1983 Suffolk Coastal District Council election

1983 Suffolk Coastal District Council election

← 1979 5 May 1983 (1983-05-05) 1987  →
All 55 seats to Suffolk Coastal District Council 28 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Conservative Independent Labour Seats won 44 9 2 Seat change 6 4 2 Popular vote 15,216 3,653 6,009 Percentage 53.5% 12.8% 21.1%
Winner of each seat at the 1983 Suffolk Coastal District Council election.
Control before election Conservative Control after election Conservative

The 1983 Suffolk Coastal District Council election took place on 5 May 1983 to elect members of Suffolk Coastal District Council in Suffolk, England. ^[1] This was on the same day as other local elections.

The whole council was up for election on new ward boundaries, but the number of seats remained the same.

Summary

Election result

1983 Suffolk Coastal District Council election [2]
Party		Candidates	Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Conservative	47	44	N/A	N/A	6	80.0	53.5	15,216
	Independent	14	9	N/A	N/A	4	16.4	12.8	3,653
	Labour	17	2	N/A	N/A	2	3.6	21.1	6,009
	Alliance	11	0	N/A	N/A		0.0	10.6	3,026
	Communist	1	0	N/A	N/A		0.0	1.9	531

23 Conservatives and 4 Independents were elected unopposed.

Ward results

Changes in seats do not take into account by-elections or defections.

Aldeburgh

Aldeburgh (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	G. Agate	783	73.6
	Conservative	H. Cooney	717	67.4
	Alliance	I. Scott	403	37.9
Turnout			~1,064	42.5
Registered electors			2,503
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Alderton & Sutton

Alderton & Sutton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	R. Peacock	Unopposed
Registered electors			915
	Conservative win (new seat)

Bealings

Bealings

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	W. Sledmore	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,216
	Conservative win (new seat)

Bramfield & Cratfield

Bramfield & Cratfield

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	S. Burroughes	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,492
	Conservative win (new seat)

Buxlow

Buxlow

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	M. Wright	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,507
	Independent win (new seat)

Dennington

Dennington

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	J. Paice	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,210
	Conservative win (new seat)

Earl Soham

Earl Soham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	N. Woodcock	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,220
	Independent win (new seat)

Felixstowe Central

Felixstowe Central (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	T. Savage	851	72.0
	Conservative	C. Webb	848	71.7
	Labour	H. Sweetman	276	23.3
	Labour	B. Else	250	21.1
Turnout			~1,184	46.0
Registered electors			2,573
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Felixstowe East

Felixstowe East (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	R. Bojdys	Unopposed
	Conservative	B. Clarke	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,886
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Felixstowe North

Felixstowe North (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	C. Grayston	749	56.0
	Labour	M. Deacon	670	50.1
	Conservative	R. Palmer	667	49.8
	Labour	M. Dyer	595	44.5
Turnout			~1,338	51.0
Registered electors			2,907
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)

Felixstowe South

Felixstowe South (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	V. Sutton	503	42.4
	Independent	A. Loveday	502	42.4
	Conservative	A. George	381	32.1
	Independent	J. Ryles	366	30.9
	Independent	D. Paddick	292	24.6
Turnout			~1,185	46.8
Registered electors			2,533
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Independent win (new seat)

Felixstowe South East

Felixstowe South East (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	N. Mumford	Unopposed
	Conservative	R. Tozer	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,818
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Felixstowe West

Felixstowe West (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	L. Careless	507	42.1
	Conservative	M. Stokell	483	40.1
	Independent	B. Gibson	410	34.1
	Labour	M. Sharman	398	33.1
	Labour	D. Ballentyne	389	32.3
Turnout			~1,204	46.4
Registered electors			2,592
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Framlingham

Framlingham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	T. Coe	489	54.0
	Labour	J. Campbell	311	34.3
	Alliance	K. Rooke	103	11.4
Majority			178	19.7
Turnout			906	51.4
Registered electors			1,762
	Conservative win (new seat)

Glemham

Glemham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	H. Brookes	Unopposed
Registered electors			891
	Conservative win (new seat)

Grundisburgh & Witnesham

Grundisburgh & Witnesham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	J. Fabb	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,627
	Conservative win (new seat)

Hasketon

Hasketon

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	P. Preese	Unopposed
Registered electors			904
	Conservative win (new seat)

Hollesley

Hollesley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	M. Shannon	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,005
	Conservative win (new seat)

Kelsale

Kelsale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	J. Keeble	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,096
	Conservative win (new seat)

Kesgrave

Kesgrave (3 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	M. Elmer	914	67.8
	Conservative	P. Cooper	878	65.1
	Conservative	T. Casey	825	61.2
	Labour	S. Robinson	357	26.5
	Labour	B. Margerum	347	25.7
Turnout			~1,349	36.6
Registered electors			3,687
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Kirton

Kirton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	J. Metcalfe	649	74.9
	Labour	S. Voelcker	87	10.0
Majority			562	64.9
Turnout			742	50.9
Registered electors			1,458
	Independent win (new seat)

