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Mr Cook has served two terms as a local councillor and took on the role as council leader in 2015, after narrowly winning his seat against Mike Sole in that election.

In the Herne Bay area, David Hirst has lost his Greenhill seat to Daniel Watkins, who secured nearly 46% of the vote, seeing a change from The Foundation Party to The Conservatives.

In Heron ward, Andrew Cook and David Thomas retain their seats and Steve Wilson-Hamilton replaces outgoing Tory councillor Joe Howes, seeing a clean sweep for the Conservatives in this ward for another term. Between them, the Tory candidates secured just under 45% of the votes cast.

There’s a Conservative gain in West Bay which has seen Peter Vickery-Jones take the seat, with over 48% of the vote. It was previously held by independent Councillor Geoff Wimble who wasn’t running for this term.

The Conservatives hold on to Beltinge with Ian Stockley and Jeanette Stockley re-elected, and also retain their two seats in Herne & Broomfield.

In Reculver, the seat remains Conservative, with Rachel Carnac taking over from Ann Taylor.

Further afield, Conservative Councillor Ian Thomas has held on to the Swalecliffe seat seeing him secure a fifth term as a local councillor. He won with 46% of the votes.

Tankerton has seen a narrow victory for Conservative Neil Baker, who has held onto the seat after a majority of just four votes, making it the closest count in the Canterbury area.

The Conservatives suffer losses in Gorrell and Barton wards with Labour sweeping the board and taking all three seats in each. The Tory’s retain the two seats in each of Sturry, Chestfield, Chartham & Stone Street and Seasalter however and also hold on to Little Stour & Adisham.

In Canterbury, the Westgate ward has seen another Conservative loss as Labour take a seat off them, while the Liberal Democrats retain the other.

The Liberal Democrats have also retained their two seats in Wincheap.

In St Stephens, Conservatives retain one seat but lose the second to Labour, while in Northgate, Labour retain both seats.

The Blean Forest ward has seen a change from three Conservative councillors to one Conservative and two Liberal Democrats.

The final results results for tbe Canterbury City Council area are 23 Conservatives, 10 Labour and 6 Liberal Democrats, which means the Conservatives retain control of the Council.