THE CONSERVATIVES have strengthened their grip on Solihull Council gaining an extra three seats.
The ruling party held on to power while increasing their vote share and majority by gaining Olton, Elmdon and Lyndon wards.
Council leader Bob Sleigh was re-elected into his Bickenhill seat alongside the other six cabinet members who have been on the campaign trail this year.
The Conservatives won a massive 53,902 votes in last week’s elections meaning the party has kept control of the Council with a majority of 32 seats.
Coun Sleigh said: “Many more Solihull people chose the Conservatives party in this election than in any election in my memory.
“That places a considerable responsibility on my administration, now increased by three, to deliver the priorities we laid out during the campaign.
“Our key task is to deliver the best level of service we can to everyone in Solihull and as before that’s what we will be working to do.”
Despite losing a seat in Elmdon to Martin McCarthy the Green Party is still the official opposition with nine seats.
Chelmsley Wood Councillor Karl Macnaughton said: “We will continue to work as an effective and constructive opposition to the Conservative Council to hold them to account on issues such as fair pay for Council staff and protection of crucial green spaces in our Borough.”
The Liberal Democrats lost two seats and now have six Councillors in Solihull, Labour lost Kingshurst and Fordbridge to UKIP’s Robert Hall, leaving them with one member on the Council.
UKIP’s gain doubled their Councillors to two.
Coun Linda Brown remains as the only Independent member of Council.
The full results are as follows:
Bickenhill
Bob Sleigh (Cons)
Blythe
Ken Hawkins (Cons)
Castle Bromwich
Gail Sleigh (Cons)
Chelmsley Wood
Karl Macnaughton (Greens)
Dorridge & Hockley Heath
Andy Mackiewicz (Cons)
Elmdon
Martin McCarthy (Cons)
Kingshurst and Fordbridge
Rob Hall (UKIP)
Knowle
Alan Rebeiro (Cons)
Lyndon
Julie Hulland (Cons)
Meriden
David Bell (Cons)
Olton
Bob Grinsell (Cons)
Shirley East
Mark Parker (Cons)
Shirley South
Angela Sandison (Cons)
Shirley West
Brian Holmes (Cons)
Silhill
Robert Hulland (Cons)
Smith’s Wood
Mark Wilson (Greens)
St. Alphege
Joe Tildesley (Cons)