Liberal Democrats), 389 votes (23 per cent) – ELECTED

Claire Elizabeth Richter (Liberal Democrats), 295 votes (18 per cent) – ELECTED

Andi Grief-Page (Liberal Democrats), 274 votes (16 per cent) – ELECTED

Bernard John Genge (Green Party), 253 votes (15 per cent)

Philippa Glastonvill (Green Party), 240 votes (14 per cent)

Lynsey Arscott (Green Party), 229 votes (14 per cent)

Holyrood Ward (three seats)

Jason Paul Baker (Liberal Democrats), 536 votes (29 per cent) – ELECTED

Sarah Lucy Jones (Liberal Democrats), 376 votes (20 per cent) – ELECTED

Shakil Hassan (Liberal Democrats), 289 votes (15 per cent) – ELECTED

Laura Natasha Moss (Green Party), 286 votes (15 per cent)

Gabi Casper (Green Party), 204 votes (11 per cent)

Kamil Tadeusz Ratynski (Green Party), 181 votes (10 per cent)

Jocelyn Ward (three seats)

Dave Bulmer (Independent), 404 votes (26 per cent) - ELECTED

Timothy Michael Eggins (Green Party), 312 votes (20 per cent) - ELECTED

Claire Ann Brown (Liberal Democrats), 245 votes (16 per cent) – ELECTED

Chad Williams (Green Party), 211 votes (14 per cent)

Garry Frederick Shortland (Liberal Democrats), 194 votes (12 per cent)

Adam Neil Bates (Liberal Democrats), 190 votes (12 per cent)

Shepherd’s Lane Ward (one seat)

Natasha Elizabeth Jayne Watson (Green Party), 26 votes (51 per cent) – ELECTED

Zak Williams (Liberal Democrats), 25 votes (49 per cent)

Chard & Ilminster News: People across Somerset went to the polls last week to elect new county, town and parish councillors. Picture: Andrew Matthews, PA WirePeople across Somerset went to the polls last week to elect new county, town and parish councillors. Picture: Andrew Matthews, PA Wire

Crewkerne Town Council

Alice Samuel (Liberal Democrats), 1,149 votes (eight per cent) – ELECTED

Mike Best (Liberal Democrats), 1,119 votes (eight per cent) – ELECTED

Kathy Head (Liberal Democrats), 1,040 votes (eight per cent) – ELECTED

Judith Ann Jensen Morris (Liberal Democrats), 917 votes (seven per cent) – ELECTED

Paul Michael Maxwell (Liberal Democrats), 893 votes (seven per cent) – ELECTED

Steve Ashton (Conservative), 838 votes (six per cent) – ELECTED

Nigel Draycott (Liberal Democrats), 838 (six per cent) – ELECTED

Teresa Anne Bond (Conservative Party), 835 (six per cent) – ELECTED

Dan Wakeman (Liberal Democrats), 828 (six per cent) – ELECTED

Andrea Jean Stuart (Liberal Democrats), 824 (six per cent) – ELECTED

Jan Nathan (Independent), 696 votes (five per cent) – ELECTED

David Richard Nigel Livesley (Independent), 671 votes (five per cent) – ELECTED

Anne Mary Bright (Conservative), 663 votes (five per cent)

Bob Bright (Conservative), 637 votes (five per cent)

Penny Franklin (Conservative), 620 votes (five per cent)

Kyle Luke Jenkins (Conservative), 598 votes (four per cent)

Angela Witcher, no party affiliation, 497 votes (four per cent)

South Somerset parish council elections 

Buckland St Mary Parish Council (seven seats)

Daisy Charlotte Spencer , 159 votes (16 per cent) – ELECTED

Rosanna Elizabeth Barton, 156 votes (16 per cent) – ELECTED

Keith James Every, 150 votes (15 per cent) – ELECTED

Andrew Mark Rich, 138 votes (14 per cent) – ELECTED

Ian Graham Farmer 131 votes (13 per cent) – ELECTED

Liz Marshall, 123 votes (12 per cent) – ELECTED

David Simon Shaylor, 74 votes (seven per cent) – ELECTED

Dan Bohea, 56 votes (six per cent)

Chaffcombe Parish Council (five seats)

Mary Butler, 65 votes (20 per cent) – ELECTED

Geraldine Elizabeth Wills, 64 votes (19 per cent) – ELECTED

Robert Charles Bale, 62 votes (19 per cent) - ELECTED    

Stan Robinson, 62 votes (19 per cent) – ELECTED

David Maurice Bracher, 47 votes (14 per cent) – ELECTED

Peter Brian Botterill, 33 votes (10 per cent)

Stoke-sub-Hamdon Parish Council (10 seats)

Lyn Foley, 615 votes (20 per cent) – ELECTED

Barbara Judith Brooks, 376 votes (12 per cent) – ELECTED

Moira Annette Hulett, 335 votes (11 per cent) – ELECTED

Graham Harold Middleton, 310 votes (10 per cent) – ELECTED

Owen Setter, 271 votes (nine per cent) – ELECTED

Hugh Stuart Donovan, 262 votes (nine per cent) – ELECTED

Denise Sheila Burton, 249 votes (eight per cent) – ELECTED

Paul Simon Jeffery, 188 votes (six per cent) – ELECTED

Rebecca Anne Wade Merrick, 177 votes (six per cent) – ELECTED

Paul Andrew Goulder, 117 votes (four per cent) – ELECTED

Andrew Steven Dawe, 93 votes (three per cent)

Edward Michael Phillips, 84 votes (three per cent)

You can see the full list of parish council results from across South Somerset HERE.