MADAM - The local elections on Thursday, May 2, were crucial for Redditch, and I’m delighted the people on the whole have put their trust in the Conservatives to continue our mission to unlock Redditch.

However you voted - and even if you didn’t vote at all - we will work hard to make our Borough an even better place to live, work and raise a family.

We will invest in leisure and our town centre, and we will support local good causes through the initiatives we introduced last year.

I am immensely proud of my team and the hard work they put into the election campaign.

We now have more women, more black, Asian and minority ethnic representation, and more young people on our council, ensuring we more accurately reflect the people we represent.

I am also extremely proud of our council staff and the police who made sure the election was safe, fair and ran smoothly and want to record my thanks to them in particular.

Matt Dormer

Leader, Redditch Borough Council Conservative Group