The result brought to an end 16 years of Liberal Democrat rule to a Conservative controlled administration.

Members were elected by the first-past-the-post voting system for a four-year term of office.

Those who were temporarily away from their ordinary address (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital) were also entitled to vote in the local elections,[1] although those who had moved abroad and registered as overseas electors cannot vote in the local elections.

It is possible to register to vote at more than one address (such as a university student who had a term-time address and lives at home during holidays) at the discretion of the local Electoral Register Office, but it remains an offence to vote more than once in the same local government election.

[2] The Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to the Conservatives who went on to form a majority administration.