The Conservative Party took one seat from Labour in yesterday’s Stevenage Borough Council elections which saw 13 seats contested on the council.

Votes were counted in the early hours of this morning at Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre.

Conservative candidate Adam Mitchell took the Longmeadow ward previously held by Labour’s Lorraine Bell by just seven votes.

It means the Conservatives have increased their number of seats on the council from six to seven, though they are still a long way from challenging Labour’s dominant position with 29 seats.

The Conservatives also contested Woodfield and held the seat, and Graham Snell won a huge victory in Manor ward to retain the seat for the Liberal Democrats.

Labour held on to 10 seats which means its total on the council has slipped from 30 to 29.

A third of the council is elected each year.

Longmeadow:

Ralph Baskerville, Lib Dem – 131

Lorraine Bell, Lab – 631

Helen Kerr, TUSC – 65

Adam Mitchell, 638 - (ELECTED)

Alex Tasker, Green – 98

Turnout: 35.78 per cent

Manor:

Marcus Blackburn, Green – 83

Monika Cherney-Craw, Lab – 352

Matthew Clarke, Con – 414

Graham Snell, Lib Dem – 1,224 - (ELECTED)

Turnout: 42.2 per cent

Woodfield:

Charlie Batt, Green – 54

Jim Callaghan, Lab – 441

Marion Mason, UKIP – 217

Margaret Notley, 660 - (ELECTED)

Daniel Snell, Lib Dem – 74

Turnout: 34.9%