RESULTS from the recent Devon County Council elections are likely to be welcomed by many in Crediton, particularly road campaigners.

The Conservative Party seized control of Devon County Council from the Liberal Democrats, winning 41 of the 62 wards to take control of County Hall for the first time in 20 years.

Three Conservative county councillors, Michael Lee in Newton St Cyres and Sandford, Ray Radford in Willand and Uffculme, and John Berry in Cullompton, retained their seats with healthy majorities.

Liberal Democrat councillor Nick Way retained his seat with votes down 300 on second placed Conservative Peter Hare-Scott, compared with the last election four years ago.

One surprise was the election of Conservative Polly Colthorpe, who beat Independent Mary Turner, who had served as a county councillor for more than 30 years.

The other big surprise in the election, not locally but which could have an effect on the Crediton area and particularly for the forthcoming Parliamentary seat of Central Devon, was the news that Bovey Tracey Rural county councillor Sally Morgan had lost her seat to Conservative George Gribble.

Mrs Morgan is the Liberal Democrat prospective Parliamentary candidate for the Central Devon constituency and there is already uncertainty that she may not remain as the Liberal Democrat candidate.

The Chairman of Crediton Conservatives, county councillor Jerry Brook, retained his Chudleigh Rural seat with a healthy majority, as did Conservative James McInnes, councillor for Hatherleigh and Chagford.

Conservative Richard Edgell took the Chulmleigh and Swimbridge seat from sitting Liberal Democrat, councillor Joe Tucker, by just 41 votes.

Road campaigners have said that they hope Devon County Council will be more responsive to their requests for it to abandon the Western and Hillside routes now that it is under the control of the Conservatives.

Conservatives attending a recent meeting of Crediton Traffic Action, declared that they were opposed to the Western route, the route most recently proposed by the then Liberal Democrat controlled Devon County Council.

In the European elections the Conservatives won three of the possible six seats for the South West area. The UK Independence Party gained two seats and the Liberal Democrats one seat.

Labour lost the seat previously held by MEP Glyn Ford.

Alan Quick