INDEPENDENT and Green candidates are celebrating after securing a number of seats on Chard's town council.

The new Chard Town Council is made up of Andy Kenton (elected uncontested), Dave Bulmer, Melissa Whittaker-Mather, Zak Williams, Martin Carnell, Jenny Kenton, Jenny Orchard, Victoria Bates, Cath Morrison, Garry Shortland, Jason Baker, Les Gilbert and Michelle Young.

Cath Morrison stood as an independent candidate, and was voted back in to her Chard Avishayes seat.

She said: "I am very happy to be re-elected.

"I will still endeavour to do my best for the ward and the town as a whole, and look forward to the next four years with new plans for the town."

Dave Bulmer was the mayor of Chard from 2015 to 2017. He has been re-elected to the town council.

He said: "I am delighted to be re-elected as a town councillor for Jocelyn ward.

"I would like to thank everybody who voted for me and supported my campaign. There is nothing better than the positive responses we had.

"I feel a little bit sorry for some of the independent and green candidates in Chard who worked hard but didn't get in.

"We do, however, have the council's second ever Green town councillor, Serena Wootton, who was quite rightly elected.

"I look forward to working with her and the other councillors in the town council.

As an independent candidate Cllr Bulmer retained his district council seat as well.

He added: "As a district councillor, I will be focusing on the Chard Regeneration Project and the swimming pool.

"It is something a lot of people have been crying out for, and I am determined to make sure the continue this through.

"It is obviously a work in progress but am optimistic it will happen.

"I am keen to support the health of our environment.

"It is pretty clear that green issues are particularly relevant for the wellbeing of our future generations.

"We must all take these issues really seriously. The simple fact is climate change is happening."

Earlier this year Chard got its first ever Green Party town councillor, Tim Eggins.

He missed out by 11 votes this time, but Serena Wootton was voted in as the second Green for CTC.

After the count at Westlands in Yeovil, Serena said: "I am over the moon. I am very excited to be developing Chard's greener future, and working with these other lovely people.

"Thank you to my voters. I think I was quite an unknown so they have taken a punt on me.

"We have just done the litter pick in town, and people have been speaking to me about having recycling bins in front of the Guildhall."

Melissa Whittaker-Mather was elected into the Chard Jocelyn ward.

She said: "I am quite pleased overall.

"It is nice that we have got different councillors bringing different points of views hopefully together.

"I am interested in supporting the regeneration project.

"The market needs some improvements. Quite a lot of people have expressed an interest in that.

"Hopefully that is something, with a bit of time, that the council can look at to liven up the town centre and bring some vitality back."

Les Gilbert, owner of Chard Newsagents, also stood as an independent candidate.

He said: "A huge thank you to all those that voted for me.

"And I am of course, really pleased to have been elected as a Chard Town Councillor for the Holyrood Ward.

"But given the make up of both the Town and District Council the challenges ahead for Chard will I think be enormous and I am very conscious that real change may be difficult to make.

"However, working with other Independents, and other like minded Councillors I will do my very best to represent everybody within the ward and the wider community and to do what is best for Chard.

"I offer my sincere congratulations to all of those elected today, both at District and Town and look forward to working with you all."