West Devon Borough Council (WDBC) has plenty of new blood following 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.

Independents Steve Hipsey and Andy Coulson, who led the campaign against the borough council’s controversial plan to build a budget hotel on the Abbey Rise car park, were elected as Tavistock councillors.

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