Labour celebrated becoming the biggest party on the council in Hartlepool’s local elections, but remain one seat short of an overall majority.

Labour won nine out of the 12 available seats on Hartlepool Borough Council, making gains in five wards, with the Conservatives having success by two votes in a tightly contested poll in Hart, while also holding Rural West.

Local Elections 2023: Live results from Darlington and Teesside

The remaining available seat was won by Independent Councillor Leisa Smith who was re-elected to serve the Seaton ward for the next four years.

The result means 18 of the 36 councillors on the local authority are Labour or Labour and Co-operative Party representatives, with 19 the number needed to hold an overall majority.

See how Hartlepool Council looks now

Talks will now take place to see if they can secure a deal or coalition to ensure Labour leads the council for the coming year, which it last did in 2019.

Since then the local authority has been ruled by a coalition between Conservative, Independent Union and some independent councillors.

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Councillor Brenda Harrison, Labour group leader, who was successful in holding her seat in the De Bruce ward, said the party had hoped to gain four councillors in the polls and were pleased with the outcome of the elections.

She added: “We’re a very strong group, the new candidates are also going to be a strong asset to the group.”

She added the party is hopeful of building on their success in future council and parliamentary elections.

Councillor Jonathan Brash, deputy leader of the Labour group and the party’s prospective parliamentary candidate, said: “We’re really proud of the results we’ve had, we’re really proud to have increased our numbers on the council.

“I’m not rejoicing tonight, the hard work starts now, we’ve still got a hung council.

“Our first job is to fight to be in control of that council so that we can start delivering for people so we can make life easier.

“We’ve made some very clear pledges in this election and we will deliver them, because we know those are the priorities of Hartlepool people because we’ve listened to what they’ve had to say.”

Labour Party gains included Phil Holbrook in Fens and Greatham, Matthew Dodds in Headland and Harbour and Steve Wallace in Throston.

Seats won in Victoria, through Karen Oliver,  and Martin Dunbar in Foggy Furze, were previously held by Conservatives.

However the Tories made a gain of their own in Hart, where Rob Darby won by two votes ahead of the Labour candidate David Innes following two recounts.

Councillor Mike Young, Conservative group leader on the council, who was re-elected in Rural West, said the “disappointing” result is “a measure of the wider political landscape”

He said: “There’s a lot of work to do and we accept that, whilst we do feel since 2021 it can’t be underestimated the fact that we’ve brought £75.5million into the town of fresh investment to start regenerating the town.

“It’s a bit disappointing that we’re in this position tonight, we will battle on because that’s what we do.

“We want to continue pushing that agenda, whether we’re in power or not, we want to be the ones that are steering that change, that’s our ambition, our mandate, our overall aspiration.”

Labour also held seats in Burn Valley, Rossmere and Manor House with Councillors Ged Hall, Tom Feeney and Ben Clayton being elected to serve for another four years.

Reform UK had been bidding to gain a seat on the council, with 10 candidates standing, however none were successful.

It has already been confirmed the local authority will have a new leader, with Independent Union representative Councillor Shane Moore stating he will be standing down from the role to “find a better work-life balance”.

The declarations were made around 1am, with the voter turnout being 24.20%.

The results for each of the 12 wards are below with the successful candidates in bold:

BURN VALLEY

James Brewer (Reform UK) – 108

Ged Hall (Labour Party) – 895*

John Hays (Independent) – 197

Margaret Lyall (Conservative Party) – 271

DE BRUCE

Brenda Harrison (Labour and Co-operative Party) – 759*

Paul Manley (Reform UK) – 237

Rodney Pangbourne (Conservative Party) – 193

FENS AND GREATHAM

Angela Falconer (Independent) – 307

Philip Holbrook (Labour and Co-operative Party) – 780*

Roger Jones (Reform UK) – 96

Marc Owens (Conservative Party) – 468

Tony Richardson (Independent) – 220

FOGGY FURZE

Martin Dunbar (Labour and Co-operative Party) – 711*

Barry McKinstray (Liberal Democrats) – 173

Leah Syead (Reform UK) – 101

Kevin Tiplady (Conservative Party) – 372

HART

Rob Cook (Independent) – 477

Rob Darby (Conservative Party) – 493*

David Innes (Labour Party) – 491

Pauline Phillips (Independent) – 101

HEADLAND AND HARBOUR

Matthew Dodds (Labour and Co-operative Party) – 550*

Timothy Fleming (Independent Union) – 535

Arthur John Southcott (Conservative Party) – 263

MANOR HOUSE

Ben Clayton (Labour and Co-operative Party) – 549*

Donna Hotham (Liberal Democrats) – 90

Angela Jackson (Conservative Party) – 176

Steve Wright (Reform UK) – 129

ROSSMERE

Tracy Connolly (Reform UK) – 121

Tom Feeney (Labour and Co-operative Party) – 538*

Jaime Horton (Independent) – 375

RURAL WEST

John O’Brien (Reform UK) – 75

Pam Shurmer (Independent) – 450

Malcolm Walker (Labour and Co-operative Party) – 563

Mike Young (Conservative Party) – 980*

SEATON

Josh Bagnall (Conservative Party) – 318

Ralph Gabbatiss (Labour Party) – 316

Glynis Jones (Reform UK) – 147

Leisa Smith (Independent) – 850*

THROSTON

Peter Jackson (Independent) – 555

Trevor Rogan (Reform UK) – 155

Steve Wallace (Labour and Co-operative Party) – 717*

VICTORIA

Misra Bano-Mahroo (Conservative Party) – 330

Thomas Bird (Reform UK) -120

Karen Oliver (Labour and Co-operative Party) – 761*