While the party held on to six councils, it lost control of one it had led for almost 20 years.
Read moreBasildon Borough Council
Conservatives gain control of Basildon council
The Conservatives swung Basildon Borough Council in their favour, a council which previously had no overall control but had a Labour leader. Read the full election 2021 story from Essex here.
2021 Conservative gain from no overall control, change from 2019
Basildon scoreboard
Counting complete. After 15 of 15 seats declared.
Change compared with 2019
Conservative
- Councillors elected in 2021 total 10
- Councillors elected in 2021 change +4
- Councillors overall total 22
Labour
- Councillors elected in 2021 total 3
- Councillors elected in 2021 change -2
- Councillors overall total 12
Independent
- Councillors elected in 2021 total 2
- Councillors elected in 2021 change +1
- Councillors overall total 8
UK Independence Party
- Councillors elected in 2021 total 0
- Councillors elected in 2021 change -3
- Councillors overall total 0
By Simon Dedman & Pete Cooper
BBC News, East
Three-hour queue at Essex recycling centre
Pete Cooper
BBC News
Many recycling centres across the East have reopened today and there have been long queues.
In Northampton, the queue outside one tip meant there were delays in the post leaving from the nearby Royal Mail sorting office.
While in Essex, the queues outside the centre at Pitsea were up to three hours earlier this afternoon.