The Conservatives have emerged ahead in a hard-fought borough council election.

But although the Tories are the largest party with 13 seats on Maidstone Borough Council, they have failed to secure an overall majority which needed 25 of the 49 seats.

With the Lib Dems ending the day on 12 seats, and the Greens on 10, there will now need to be some behind-the-scenes horse-trading to decide who will support whom to form the next administration.

With Labour on six seats, and the Independents also taking six, they too could play a part in any deals.

Fant and Oakwood Independents retained their two seats.

We will not know for certain who will be the next council leader until the annual meeting of the new council at 9am on Saturday, May 18.

Overall the turnout was low, varying between 38.53% in Barming Heath and Teston to just 16.96% in Parkwood and Mangravat.

The turnout at the last borough elections in 2023 was 29.9%.

The results:

Allington and Bridge Ward (2 councillors)

Mitu Chowdhury (Con) 385

Michelle Englar (Lib Dem) 257

Rita Gintautaite (Con) 263

Stuart Jeffery (Green) 914 ELECTED

Marianna Poliszcuk (Lab) 203

Rachel Rodwell (Green) 822 ELECTED

Benjamin Webster-Whiting (Lib Dem) 202

Barming Heath and Teston Ward (2 councillors)

Reiss Cordery (Con) 376

Fay Gooch (Ind) 765 ELECTED

Chris Passmore (Lib Dem) 707

Mary Shaw (Lab) 280

Keira Stuart-Smith (Green) 618

Alison Sweetman (Green Party) 712 ELECTED

Bryan Vizzard (Lib Dem) 409

Arek Zurawinski (Con) 182

Bearsted and Downswood (3 councillors)

Ian Chittenden (Lib Dem) 398

David Cockerham (Reform UK) 481

Paul Cooper (Con) 984

Lee Garrett (Green) 796

Theresa Lyon (Lab) 343

Gordon Newton (Ind) 409

Ciaran Oliver (Green) 1013 ELECTED

Denis Spooner (Con) 1021 ELECTED

Val Springett (Con) 1200 ELECTED

Sean Turner (Heritage) 107

Edward Wallace (Green) 659

Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton (1 councillor)

George Burr (Con) 216

Anne Dawes (Ind) 599 ELECTED

Peter Oliver (Lab) 134

Boxley Downs (2 councillors)

Stephen Banks (Con) 379

Michael Beckwith (Lab) 279

Heidi Bryant (Con) 414

Vanessa Jones (Ind) 1026 ELECTED

Stephen Thompson (Green) 810 ELECTED

Mike Wardel (Reform UK)

Coxheath and Farleigh (2 councillors)

Alan Cocks (Lib Dem) 171

Claire Kehily (Green) 781 ELECTED

Lottie Parfitt-Reid (Con) 666 ELECTED

John Randall (Lab) 192

Caroline Richer (Green) 547

John Wilson (Con) 581

Fant and Oakwood (3 councillors)

Lee Blake (Lib Dem) 316

Patrick Coates (Fant and Oakwood Independents) 1149 ELECTED

Susan Delamare (Reform UK) 247

Will Dinley (Con) 278

Paul Harper (Fant and Oakwood Independents) 1287 ELECTED

Lorraine Humm (Lib Dem) 290

Valerie Jacobs (Lab) 447

Rojo Kurien (Lib Dem) 384

Denis Luchmun (Lab) 410

Kimberley Milham (Green) 909 ELECTED

Mudiwa Musindo (Con) 186

Ramakrishna Peeta (Con) 202

Margaret Rose (Lab) 379

Grove Green and Vinters Park (3 councillors)

Ronald Burke (Con) 834 ELECTED

Steven Cheesman (Green) 450

Martin Cox (Ind) 666

Rob Field (Lib Dem) 939 ELECTED

Michelle Hastie (Con) 830

Jaison Musindo (Con) 634

Mark Naghi (Lib Dem) 897 ELECTED

Susan Parr (Green) 331

Jeeva Sampangi (Lib Dem) 661

Mark Tickner (Lab) 343

Anna Winterbottom (Green) 294

Harrietsham, Lenham and North Downs (3 councillors)

Onyekachukwu Chukwuma (Con) 301

Julie-Anne Clancy (Con) 435

Kathy Cox (Ind) 923 ELECTED

Emily Hudson (Con) 396

Janetta Sams (Ind) 1515 ELECTED

Tom Sams (Ind) 1455 ELECTED

Ryan Slaughter (Lab) 364

Ian Stevens (Reform UK) 305

Headcorn and Sutton Valence (2 councillors)

Thomas Dawber (Green) 725

Derek Eagle (Green) 820

Henry Morgan (Lab) 280

Martin Richards (Lib Dem) 189

Martin Round (Con) 975 ELECTED

Ziggy Trzebinski (Con) 903 ELECTED

High Street (3 councillors)

