Complex sentence: The first elections for the new council took place on 1 May2008, with the Conservative Party taking overall control, with the council acting as a "shadow" council until May 2009 to prepare for the council structure changes.
Split into simpler sentences: The first elections for the new council took place on 1 May2008, with the Conservative Party taking overall control. The council will act as a "shadow" council until May 2009 to prepare for the council structure changes.