THERE has been little change to the make-up of Christchurch Council with the Conservative Party maintaining its dominance in the borough.

However the town now has its first Ukip councillor in Janet Abbott, for the Grange Ward, and the eurosceptic party saw its vote share increase in all wards contested, taking it into a comfortable second place overall.

Independent candidates Colin Bungey and Fred Neale retained their seats in the Jumpers ward, while Town Centre candidate Peter Hall, who won for the Liberal Democrats in 2010 before joining the Conservatives the following year, won for his new party with an increased majority.

Tory agent and Burton councillor Judy Jamieson said: "This has been an excellent result, as it was yesterday, both for Christchurch and East Dorset.

"It is a testament to the hard work of our local Conservatives both on the parliamentary side and the local side.

"We never take anything for granted and work hard for every vote.

"We have got a good, well-managed council, people can see the difference that their councillors make to their lives and that is the whole point."

In Grange, Tory Denise Jones retained her seat but her colleague Paul Hilliard was deposed by Ms Abbott, who was on holiday at the time of the count at Two Riversmeet Leisure Centre this morning.

Ukip campaign manager Terry Spooner, a candidate in Purewell and Stanpit, said he was pleased with his party's performance.

"It is a breakthrough for us, our first Ukip seat on Christchurch Council," he said.

"Janet will be surprised and thrilled when I let her know.

"We would like to thank all the people who voted for us, we seem to have come second in almost every seat, coming from nowhere.

"We worked harder in some wards than others, with 16 candidates this year compared with only six last time.

"We thought it would be close, and we are disappointed to not have more seats, but we have a large vote share as the second place party and that is a good basis to build on."

The returning officer was Christchurch and East Dorset Partnership chief executive David McIntosh.

 

The results:

 

Burton and Winkton

David Anthony Flagg (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,190

Colin Peter Jamieson (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,164

James Kennedy Labour Party Candidate 300

Cindy McGrail UK Independence Party (UKIP) 562

Dan Mills UK Independence Party (UKIP) 564

Jacqueline Florence Milton Labour Party Candidate 299

Brian James Taylor Independent 335

 

Grange

Janet Abbott (elected) UK Independence Party (UKIP) 635

Paul Alan Hilliard Conservative Party Candidate 584

Denise Jones (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 645

Graham Paul Kendrick Green Party 225

David Johannes Thomas Munnik Labour Party 371

Antoinette Joan Pearce Labour Party 377

Carl Edward Williams UK Independence Party (UKIP) 547

 

Highcliffe

Jean Bell UK Independence Party (UKIP) 541

Robin Ede UK Independence Party (UKIP) 617

Vicki Hallam (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,283

Vera Elizabeth Hill Labour Party Candidate 242

John Lofts (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,221

Carol Ann Wilcox Labour Party Candidate 250

 

Jumpers

Colin Reginald Bungey (elected) Independent 1,014

Will Edwards Conservative Party Candidate 652

Norma Kathleen Fox Conservative Party Candidate 678

Fred Neale (elected) Independent 982

Robert John Staite Green Party 214

Robin Matthew Thorpe Labour Party Candidate 270

Nigel Ronald Ware Green Party 174

Howard William Wortley Labour Party Candidate 211

 

Mudeford & Friars Cliff

Andy Barfield (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,897

Claire Stephanie Bath (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,900

Robert Owen Brannan Labour Party Candidate 515

Robert Clifford UK Independence Party (UKIP) 945

Lindsay Margaret Turner Labour Party Candidate 558

Trevor Robert Watts (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,437

 

Portfield

Jane Brown UK Independence Party (UKIP) 676

Tavis John Fox (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,081

Julie Keeble Labour Party 507

Bob McNair Labour Party 416

Lisle Carol Smith (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 868

 

Purewell & Stanpit

Bernie Davis (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,066

Clare Martens Labour Party Candidate 432

Ray Nottage (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 966

Diane Rollinson UK Independence Party (UKIP) 657

Anthony John Sanders Green Party 421

Terry Spooner UK Independence Party (UKIP) 561

 

St Catherine's & Hurn

Inez Baxter UK Independence Party (UKIP) 599

Alan William Matthews Labour Party Candidate 308

Valerie Constance Matthews Labour Party Candidate 298

Margaret Phipps (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1494

Sue Spittle (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1603

 

Town Centre

Joanne Dyton Green Party 349

Liz Faherty UK Independence Party (UKIP) 585

Wendy Lynne Grace (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 993

George Frederick Gregory Labour Party Candidate 365

Peter Roger Alexander Hall (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,045

Steven Miles Thomas Green Party 289

Olga Turner UK Independence Party (UKIP) 476

 

West Highcliffe

Lesley Margaret Dedman (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,834

Philip Glover UK Independence Party (UKIP) 922

Trish Jamieson (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,945

David Charles Jones (elected) Conservative Party Candidate 1,745

Robert Edward Maskell Labour Party Candidate 534

Douglas Oakley UK Independence Party (UKIP) 751

Abdul Haye Mobashir Qureshi Labour Party Candidate 371