Oliver Bradshaw (Con) 314

Saf Buxy (Green) 513

Alan Chell (Con) 270

David Collier (Lab) 401

Clive English (Lib Dem) 742 ELECTED

Donna Greenan (Green) 514 ELECTED

Jeffery Dylan (Con) 202

Denise Joy (Ind) 341

Dinesh Khadka (Lib Dem) 654 ELECTED

Ashleigh Kimmance (Lib Dem) 444

Farris Wilson (Green) 358

Leeds and Langley (2 councillors)

Gary Cooke (Con) 559 ELECTED

Simon Easton (Green) 275

Gill Fort (Con) 600 ELECTED

Maxwell Harrison (Reform UK) 209

Joan Langrick (Lab) 310

Matthew White (Green Party) 216

Loose and Linton (2 councillors)

Kenneth Amakye (Con) 423

Brian Clark (Lib Dem) 1307 ELECTED

Nicola Dawber (Green Party) 215

John Fraser (Green) 194

Bryan Hillman (Reform UK) 265

Alan Le Grys (Lab) 149

James Reid (Con) 326

Simon Wales (Lib Dem) 931 ELECTED

Marden and Yalding (3 councillors)

Annabelle Blackmore (Con) 1043

Grace Couch (Green) 1089 ELECTED

Maria Kelly (Lab) 389

Kelly Rigden (Green) 772

Claudine Russell (Con) 1123 ELECTED

Tristan Russell (Con) 953

Teresa Seamer (Reform UK) 298

Mike Summersgill (Green) 1120 ELECTED

William Wilby (Lib Dem) 287

Palace Wood (2 councillors)

Tom Cannon (Con) 816 ELECTED

Stan Forecast (Con) 1066 ELECTED

Wendy Hollands (Lab) 225

Diana Lewins (Lib Dem) 704

Ian McDonald (Green) 403

Stephen Muggeridge (Green) 286

Cynthia Robertson (Lib Dem) 724

Park Wood and Mangravet (2 councillors)

Joyce Gadd (Con) 241

Hilary Jenkins-Baldock (Lab) 512 ELECTED

Lewis McKenna (Con) 240

Dan Wilkinson (Lab) 492 ELECTED

Penenden Heath (3 councillors)

Andrew Bradford (Con) 370

Richard Conyard (Lib Dem) 1086 ELECTED

Phoebe Frewer (Green) 353

Tony Harwood (Lib Dem) 1155 ELECTED

Dave Naghi (Lib Dem) 1034 ELECTED

Derek Nicholson (Con) 402

Andrew Reilly (Green) 246

Rachel Slaughter (Lab) 356

Daniel Thompson (Green) 233

Jeff Tree (Con) 3

Ringlestone (1 councillor)

Scott Hahnefeld (Con) 126

Gareth Henry (Green) 58

Stella Randall (Lab) 116

Mike Thompson (Lib Dem) 325 ELECTED

Senacre (1 councillor)

Senacre (1 councillor

Patrik Garten (Con) 239

Malcolm McKay (Lab) 257 ELECTED

Shepway (3 councillors)

Alan Bartlett (Con) 643

Louise Bartlett (Con) 637

Susan Barwick (Lab) 725 ELECTED

Gary Butler (Ind) 317

Maureen Cleator (Lab) 728 ELECTED

Chris Garland (Con) 665

Lawrence Rustem (British Democrats) 452

Geoffrey Samme (Lib Dem) 360

Joanna Wilkinson (Lab) 747 ELECTED

Staplehurst (2 councillors)

Thomas Burnham (Lib Dem) 296

Stewart Lane (Green) 239

John Perry (Con) 764 ELECTED

Paddy Riordan (Con) 967 ELECTED

Rory Silkin (Lab) 598

Julie Skinner (Lab) 511

Tovil (2 councillors)

Rebecca Bruneau (Con) 177

Ian Cleator (Lab) 245

Joe Higson (Lib Dem) 377 ELECTED

Simon Milham (Green) 137

Benjamin Reid (Con) 130

Rosemary Riepma (Green) 123

Paul Thomas (Reform UK) 209

Paul Wilby (Lib Dem) 393 ELECTED

There are now 49 MBC Councillors in total which are now as follows:

Conservative – 13

Liberal Democrats -12

Green – 10

Labour – 6

Independent - 6

Fant & Oakwood Independents - 2

Speaking after the results, the Maidstone Green Party said in a statement: “Fantastic day here in Maidstone.

“We’ve gone from three Green Party of England and Wales councillors to 10!

“Thank you for all your support - we're off for a well-earned drink.

“The hard work starts tomorrow.”

Cllr Dinesh Khadka (Lib Dem) said: “Thank you everyone for your support and mandating for another four years!”