Labour to ‘work together’ with Adur communities

The party now controls 16 of the 29 seats on the council, a two-seat majority, doubling the eight seats they entered the elections with. Click here for more, including a ward-by-ward breakdown of results.

The Conservatives, who previously held control of the council, now have nine seats, down from 15, after retaining one of their seven seats that were up for election.

Adur Labour leader Jeremy Gardner was re-elected in his seat in St Mary’s ward, and will take over as leader of the council once the authority returns to normal business later this month.

Mr Gardner said Adur had never had a majority Labour administration before, making this a first in the district’s history.

He said Labour gained more seats than they were expecting to in the elections, having only anticipated gaining about six seats.

He added that they were taking over a council with ‘little money’ so would need to be careful, and would ‘work together’ with communities and businesses to ‘improve’ the district and its finances.

Previous council Leader Neil Parkin (Con, Hillside) said he was concerned about the future of Adur’s finances under the Labour party, referencing the financial situation at Labour controlled Worthing Borough Council.

Labour gained seats from the Conservatives in Buckingham, Churchill, Cokeham, Eastbrook, Peverel and Hillside wards, and two seats in Widewater ward. The Greens held their seat in St Nicolas, and the Shoreham Beach Residents Association held its seat in Marine.

Adur District Council was the last conservative controlled lower-tier authority in Sussex.