Leiston

Leiston (3 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	J. Geater	1,128	52.2
	Labour	T. Hodgson	939	43.4
	Conservative	T. Hawkins	902	41.7
	Alliance	F. Huxley	844	39.0
	Conservative	G. Hill	627	29.0
	Communist	W. Howard	531	24.6
	Alliance	D. Stanley	298	13.8
Turnout			~2,165	56.2
Registered electors			3,853
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Labour win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Martlesham

Martlesham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	C. Woods	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,240
	Conservative win (new seat)

Melton

Melton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	M. Hutchison	545	73.6
	Alliance	D. Fitch	194	26.2
Majority			351	47.4
Turnout			845	37.7
Registered electors			1,921
	Independent win (new seat)

Nacton

Nacton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	J. Law	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,640
	Conservative win (new seat)

Orford

Orford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	E. Greenwell	Unopposed
Registered electors			842
	Conservative win (new seat)

Otley

Otley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	R. Kitson	302	65.2
	Independent	D. Yule	161	34.8
Majority			141	30.5
Turnout			463	47.6
Registered electors			979
	Conservative win (new seat)

Rushmere St. Andrew

Rushmere St. Andrew (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	D. Gooch	Unopposed
	Conservative	G. Laing	Unopposed
Registered electors			2,826
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Saxmundham

Saxmundham

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	B. Fisher	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,320
	Independent win (new seat)

Snape

Snape

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	J. Lapsley	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,044
	Conservative win (new seat)

Trimleys

Trimleys (2 seats)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	B. Carrick-Spreat	771	45.6
	Conservative	D. Donnelly	707	41.8
	Labour	R. Howlett	530	31.3
	Labour	M. Dixon	388	23.0
	Alliance	D. Squirrell	351	20.8
	Alliance	P. England	307	18.2
Turnout			~1,696	49.8
Registered electors			3,405
	Conservative win (new seat)
	Conservative win (new seat)

Tunstall

Tunstall

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	A. Paice	265	60.4
	Alliance	M. Stanley	174	39.6
Majority			91	20.7
Turnout			439	47.6
Registered electors			939
	Conservative win (new seat)

Ufford

Ufford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	H. Fooks	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,198
	Conservative win (new seat)

Walberswick

Walberswick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	G. James	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,345
	Conservative win (new seat)

Westleton

Westleton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	B. Caines	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,142
	Independent win (new seat)

Wickham Market

Wickham Market

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	P. Mason	354	65.6
	Alliance	C. Rooke	104	19.3
	Labour	P. Thurlow	76	14.1
Majority			250	46.3
Turnout			540	36.5
Registered electors			1,480
	Independent win (new seat)

Woodbridge Central

Woodbridge Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	G. Thornhill	288	51.0
	Independent	P. Dawnay	215	38.1
	Labour	D. Wilkinson	55	9.7
Majority			73	12.9
Turnout			565	44.0
Registered electors			1,285
	Conservative win (new seat)

Woodbridge Farlingaye

Woodbridge Farlingaye

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	S. Hewitt	245	59.9
	Alliance	T. Horton	163	39.9
Majority			82	20.0
Turnout			409	34.3
Registered electors			1,192
	Conservative win (new seat)

Woodbridge Kyson

Woodbridge Kyson

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	D. Dunnett	159	41.0
	Labour	K. Redmond	134	34.5
	Alliance	J. Aldam	85	21.9
Majority			25	6.5
Turnout			388	42.7
Registered electors			908
	Independent win (new seat)

Woodbridge Riverside

Woodbridge Riverside

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	M. Rowland	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,068
	Conservative win (new seat)

Woodbridge Seckford

Woodbridge Seckford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	R. Geen	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,141
	Conservative win (new seat)

Yoxford

Yoxford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	A. Hazelwood	386	65.0
	Labour	J. Poppleton	207	34.8
Majority			179	30.2
Turnout			594	57.3
Registered electors			1,037
	Conservative win (new seat)

By-elections

Felixstowe East

Felixstowe East by-election: 7 November 1985 ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative		733	49.7
	Alliance		635	43.1
	Labour		106	7.2
Majority			98	6.6
Turnout			1,474	49.5
Registered electors			2,978
	Conservative hold		Swing

Hasketon

Hasketon by-election: 7 November 1985 ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative		199	53.1
	Alliance		154	41.1
	Labour		22	5.9
Majority			45	12.0
Turnout			375	29.5
Registered electors			1,271
	Conservative hold		Swing

Kesgrave

Kesgrave by-election: 21 November 1985 ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative		447	54.4
	Alliance		216	26.3
	Labour		159	19.3
Majority			231	28.1
Turnout			822	23
Registered electors			3,574
	Conservative hold		Swing

References

1. Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "Suffolk Coastal District Council Election Results 1973-2011" (PDF). electionscentre.co.uk. Plymouth University: The Elections Centre. pp. 6–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
2. Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "Compositions calculator". electionscentre.co.uk. Plymouth University: The Elections Centre. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
3. Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "By-elections". electionscentre.co.uk. Plymouth University: The Elections Centre. Archived from the original on 18 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.