Labour have tightened their grip on Chorley Council after winning all but one of the seats up for grabs at this year’s local elections – and deposing the Tory opposition group leader in the process.

Of the 14 seats being contested, the ruling party held all 11 it was defending from the last time this particular set was fought in 2021, and gained two others.

The Conservatives kept hold of just one seat on the night, while also losing its leader.

Chorley Council elects a third of its members each time there is a poll and the results this year have translated into Labour securing a position of near omnipotence in the borough.

It now holds 39 of the 42 seats at the town hall, with the Tories down to just three.

Speaking briefly in the moments after the result was announced, council leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley, described the outcome as “a ringing endorsement [of] the Labour Party by the people of Chorley”.

He added: “We have plans to continue to make Chorley a great place to live, work and visit.”

Conservative opposition leader Alan Cullens lost his seat in Clayton East, Brindle and Hoghton, being beaten by more than 200 votes by Labour’s Irene Amahwe. He had sat on the authority for 15 of the last 20 years, having first been elected in 2004.

It was a slightly closer contest in the seat where the other Tory scalp was claimed. Aidy Riggott, who, like his former group leader is also a Lancashire county councillor in Chorley, lost out by just over 100 votes to Labour candidate Russell Green in the Buckshaw and Whittle ward.

Amongst those re-elected for Labour were 10 incumbent councillors, including three cabinet members –  Cllr Adrian Lowe, the portfolio holder for customer, streetscene and environment; Cllr Margaret France, who is responsible for health, wellbeing and partnerships; and leader Cllr Bradley.

He is now entering this 13th year in charge at Chorley Council after first leading his party to victory in the borough back in 2012, following a year of it being in no overall control with the Tories as the largest group. The Conservatives had previously enjoyed a majority.

The one Conservative councillor – of those standing for re-election – to retain her place on the authority this year was Debra Platt. She hung on in Croston, Mawdesley and Euxton South, having last year won the seat vacated by the long-serving Keith Iddon after he died in the summer.

Cllr Platt had previously represented Euxton, but was defeated in that ward at last year’s local elections.

The Green Party – which contested all of the seats up for election this year – secured second place in one of them, Chorley South West, where Olga Cash scooped 562 votes, by far the party’s best performance this year.

The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and the Liberal Democrats fought four different wards each.  The pair came last in three out of each of those four.

Elsewhere, octogenarian Labour veteran Alan Whittaker was re-elected in his Eccleston, Heskin and Charnock Richard seat, having first become a Chorley councillor back in 1982.  Apart from a hiatus between 2006 and 2014, he has been a fixture at the town hall ever since.

All of the party leaders and representatives were approached for comment regarding the results.

Turnout averaged at 30 percent across the 14 wards.