THE Welsh Conservatives picked up three county council seats in Newtown in last week’s election.

County Cllr Joy Jones (Independent) already had the east ward sewn up, after no-one stood against her and she returned uncontested.

In Llanllwchaiarn North, Tory Daniel Rowlands took the seat with 449 votes.

Behind him was Derry Quinlan for the Lib Dems, with 213, votes and Roy Norris, Plaid Cymru, 87 votes.

In Llanwchaiarn West, another Conservative, Mark Barnes, was elected with 311 votes, followed by Peter Hough, who claimed 247 votes for Welsh Lib Dems.

Emyr Poole claimed 87 votes for Plaid Cymru, with Richard Church, Independent, getting 39 votes.

Town councillor David Selby, Lib Dem, took the central ward from the Conservatives, beating Rupert Taylor by 60 votes.

And in the South ward, another Conservative, Alan Morrison, took the seat with 203 votes, with Plaid Cymru candidate and mayor Richard Edwards on 109 and Sharon Evans, independent, on 58.

Out of the Newtown Town Council wards, only one was contested with four candidates for three seats, Llanllwchaiarn West.

John Barker was elected with 464 votes, with Richard Williams, Independent also being elected with 325 votes.

Ian Childs, Welsh Labour, won the final seat with 258 votes, as Plaid Cymru’s Diane Williams missed out narrowly with 224 votes.

In the east ward, Sue Newham got back in uncontested, and Roy Norris, Plaid Cymru, was in uncontested, leaving a vacant seat.

In the Central Ward, Geoff Parsons, David Selby and Richard White all claimed seats uncontested, with a vacant seat also remaining.

Cllr Val Howard reclaimed her seat in the Newtown East Ward, with two seats vacant.

And in the South Ward, County Cllr Joy Jones took up a seat on the town council, along with Susan Hill and Mayor Cllr Richard Edwards returning to office uncontested.

People interested in the vacant seats will be co-opted on by the town council on June 26 at the meeting, and interest needs to be expressed a week prior, by June 19.