Devon County Council results are in...

The results from the Devon County Council elections have been announced, revealing that the Conservatives have retained overall control with 38 seats, a net loss of 3 and a 35.6% share of the vote. The Lib Dems have 9 seats, a net loss of 4 and a 15.9% share. Labour have 7 seats (all of which are in Exeter), gaining 2 seats and a 13.3% share. UKIP won 4 seats for the first time, and a share of 23.2%. Independents won 3 and the Green Party 1 seat.

The results place UKIP in second place in terms of share of the vote with the Lib Dems second on number of seats.

There was an average turnout across the county of 32.9%.

Conservative council leader John Hart said: “We are very grateful to the people of Devon for putting their trust in us for another four years.

“In 2009, we promised to make Devon County Council a more efficient and business-like authority and keep council tax down and I firmly believe we delivered on those promises.

“There has been no increase in council tax for county council taxpayers for three years.

“We have reduced staffing by over a quarter without widespread redundancies and reduced the council’s debt by nearly £90 million.

“We have achieved that whilst maintaining our services for the most vulnerable, the young and the elderly and we have done all that at a time of unprecedented economic austerity.

“We restructured the county council by doing different things and doing things differently.

”We fought this election on local issues and on our record of delivering for the people of Devon.

”We were the only party in Devon to field a candidate in every seat and I urged people to vote for us on our local record.

“We will do our utmost not to let them down and to continue to do what’s best for Devon.”

Mr Hart pledged to ensure the completion of the superfast broadband roll-out, the opening of the South Devon Link Road and the major job-creating infrastructure projects east of Exeter

He said there would be more investment in better care for dementia sufferers and close work with partners to provide Extra Care Housing.

Devon County Council would continue the campaign it had already begun for better road and rail links with the rest of the country and for more Government cash to repair and maintain Devon’s highway network.

The authority would support local businesses and help create the climate for them to expand their operations and it would continue to raise the skills of young people.

“We will fulfil these pledges as we kept our promises from four years ago,” said Mr Hart.

“We will do that and, at the same time, continue to run a business-like and efficient county council and give the best value for money that we can.”

Labour success in Exeter

While the Conservatives have been victorious overall, Exeter has been a Labour success story.

Emma Morse, who has won the Exeter ward of Pinhoe and Mincinglake, says: "I'm feeling elated with the results. Obviously following in the footsteps of Saxon Spence I have massive shoes to fill, but I'm up for the task. I believe I bring a different demographic to the role of Devon County Councillor, being a young woman and a mother of two young children, and my husband is a teacher, so I bring a different perspective. I am also experienced in planning and transport having worked in the public sector previously in Cambridge. However, I'm back to where I grew up and looking forward to working with the City Council to continue to put the City of Exeter on the map."

Mrs Morse also has the support of another well-known name in Exeter politics, as she follows in the footsteps of her father, Chester Long, an ex-Leader of Exeter City Council.

Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw has expressed delight in the Exeter results in the County Elections. He told The Exeter Daily: "It is wonderful that we have won two seats that Labour have never previous held on Devon County Council and with great human interest stories too. Emma Morse takes over from Saxon Spence who has been a Labour Councillor since 1945, ensuring that the Labour tradition lives on. We now hold seven out of the nine Exeter wards, showing all the hard work our City and County councillors have put in. It is a reflection of the strong support we have in the City and has enabled us to edge out the LibDems altogether.

"These results reinvigorate Labour's desire to push for Exeter to be a Unitary Authority, as was approved by the last Labour Government following the general election."

Alphington and Cowick has been won by Labour for the first time by Roy Hill, a former city councillor who served as Mayor in 1999. Meanwhile Jill Owen, previously county councillor for Priory & St Leonard's has taken St David's and St James. Andy Hannan, a former Professor of Education, won for Labour in Priory & St Leonard's.

The Conservatives have held their two existing seats. Andrew Leadbetter retained the St Loyes & Topsham seat, while Percy Prowse, the outgoing Deputy Lord Mayor of Exeter, was re-elected in Duryard & Pennsylvania.

The Liberal Democrats lost their two councillors, Vanessa Newcombe and Philip Brock, who had held their seats for seven and eight years respectively. This leaves them without a county councillor in Exeter although they remain the official opposition on Devon County Council.

Labour remain barren outside of Exeter - their one council seat beyond the city, in Totnes Rural, was lost back to the Greens who won it in 2009 but saw Paula Black defect to Labour.

UKIP picked up four seats in Devon to provide them with a foothold in the county. Three seats went to independent candidates.

The new Labour group leader, succeeding Saxon Spence, is Councillor Richard Westlake who held his seat in Newtown & Polsloe. Rob Hannaford and Olwen Foggin retained their seats for Labour in Exwick & St Thomas and Heavitree & Whipton Barton respectively.

The Leader of Devon County Council, Conservative John Hart, retained his Bickleigh & Wembury seat with a 59.6% share of the vote.

You can find Exeter's winners in full below. The complete results for all Devon divisions can be found here.

Alphington and Cowick

Elected: Roy Hill

Labour gain from Liberal Democrats

Duryard and Pennsylvania

Elected: Percy Prowse

Conservative hold

Exwick and St Thomas

Elected: Rob Hannaford

Labour hold (won in 2009 for the Liberal Democrats by Rob Hannaford who subsequently defected to Labour)

Heavitree and Whipton Barton