The Conservatives could lose control of Chichester council at the local elections, according to one projection.

Polling in the so-called “blue wall” by YouGov suggested that control of the Sussex council is “too close to call” with “significant Liberal Democrat gains” forecast.

Currently the Conservatives are in minority control of the council with 17 seats, with the Liberal Democrats on 11.

Two Conservative councillors quit the party in late 2020 and joined the new Chichester and Harbour Independents group, causing the Conservatives to lose their majority.

All of Chichester District Council's 36 seats are up for the election, with 19 councillors needed for overall control.

Should the Liberal Democrats gain eight seats from across the district the party would gain majority control for the first time ever.

LOCAL ELECTIONS 2023:

The YouGov poll puts Liberal Democrat support at 37.1 per cent in the region with the Conservatives on 35.6 per cent and Labour behind on 15 per cent.

A spokesman for YouGov said: “In the ‘blue wall’, the Liberal Democrats are looking to build on successive strong local election cycles and take control of a number of council in traditionally Tory shires.

“Our model expects Lib Dem gains across each of Wokingham, Chichester and Windsor and Maidenhead but council control in each remains too close to call.

“Looking further east, the blue wall council of East Cambridgeshire is leaning Liberal Democrat. The party came within a few seats of taking control of this council in 2019 and our model expects that they may well finish the job off this time around.”

YouGov’s model also expects advances by the Green Party across England, particularly in Mid Suffolk and Sheffield.

However, the pollster did not reveal how the party may perform in Brighton and Hove where the Greens are in minority control of the city council.

Voters go to the polls across most of Sussex on Thursday.

Those casting their ballot on election day will need to show a form of photo ID at polling stations in order to cast their vote. The full list of accepted forms of ID is available via the government’s website.