Conservatives lose their slim majority on South Norfolk Council

Suzanne Waterside, centre, said the result was a good omen for Adrian Ramsay (second left), the Green candidate in the Waveney Valley seat

The Conservatives have lost their majority on South Norfolk Council after the Green Party won a by-election by just 10 votes.

The Tories needed to hold on to Bunwell to retain overall control by just one councillor.

Suzanne Wateridge's victory means the Conservatives and the combined opposition now have 23 seats each.

Elsewhere, Norwich City Council, where a third of seats were up for grabs, remains under no overall control.

Speaking to the BBC after her win, Ms Wateridge said: "There's never been a Green Party councillor here - we hope this is the beginning of a Norfolk wave.

"We already have a presence in Norwich. We hope to do the same in South Norfolk.

"I think it's a very good harbinger for Adrian Ramsay's campaign for the new Waveney Valley [parliamentary] constituency, which Bunwell sits in.

"It's a really good sign that it's going to be between us and the Conservative candidate."

Ms Wateridge said she thought the party's "willingness to listen" had swung it for the Greens, with pylons proving to be a particularly worrying issue on the doorstep.

National Grid plans to build an 112 mile-long (180km) power line from Norwich to Tilbury, Essex, which would pass near Bunwell.

The by-election was called following the death of Conservative Stephen Ridley in March, with Conservative candidate Charles Easton polling second.

'A clear mandate'

Daniel Elmer, leader of the Conservative group on the council, said the result was disappointing but he was sure the new councillor would be "fantastic" for the ward.

"I will work with all of the opposition groups to make sure that we continue to run South Norfolk Council as the effective and collaborative council it has always been," he added.

He pointed out the Conservatives remained the authority's largest political group and "still have a clear mandate to deliver a Conservative-run council".

City Hall remains under no overall control following the elections for 13 seats on Norwich City Council

In Norwich, Labour continue to have 19 seats and remain the largest party on the city council.

They lost Mile Cross and Wensum wards to the Green Party but took Lakenham and Town Close from the Independents, including from Ian Stutely, who was among a number of councillors to resign from the party in a row over internal local Labour politics.

The walk-out in November meant Labour lost majority control at City Hall.

The Greens now have 15 councillors, the Liberal Democrats stay on three and the Independents are down to two.

'Totally disillusioned'

Elsewhere, there was good news for the Conservatives in Norfolk as a former council leader announced she was rejoining the party.

Angie Fitch-Tillett, a former leader of North Norfolk District Council, defected from the Tories seven years ago and has since stood as an Independent.

Announcing her move with a swipe at the ruling Liberal Democrats, she said she had become "totally disillusioned" with their running of the authority, which offered "no policies or fresh ideas for our residents".

She also backed Conservative North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker's bid for re-election, calling him "an excellent MP who works tirelessly for our area", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The council's political make-up is now 25 Liberal Democrats, 13 Conservatives and two Independents.

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