Full results and a round up from the Uttlesford District Council elections

LIB DEMS in Uttlesford have been hit with an electoral hammer blow after losing seven seats to the Conservative Party in the 2011 district council vote.

High profile seats in Stansted, Great Dunmow and Newport have fallen as the Tories swept to victory with 35 seats in total, a gain of eight from 2007, putting them in total control of Uttlesford District Council.

In Great Dunmow south, two Lib Dems seats were ousted by Tory new-comers Graham Barker and Keith Mackman.

In Stansted north and Newport, considered as the heartland of the Lib Dems previously, it was a similar story as they lost two seats, echoing the national trend.

Tories also took Lib Dem seats in Thaxted and the Eastons and removed an Independent vote in Clavering.

By 11.15am, just two hours into the count, the Tories had gained enough seats to keep control of the council and the end result was something of a landslide.

The results are similar to those seen across the UK as Lib Dems have taken hits all over the country following unrest over the party’s role in the Coalition Government.

Peter Wilcock, who is the leader of the Lib Dem opposition in Uttlesford, had to hang on tight to his seat in Newport, only winning by 54 votes. But long-serving member Geoffrey Sell was not so lucky as he lost for the first time since the late 90s.

Mr Wilcock simply said: “It is disappointing but we will just have to start again.”

Overall turnout across the district was a healthy 49.9 per cent, with the highest turn out in Clavering (65.9 per cent) and the lowest in Stansted South (33.2 per cent).

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Results in full:

Ashdon - Conservative HOLD - Andrew Ketteridge wins with 529 votes (Lib Dem Roger Harcourt second with 214 votes).

Barnston – Conservative HOLD – Eric Hicks wins with 525 votes (Lib Dem Benjamin Davies second with 167 votes).

Birchanger – Independent HOLD – Elizabeth Godwin wins with 381 votes (Lib Dem John Hudson second with 99 votes).

Clavering – Conservative GAIN – Edward Oliver wins with 514 votes (Lib Dem Daniel Caton second with 128 votes).

Hatfield Heath – Independent HOLD – Mark Lemon wins with 529 votes (Lib Dem Elizabeth Edwards second with 71 votes).

Great Dunmow South (three seats) – Conservative GAINS – Tories Graham Barker, 962 votes, Keith Mackman, 907 votes, and Vic Ranger, 855 votes, win ousting two Lib Dems in the process.

Great Dunmow North (two seats) – Conservative HOLD – Tories John Davey, 744 votes, and Paul Davies, 689 votes, both get seats comfortably.

Saffron Walden Castle (three seats) – Conservative HOLD – Tories Heather Asker, 811 votes, Bob Eastham, 859 votes, and David Sadler 772 all win but voting was tight against the Lib Dems.

Saffron Walden Shire (three seats) – Conservative HOLD – Tories Howard Rolfe, 847 votes, Jim Ketteridge, 1,184 votes and Keith Eden 1,002 votes all win easily.

Saffron Walden Audley (three seats) – Conservative HOLD – Tories Doug Perry, 947 votes, Alistair Walters, 1,003 votes, and David Watson, 957 votes, all win a seat.

Littlebury – Conservative HOLD – Jan Menell wins with 551 votes (Labour’s Jane Berney came second with 104 votes).

Broad Oak and Hallingburys (two seats) – Conservative HOLD – Tories Keith Artus, 836 votes and Lesley Wells, 872 votes, keep their seats.

Stebbing – Lib Dem HOLD – Christina Cant wins with 329 votes (Tory Sandi Merifield second with 255 votes).

Stort Valley – Lib Dem HOLD – Janice Loughlin wins with 388 votes (Tory Kathryn Chambers second with 301 votes) – a close one.

Eastons – Conservative GAIN – Lawrence Smith wins with 487 votes (Lib Dem Shirley Wilcock second with 113 votes.) Big swing to Conservative.

Newport (two seats) – Conservative GAIN – Tories gain one seat with Jeremy Rose, 727 votes but Lib Dem leader Peter Wilcock hangs on with 689 votes.

Stansted North (two seats) – Conservative GAIN – Tory gain one seat with Joe Rich, 707 votes, beating off Geoffrey Sell (654 votes). John Salmon keeps his seat with 773 votes.

The Chesterfords – Conservative HOLD – Julie Redfern wins with 579 votes (Lib Dem John Watkiss second with 167 votes).

Elsenham and Henham (two seats) – Lib Dem HOLD – Lib Dem Elizabeth Par becomes the youngest councillor at UDC with 798 votes and David Morson holds his seat with 862 votes.

The Rodings – Conservative HOLD – Susan Barker wins with 554 votes (Lib Dem Ruth Rawlinson second with 124 votes.)

Thaxted (two seats) – Conservative GAIN – Tories gain one seat with John Freeman, 691 votes, taking Antointte Wattebot’s seat but other Lib Dem Martin Foley hangs on with 671 votes.

Stansted South (two seats) – Lib Dem HOLD – both Alan Dean, 626 votes, and Iris Evans, 493, keep the south of the town yellow. Just.

Wimbish and Deben – Conservative HOLD – Tina Knight keeps her seat with 490 votes. (Lib Dem Gwyneth Pennicard second with 137, only 33 votes up on Labour.)

The Sampfords – Conservative HOLD – Simon Howell wins with 565 votes (Lib Dem David Morgan second with 199).

Felsted (two seats) – Conservative HOLD – Tories David Crome, 1204 votes, and Stephanie Favell, 1113 votes, both get seats.

Takeley and Canfields (two seats) – Conservative HOLD – Tories Jackie Cheetham, 1,142 votes, and Derek Jones, 827 votes keep their seats comfortably.

Wenden Lofts – Conservative HOLD – Long-serving Tory Robert Chambers keeps his seat with 552 votes (With 126 votes Labour’s Caroline Fookes beat Lib Dem Alan Thawley into second place).