Balance of power shifts as Lib Dems take six seats on Aycliffe Council

The balance of power has moved away from the Labour Party in Newton Aycliffe after the Lib Dems took six seats in the 2021 elections.

With 13 Labour councillors out of 30 voted in by the Aycliffe electorate, the party no longer holds a majority, although is still the party with the most number of representatives.

But Aycliffe’s 11 independents could now potentially look to form a coalition majority with the six Lib Dem councillors.

After Michael Stead’s and Maureen Shelton’s uncontested Lib Dem seats in the Woodham ward ahead of Thursday’s poll, the party then took four more seats in the election.

As the parish results dripped through on Sunday, Nev Jones, Joanne Jones, Tony Armstrong and Andrea Miller all won in their wards.

Labour’s Kathryn Beetham lost her central ward seat, as Jed Hillary scraped through with 144 votes – just seven more than Beetham.

Aycliffe Town Council is therefore now made up of the following:

West ward
Eddy Adam (Labour)
Martin Ashcroft (Independent)
Arun Chandran (Independent)
George Gray (Independent)
Kate Hopper (Labour)
Ken Robson (Independent)

Byerley Park, Horndale and Cobblers Hall ward
Peter Bergg (Labour)
Dorothy Bowman (Independent)
John Clare (Labour)
Ian Gray (Labour)
Brian Hall (Labour)
Andrea Miller (Lib Dem)

Simpasture ward
John Clark (Labour)
David Hardaker (Labour)

Shafto St Marys ward
Tony Armstrong (Lib Dem)
Bob Fleming (Independent)
Brian Haigh (Independent)
Wendy Hillary (Labour)

Neville ward
Phillip Hawkins (Independent)
Neville Jones (Lib Dem)

Aycliffe Central ward
Jim Atkinson (Labour)
Jed Hillary (Labour)
Joanne Jones (Lib Dem)

Aycliffe Village ward
Carl Robinson (Independent)

Woodham ward
Barbara Clare (Labour)
Neil Collinson (Labour)
Sandra Haigh (Independent)
John Moore (Independent)
Maureen Shelton (Lib Dems)
Michael Stead (Lib Dems)

Full results round-up of 2021 Great Aycliffe Town Council elections:

West ward
Eddy Adam (Labour) 416 ELECTED
Martin Ashcroft (Independent) 410 ELECTED
Arun Chandran (Independent) 378 ELECTED
George Gray (Independent) 431 ELECTED
Kate Hopper (Labour) 380 ELECTED
Ken Robson (Independent) 478 ELECTED
James Walsh (Liberal Democrat) 281
Neil Whittaker (Labour) 280

Byerley Park, Horndale and Cobblers Hall ward
Peter Bergg (Labour) 357 ELECTED
Dorothy Bowman (Independent) 494 ELECTED
John Clare (Labour) 459 ELECTED
Ian Gray (Labour) 292 ELECTED
Brian Hall (Labour) 329 ELECTED
Andrea Miller (Lib Dem) 531 ELECTED
Kane Shaw (Labour) 265

Simpasture ward
John Clark (Labour) 221 ELECTED
David Hardaker (Labour) 204 ELECTED
Paul Whiting (Lib Dem) 185

Shafto St Marys ward
Tony Armstrong (Lib Dem) 365 ELECTED
David Elliott (Independent) 238
Bob Fleming (Independent) 365 ELECTED
Brian Haigh (Independent) 269 ELECTED
Wendy Hillary (Labour) 278 ELECTED

Neville ward
Phillip Hawkins (Independent) 170 ELECTED
Simon Hocking (Labour) 154
Neville Jones (Lib Dem) 305 ELECTED

Aycliffe Central ward
Jim Atkinson (Labour) 220 ELECTED
Kathryn Beetham (Labour) 137
Jed Hillary (Labour) 144 ELECTED
Joanne Jones (Lib Dem) 340 ELECTED

Aycliffe Village ward (1 uncontested)
Carl Robinson (Independent)

Woodham ward (6 uncontested)
Barbara Clare (Labour)
Neil Collinson (Labour)
Sandra Haigh (Independent)
John Moore (Independent)
Maureen Shelton (Lib Dems)
Michael Stead (Lib Dems)