Full results at Horsham District Council local election 2023 - here's how it all unfolded live

Here’s our round-up story, summarising the results.

****LIB DEMS SECURE MAJORITY AT HORSHAM DISTRICT COUNCIL*****

FINAL TALLY: 28 LIB DEMS, 11 CONSERVATIVES, 8 GREENS, 1 INDEPENDENT.

The Conservatives have been in the ascendancy throughout the 21st century at HDC, reaching their zenith in 2015 when they held all but five seats. But the Lib Dems and Greens made gains in 2019 and they could very well be in danger of losing their majority today, and even control of the council.

6.49pm: Lib Dems take the three FOREST seats. Colin Minto, Jon Olson and David Skipp. That’s all the results in! Thanks for staying with us. An incredible set of results for Lib Dems and Greens will be happy too.

6.41pm: Another good win for the Greens, they take two out of three in PULBOROUGH, COLDWALTHAM AND AMBERLEY. Elected are Jon Campbell (Green), Robert Clarke (Conservative) and Len Ellis-Brown (Green).

6.30pm: Finally some good news for the Conservatives as they take all three seats in WEST CHILTINGTON, THAKEHAM AND ASHINGTON. Elected are Philip Circus, Anne Dennis and David Manton.

6.19pm: Greens win all three seats in STORRINGTON AND WASHINGTON. Incredible. Emma Beard (Green), Meynell Fisher (Green) and Joan Grech (Green) all elected.

6.15pm: Jay Mercer and Sam Raby elected in ROFFEY SOUTH. This takes Lib Dems to an overall majority. An astonishing result.

6.07pm: Lib Dems hold all three seats in DENNE. Margaret Fletcher (Lib Dem), Laurence Milne (Lib Dem) and Vernon Trott (Lib Dem) all elected.

6.02pm: Another big one, three Lib Dem seats gained in BILLINGSHURST. Leigh Bateman (Lib Dem), Alexander Baynhman (Lib Dem) and Maurice Trollope (Lib Dem).

6.01pm: Con hold and Lib Dem gain in COWFOLD, SHERMANBURY AND WEST GRINSTEAD. Joanne Knowles (Lib Dem) and Audrey Lambert (Conservative) elected.

5.50pm: The Lib Dems are on their way now. They take both Holbrook wards from the Conservatives.

HOLBROOK WEST: BURGESS, Peter Maurice Conservative Party Candidate 750, CHAPMAN, Raymond Edward Labour Party 192, EMERY, Nigel Douglas Liberal Democrats 1039 Elected, FRANKE, Christopher John commonly known as FRANKE, Chris Liberal Democrats 913 Elected, HALL, David Kim Green Party Candidate 148, MCCARTAN, Una Celeste Green Party Candidate 133, MITCHELL, Christian Richard Conservative Party Candidate 732, SHIEL, Rosemary Philippa, commonly known as SHIEL, Ros Labour Party 112.

HOLBROOK EAST: BARRY, Lorraine Angela Labour Party 172, BURGESS, Karen Jane Conservative Party Candidate 640, CHAPMAN, Sheila Marie Labour Party 186, FRANCIS, Mark Green Party Candidate 125, GRANT, Nicholas John commonly known as GRANT, Nick Liberal Democrats 874 Elected, HELLAWELL, Warwick Liberal Democrats 784 Elected, RICKETT, Tony Clive Reform UK 82, TORN, Simon Victor Conservative Party Candidate 566, YEATES, Florian Green Party Candidate 150.

5.48pm: Finally, another result, and a Lib Dem hold of both seats in BROADBRIDGE HEATH: BROOKES, James John Liberal Democrats 579 Elected, COURTENEY-SMITH, Aaron Conservative Party Candidate 332, HUMPHREYS, Sheila Green Party Candidate 126, MCGILLIVRAY, Jane Louise Labour Party 160, OLIVER, Terry Roy Independent 252, TAYLOR, Jonathan Charles Herbert Liberal Democrats 503 Elected, VALLENS, Sandra Green Party Candidate 97, VALLIS, Khobi Anne Conservative Party Candidate 322.

5.11pm: The council confirms both SOUTHWATER SOUTH AND SHIPLEY seats went to LIb Dems. Alex Jeffery (Lib Dem) and Colette Blackburn (Lib Dem) have been elected.

5.07pm: HENFIELD continues its long tradition of returning an independent. Elected are Malcolm Eastwood (Independent) and Josh Potts (Conservative).

5.02pm: Lib Dems are saying they’ve also taken Southwater South and Shipley – they could be on course for a majority or near to one.

4.45pm: Council leader Claire Vickers has lost her seat. The Lib Dems gain both seats in SOUTHWATER NORTH: Michael Wood and Peter Van Der Borgh are elected.

4.24pm: Con hold and LD gain in ITCHINGFIELD, SLINFOLD AND WARNHAM: Kasia Greenwood (Lib Dem) and Tricia Youtan (Conservative) elected.

4.20pm: Conservative and Green holds in BRAMBER, UPPER BEEDING AND WOODMANCOTE: Mike Croker (Green) and Roger Noel (Con) elected.

3.36pm: Conservative hold both seats in COLGATE AND RUSPER: Tony Hogben and Liz Kitchen elected.

3.29pm: Green gain and a hold in STEYNING AND ASHURST: Victoria Finnegan (Green) and Nicholas Marks (Green) have been elected

3.07pm: Lib Dems hold both seats in ROFFEY NORTH: Anthony Bevis (Lib Dem) and Belinda Walters (Lib Dem) have been elected

2.50pm: Confirmed TRAFALGAR is a double Lib Dem hold: Martin Boffey (Lib Dem) and Anthony Frankland (Lib Dem) have been elected.

2.36pm: Horsham Lib Dems are tweeting that the party has held both Trafalgar seats.

2.16pm: Conservative Richard Landeryou re-elected in RUDGWICK.

2.08pm: The LIb Dems have their first gain of the day in NUTHURST AND LOWER BEEDING. Dennis Livingstone is the first councillor elected of the day!

1.12pm: HDC has just tweeted: “Counting has begun”

12.23pm: Lib Dems making massive gains in Chichester already. Could this be replaced in Horsham? Quite possibly….

11.34am: HDC tweeted: “Verification is complete and the average turnout across the District was 37.32%. The count will begin shortly.”

11.11am: The Conservatives are facing threats on two fronts, from the Lib Dems in and around Horsham as well as the Greens in the South Downs villages.

Firstly the Lib Dems have a solid base in Horsham town, but to win they need to make inroads in the two Holbrook seats and the villages near Horsham, namely: Southwater, Billingshurst, Itchingfield, Slinfold and Warnham, Rudgwick and Colgate and Rusper.

For the Greens they have a seat each in Steyning and Ashurst: Bramber, Upper Beeding and Woodmancote; and Storrington and Washington. Are they poised to hold what they have and gain several more?

10.51am: Horsham District Council has tweeted that verification is ‘well underway for the District and Parish Elections’.

10.15am: Nationally the Conservatives have suffered early losses in the areas where counting has already been completed. More than 8,000 seats are up for gabs this week.

9.13am: Counting is taking place today at The Bridge Leisure Centre in Broadbridge Heath.