NEW blood has been ushered onto West Devon Borough Council (WDBC) in an election which saw the leader and several long-time councillors lose their seats.

Nearly half of the council will be made up of fresh faces, with 15 new councillors joining 16 returning ones.

Most dramatically, leader Conservative Philip Sanders lost his seat in Buckland Monachorum to Green Party candidate Lucy Wood and two sitting Conservatives lost their Tavistock seats.

A new leader and deputy leader, mayor and deputy mayor will be chosen at WDBC’s annual meeting on Tuesday, May 21.

The election has changed the political landscape in Tavistock, with six Conservatives and one Independent replaced by six Independents to one Conservative on the borough council.

In Okehampton there was much less change than in Tavistock, with four out of five borough councillors being re-elected.

Conservatives Kevin Ball and current mayor Mike Davies and Independent Tony Leech return to Okehampton North and Conservative Julie Yelland to Okehampton South. Independent Paul Vachon, who is already on Okehampton Town Council, replaces Conservative Ben Stephens in Okehampton South, who stepped down before the election.

For the full story, pick up today’s edition of the Times.