A familiar face returned to the top of the Conservative Group on Trafford Council after he was reelected to the authority.

Nathan Evans lost a seat in last year's elections but won a seat in Hale Barns and Timperley South in this year's elections.

After an AGM this week, Cllr Evans returned to the top of the Conservative Group, which was reduced to 10 councillors at the start of the month but is still the second largest group behind the Labour Group. He replaced Linda Blackburn, who did not stand for reelection.

Previously, Cllr Evans led Trafford's Tories between 2018 and 2022.

He said: "We have a lot to do for our residents to hold the Labour-run council to account, we will not prop them up as the other parties have chosen to do.

"Your Conservative councillors are committed to making sure we get the Labour-run council to fix the potholes and pavements and to ensure our children are able to attend a local school by making sure we have enough places. And to stop the council wasting taxpayers' money on hair-brained transformations and cones down the A56."

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Cllr Evans said he is set to stand against the introduction of a Clean Air Zone, although this is under review already, and against the development of Carrington Moss and of Timperley Wedge.

Dylan Butt, his colleague in Hale Barns and Timperley South, is set to support him as deputy leader of the Conservative Group.

Cllr Evans said: "We thank the residents for their confidence and we are excited to get on with the job."

The Conservative Group lost three seats on the council in this year's elections, with the Green Group and the Liberal Democrats taking seats from it in the villages of Hale and Timperley.

It could have been worse for the Conservative Group, with the same rivals running it close in its other strongholds in the south. 

It won a seat in Broadheath Ward but lost a seat in Brooklands Ward, with the Labour Group running it close in Manor Ward too.

The Labour Group, which reclaimed the seat it lost when one of its councillors became an independent last year, remained in overall control.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.