The Conservatives have comfortably kept control of Lichfield District Council.
Leader Mike Wilcox described the results as “fantastic” after his ruling Tory group wrestled seats from Labour across Lichfield and Burntwood.
Among the casualties on the opposition side was Labour group leader Steve Norman who lost his seat in the Summerfield and All Saints ward.
But Cllr Wilcox admitted the performance had even surprised him.
“It’s been fantastic and we’ve mirrored what’s happened at the national level,” he said.
“Some really hard work has been done by all the candidates and were looking forward to another four years of Conservative administration in Lichfield.”
The Conservatives have eased past their pre-election target of 32 seats, landing 41 of a possible 47. Labour took four, while UKIP and the Lib Dems each have one councillor.
There had been concerns that voters may hit back against cuts which have hit services at Lichfield District Council.
But Cllr Wilcox believes residents have recognised that tough decisions had to be made.
We have gone through difficult times, we’ve managed to cut the budget, we’ve managed to cut back on services but still managed to deliver core services that are important to people.
The voters have given us a mandate to continue with that and we will to ensure we continue to give a first-class service to Lichfield.”
