TOWN and community council elections across Gwent were staged alongside the county council elections last week.

Elections were held for only two of the 14 community councils in Newport, while the remainder were uncontested.

Lisa Hearn, Kath Hopkins and Chris Lacey, all of whom represent Labour, were elected to the West ward of Rogerstone Community Council, as was Conservative Anita Bailey.

Meanwhile Andrew Collingbourne and Chris Evans of the Newport Independents Party and Yvonne Forsey and June Toleman, both Labour, were elected for the council’s North Ward.

And Bryan Cork, John Small, Elaine Ford, Wayne Fox, Roger Preece, Alexander Price and Gregory Waters were elected to Goldcliff Community Council, where members do not stand on a party political banner.

In Torfaen, the Conservatives saw four candidates - Raymond Mills, Richard Overton, David James, and Nicholas Jones - secure both New Inn wards on Pontypool Community Council, as well as the Griffithstown East ward through Adrian Lang’s election.

The new Cwmbran Community Council, meanwhile, will be made up of a combination of Labour, Independents and Plaid Cymru members.

There were 20 elections at community council level in Monmouthshire while the rest remained uncontested.

Among them, the newly-formed independent group IndyMonmouth saw seven councillors elected to the Monmouth Town Council, which was the only council to be entirely contested.

The group’s members combine youth and experience within their ranks, with 18-year-old Jess Stephens and 84-year-old Anna Antebi set to sit as councillors for the Wyesham and Town wards respectively.

Elsewhere, outgoing deputy mayor for Chepstow Marc Le Peltier, was ousted from his seat on the town council.

It proved to be an evening to forget for the Conservative candidate, who saw his bid to become county councillor for St Mary’s also fail to materialise.

In Blaenau Gwent, elections were held solely for the Sirhowy community council.

Malcolm Cross, Philip Prosser, Diane Rowberry, Tommy Smith and Alyson Tippings were elected for Labour. Tony Gregory was elected as an Independent.