NORDEN

JAMES, Laura (Labour) - 793

MCNAIR SCOTT, Nigel Guthrie (Conservative) - 532

WHITECHURCH, Richard Andrew (Liberal Democrat) - 325

Electorate - 5,500 Turnout - 30 per cent

LAURA James, Labour member of the Cabinet in the Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition, was re-elected with a smaller personal vote than 2002.

Ms James said she had not suffered the fate of Labour leader Rob Donnelly partly because she had not been faced with an independent opponent.

She added: "It is also true that people expressed high levels of satisfaction with the council. But things always change and we did not imagine things would stay the same. Tonight has not been an overwhelming victory for the Tories. They thought they were going to clean up in the borough and they haven't."

OAKLEY AND NORTH WALTHAM

RICHARDSON, Gweneth Lilian (Conservative) - 1,625

BURBIDGE-KING, John Francis (Liberal Democrat) - 539

CAVANAGH, David Paul (Labour) - 200

Electorate - 5,551 Turnout - 43 per cent

MAYOR-ELECT Gwen Richardson was re-elected to this safe Conservative ward with an increased personal vote.

POPLEY EAST

POWNEY, Ian George (Independent) - 569

DONNELLY, Robert Crichton (Labour) - 294

EACHUS, Hayley Kristina (Conservative) - 131

WHITECHURCH, Stephen David (Liberal Democrat) - 60

Electorate - 3,250 Turnout - 33 per cent

THE shock result of the night came when council leader Rob Donnelly lost his seat, in what many viewed as a Labour stronghold.

Independent candidate Ian Powney took the seat after arriving in Basingstoke less than a year ago.

He said: "I think the main issue is that people in Popley are looking for a much more active style of presentation. The hard work starts now to make sure the changes are made in the next few years."

Mr Donnelly said: "I really do believe that the result in my ward is not a reflection of what's going on nationally or locally. It was basically about someone coming out of the blue with no history in Basingstoke at all and looking for anyone who might have had any kind of gripe about anything.

"I do not want it to sound like sour grapes, but it is a very exceptional set of circumstances."

POPLEY WEST

FRANKUM, Jane Kathleen (Labour) - 369

DIGNAN, Karen Lesley (Conservative) - 215

BERWICK-GOODING, Michael (Liberal Democrat) - 160

Electorate - 2,517 Turnout - 30 per cent

JANE Frankum held on to her seat, to retain a Labour representative in Popley. Mrs Frankum was relieved to hold on to her position on the council in what was a difficult night for Labour.

Despite the loss of Mr Donnelly in the neighbouring ward, Mrs Frankum vowed to carry on working for the whole of Popley.

SHERBORNE ST JOHN

LEEK, John Anthony (Conservative) - 695

LESSWARE, Jacqueline Gordon (Liberal Democrat) - 177

CAVANAGH, Eileen (Labour) - 112

Electorate - 2,366 Turnout - 42 per cent

JOHN Leek, leader of the Conservative group on the borough council, was re-elected.

Mr Leek said he was pleased with the result - having slightly increased his vote on last time, despite having an extra opponent.

SOUTH HAM

WATTS, Gary John (Labour) - 863

JONES, Christopher (Conservative) - 664

CLOVER, Leonard Herbert (Liberal Democrat) - 337

Electorate - 5,560 Turnout - 34 per cent

GARY Watts, former Winklebury councillor, retained control of South Ham for the Labour Party after replacing Colin Regan who stepped down for health reasons at this year's election.

Mr Watts said: "I'm delighted, but it's a shame it doesn't look like it's going to be a Labour administration on the council."

ROOKSDOWN

PETERS, Susan Joy (Conservative) - 231

HOOD, Andrew Luke (Liberal Democrat) - 132

Electorate - 901 Turnout - 41 per cent

THE Conservative Party retained Rooksdown ward, with sitting councillor Susan Peters being re-elected.

TADLEY NORTH

LOVEGROVE, Warwick Godfrey (Liberal Democrat) - 1,176

HIPGRAVE, William Alfred (Conservative) - 741

Electorate - 4,451 Turnout - 43 per cent

WARWICK Lovegrove, a long-standing Tadley councillor, was re-elected with an increased personal vote after what he said was "a harder-fought election than ever before".

Mr Lovegrove said: "With the European election being conducted as well, we were not too certain how things would go."

He added many electors had raised the questions of speeding cars, overgrown trees and parking problems. And with a reference to the Manydown housing scheme controversy, he said many householders did not want "hundreds of homes" foisted on Tadley in any dispersal of housing around the borough.

TADLEY SOUTH

LEEKS, David Alan (Independent) - 668

GILES, Andrew Richard (Conservative) - 556

CROSS, Robert John (Labour) - 167

Electorate - 4,217 Turnout 33 per cent.

INDEPENDENT councillor David Leeks was re-elected but with a smaller personal vote.

WINKLEBURY

FINNEY, Andrew John (Conservative) - 1,289

JEFF, Lea (Labour) - 844

Electorate - 4,997 Turnout - 43 per cent

THE Labour Party suffered a second shock defeat in Thursday's local elections when prominent councillor Lea Jeff lost her seat to Conservative Andrew Finney.

Mr Finney has been fighting against the Manydown development, but believes the real reason for the shift lies elsewhere.

He said: "What we have seen is a lot of dissatisfaction with the Labour Party. They are not listening, and Manydown is an issue where they are not listening.

"Yes, Manydown is important, but the wider cause is not listening in general. We need to engage with the public and try our best to deliver what they want and need. Local politics, local issues for local people and local action."

Mrs Jeff left the count without speaking to the media.