Bournemouth, Political, Poole | Posted on May 11th, 2026 | return to news

New councils elected for Broadstone, Bournemouth and Poole

The town council election results were announced on Friday 8 May.

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Residents of Broadstone, Bournemouth and Poole went to the polls last week to elect a total of 50 councillors for three new town councils.

The votes were counted and the results announced on Friday 8 May.

Reform UK was the biggest winner of the day, gaining control of both Bournemouth Town Council and Poole Town Council.

Reform won 12 out of 21 seats on Bournemouth Town Council. The Green Party won three seats, and Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats each won two. Turnout for the Bournemouth Town Council area was 34.13 per cent.

Reform won 15 seats on Poole Town Council, while the Lib Dems won the other six seats. Turnout for the Poole Council area was 37.35 per cent.

Lastly, the Liberal Democrats won six seats on Broadstone Town Council, and independent councillors won the remaining two seats. Turnout for the vote was 49.77 per cent.

A full list of the results can be found at www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/elections.

Aidan Dunn, Returning Officer, said: “I want to thank the incredible efforts of the hundreds of staff who have helped deliver this election.
“I also want to recognise all the candidates for their work over the last six weeks to engage with our residents across Bournemouth, Poole and Broadstone.”

The three new town councils legally came into existence on 1 April 2026. Since then, staff employed by the new councils have been putting in place governance arrangements, policies and systems needed to support the councils’ work.

Following the election, each town council will hold an Annual Meeting to confirm key roles, such as mayor or chair, and to agree its committees and priorities.