Frenchay & Downend
Winning candidates Raj Sood, Ben Burton and Liz Brennan
THE Frenchay & Downend ward has its first non-Conservative councillor since it was formed in 2019.
Liberal Democrat Raj Sood topped the poll with 1,994 votes in the ward, which elects three councillors.
The other two winners were sitting Conservative councillors Ben Burton and Liz Brennan, with 1,780 and 1,678 votes respectively.
The other defending Tory councillor, James Griffiths, ended up in fifth place behind Lib Dem David Eldridge, who fell just five votes short of third place, with 1,673 votes, after a recount.
Cllr Sood, a Downend & Bromley Heath parish councillor well known as the owner of a convenience store in Bromley Heath, had come second in a by-election in the ward two years ago.
He said: “I am deeply honoured to be given the privilege of representing our community on South Gloucestershire Council. I would especially like to thank those that abandoned previous party loyalty to give me their support.”
The Lib Dems’ three candidates received more votes combined than the Tories in the ward, 5,154 (39.2%) to 5,080 (38.6%), but ended up with only one of the three seats.
Labour, whose candidates were third, fourth and sixth in 2019, fell to seventh, eighth and ninth this time round.
Full result:
Raj Sood (LD): 1,994
Ben Burton (Con): 1,780
Liz Brennan (Con): 1,678
David Eldridge (LD): 1,673
James Griffiths (Con) 1,622
John Tansey (LD): 1,487
Jacky Dockerty (Lab) 1,034
Mike Richards (Lab) 1,033
Andrew Smith (Lab) 858
Turnout: 43%