THE Conservatives will lose control of South Oxfordshire District Council, with the Liberal Democrats and Greens set to take over.

The authority was set up 45 years ago – and has only been led by other parties for eight of those years.

But the party saw a massive dominance over the council whittled back over the last year and its presence took a further battering yesterday.

In 2015, the party won 33 of SODC’s 36 seats. Yesterday it won just 10.

The Lib Dems, like elsewhere across the country, performed well, securing 12 seats. Before the elections, it had just two and won just one in 2015.

The changes could signal major changes for the authority. The Lib Dems have been vocal opponents of SODC’s Local Plan, which was passed in December and still faces an independent assessment.

David Turner, the Lib Dems’ group’s leader, has been particularly vocal in his opposition to the Chalgrove Airfield development.

Oxford Mail: Chalgrove AirfieldChalgrove Airfield

That is included in the council’s Local Plan. It could see 3,000 new homes built in the village as part of a project paid for by Government agency Homes England. Mr Turner is Chalgrove’s district councillor.  

Elsewhere, the Green Party won five seats. Greens and Liberal Democrats agreed to form a pact in South Oxfordshire ahead of the election and in some wards it seems to have worked well.

The Henley Residents Group also won three seats, while independents three and Labour three. All of Labour’s seats were won in Didcot South.

SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL'S ELECTION WINNERS: 

Benson and Crowmarsh

Sue Cooper – Liberal Democrats

Andrea Powell – Green

Berinsfield

Robin Bennett – Green

Chalgrove

David Turner – Liberal Democrats

Chinnor

Lynn Lloyd – Conservative

Ian White – Conservative

Cholsey

Jane Murphy – Conservative

Annie-Marie Simpson – Liberal Democrats

Didcot North East

Victoria Haval – Liberal Democrats

Simon Hewerdine – Independent

David Rouane – Liberal Democrats

Didcot South

Mocky Khan – Labour

Axel Macdonald – Labour

Celia Wilson – Labour

Didcot West

Ian Snowdon – Conservative

Alan Thompson – Conservative

Forest Hill and Holton

Sarah Gray – Liberal Democrats

Garsington and Horspath

Elizabeth Gillespie – Conservative

Goring

Maggie Filipova-Rivers – Liberal Democrats

Haseley Brook

Caroline Newton – Conservative

Henley-on-Thames

Ken Arlett – Henley Residents Group

Stefan Gawrysiak – Henley Residents Group

Kellie Hinton – Henley Residents Group

Kidmore End and Whitchurch

Peter Dragonetti – Independent

Sandford and the Wittenhams

Sam Casey-Rerhaye – Green

Sonning Common

David Bartholomew – Conservative

Leigh Rawlins – Independent

Thame

Pieter-Paul Barker – Liberal Democrats

David Bretherton – Liberal Democrats

Kate Gregory – Liberal Democrats

Wallingford

George Levy – Liberal Democrat

Sue Roberts – Green

Watlington

Anna Badcock – Conservative

Wheatley

Alexandrine Kantor – Liberal Democrats

Woodcote and Rotherfield

Lorraine Hillier – Conservative

Jo Robb – Green