THEIRS was a village that had not seen an election for more than 28 years.

Now a group of 11 West Parley residents are celebrating a landslide victory in which they overthrew the entire council.

The Keep West Parley Green trounced their opponents in a contest that drew a 54 per cent turnout, just over 1,604 at the polls.

KWPG, including business people, former teachers, an accountant and an ex-RAF airman, won residents over by promising change and to protect the green belt.

Each of their candidates bagged more than double the votes of their opponents, ranging from 954 – 1,058.

Chairman Richard Heaslip said he was elated with the group’s unprecedented success.

“We’re very pleased to have got such a large mandate in the first election in over 20 years,” he said. “In a way it’s the Big Society in action.

Parish councils are going to get new powers under the government’s localism bill.

“We’re determined to use these to see that planning starts from the bottom up, from the neighbourhood rather than heaped on us as at present.”

The new councillors are Pat Couper, John Cullen, Geoff Dark, Chrissie Davies, Ian Davis, Mr Heaslip, Alan Macdonald, Dave Oakley, Kenny Pearce, Diana Penwill and Andy Steele.