The Labour Party has gained control of Adur District Council after winning 13 of the 16 seats up for grabs in the May 2 local elections.
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.
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.
Final results by ward in Adur were:
Buckingham: Labour gain
Con: 424
LDem: 164
Lab: 681
Green: 70
Churchill: Labour gain
Con: 394
Lab: 411
Green: 107
Cokeham: Labour gain
Con: 359
Green: 71
LDem: 70
Lab: 407
Britain First: 131
Eastbrook: Labour gain
Con:338
Lab: 596
Green: 84
Hillside: Labour gain
Lab: 623
Con: 451
Green: 74
Manor: Conservatives hold
Con: 572
Green: 95
Ldem: 54
Lab: 370
Marine: SBRA hold
Lab: 283
Green: 120
SBRA: 933
Ldem: 42
Mash Barn: Labour hold
Green: 84
Con: 296
Lab: 655
Peverel: Labour gain
Lab: 514
Con: 462
Green: 71
Southlands: Labour hold
Con: 288
LDem 71
Lab 540
Green 54
Southwick Green: Labour hold
Lab:780
Con: 278
Green: 72
LDem: 86
St Mary’s: double Labour hold
Lab: 905
Lab: 858
Green: 255
Con: 314
St Nicholas: Greens’ hold
Green: 652
Con: 447
Ind: 77
Ldem: 47
Lab: 401
Widewater: two Labour gains
Lab: 604
Lab: 712
Con: 463
Con: 415
Green: 336
Green: 346
Ind: 281
