Bicester has remained a Conservative-majority town following today’s election result despite the party losing 21 seats across the county since the 2009 elections.
This afternoon’s result means the Conservative Party has lost its overall majority on Oxfordshire County Council.
Two of Bicester’s three divisions have elected Conservative councillors – Lawrie Stratford for Bicester North and Michael Waine for Bicester Town – while independent Les Sibley was elected to the Bicester West division.
Rural divisions around Bicester have remained Conservative. Catherine Fulljames was elected to the Ploughley division, Anthony Gearing was elected to the Kirtlington and Kidlington North division, and Tim Hallchurch was elected to the Otmoor division.
Full results for the Bicester area were: Bicester West – Les Sibley (Ind), 964 votes – elected; Norman Bolster (Con), 364; Darren Cain (UKIP), 241; Steve Sargeant (Lab), 237; David Newman (Green), 38; Elizabeth Fleming (Lib Dem), 13.
Bicester Town – Michael Waine (Con), 983 votes – elected; Polly Foster (Lab), 490; Alan Bickley (UKIP), 393; Fiona Mawson (Green), 86; Samantha Bowring (Lib Dem), 61.
Bicester North – Lawrie Stratford (Con), 599 votes – elected; Barbara Fairweather (UKIP), 402; Steve Uttley (Lab), 262; Tony Walton (Ind), 131; Steve Creed (Lib Dem), 85; Mohammad Tariq (Green), 47.
Ploughley – Catherine Fulljames (Con), 1024 votes – elected; Sebastian Fairweather (UKIP), 507; Jenny Tamblyn (Green) 182; Sean Woodcock, (Lab & Co-op), 175; John Alexander Innes (Lib Dem), 115.
Otmoor – Tim Hallchurch (Con), 767 – elected; Dickie Bird (UKIP), 452; Andrew Hornsby-Smith (Lab), 267; Nicholas Cotter (Lib Dem), 254; Graham Newell (Green), 152.
Kirtlington and Kidlington North – Anthony Gearing (Con), 873 – elected; Paul Clifton (UKIP), 550; Doug Williamson (Lib Dem), 518; Trevor Blake (Lab), 482; Glyn Sparkes (Green), 176.
Labour took four seats from the Conservatives in Banbury, while nine of Oxford’s 14 divisions elected Labour councillors. Liberal Democrats won three seats in Oxford, and the Green Party won the remaining two.
Before the elections, the Conservatives held 52 seats and had a majority of 30 on the county council. But as the final results came in this afternoon, they were left with 31 seats, needing 32 to take overall control of the council.
Labour came in second with 15 seats, while the Liberal Democrats had 11, the Green Party had two, and independent candidates had four seats.
The UK Independence Party (UKIP) failed to win any seats in Oxfordshire but came a strong runner-up in many areas including Bicester North, Otmoor, Kirtlington and Kidlington North, and Ploughley.