Waveney District Council elections

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Local elections were held in Waveney district every four years to elect councillors to Waveney District Council. In the past, one-third of councillors were elected each year, but in 2010 the council opted to change to a whole council election system. [1] Since the last boundary changes in 2002, 48 councillors have been elected from 23 wards. The district was merged with Suffolk Coastal in April 2019 to form East Suffolk, meaning that the 2015 elections were the final Waveney elections to be held. [2]

Contents

Political control

From the first election to the council in 1973 until its abolition in 2019, political control of the council was held by the following parties: [3] [4]

Party in controlYears
No overall control 19731976
Conservative 19761986
No overall control 19861990
Labour 19902002
No overall control 20022006
Conservative 20062011
No overall control 20112015
Conservative 20152019

Leadership

The leaders of the council from 2003 until its abolition in 2019 were:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Brian Hunter [5] Labour May 2003
Peter Austin [6] Conservative 15 May 200313 Jun 2004
Mark Bee [7] Conservative 24 Jun 200425 May 2011
Colin Law [8] [9] Conservative 25 May 2011May 2017
Mark Bee [10] [11] Conservative 17 May 201731 Mar 2019

Council elections

Composition of the council [12]
Year Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats [a] Green Independents
& Others
Council control
after election
Local government reorganisation; council established (57 seats)
1973 222753No overall control
1976 3913401Conservative
1979 3217305Conservative
1980 3217305Conservative
1982 3217305Conservative
New ward boundaries (48 seats) [13]
1983 2717202Conservative
1984 2619201Conservative
1986 2321301No overall control
1987 2221401No overall control
1988 2320401No overall control
1990 1627401Labour
1991 1427601Labour
1992 1726500Labour
1994 1727400Labour
1995 1036200Labour
1996 244200Labour
1998 341202Labour
1999 538302Labour
2000 1328403Labour
New ward boundaries (48 seats) [14] [15] [16]
2002 2121303No overall control
2003 2120304No overall control
2004 2414307No overall control
2006 2912304Conservative
2007 3012312Conservative
2008 3012312Conservative
2010 291521Conservative
New ward boundaries (48 seats)
2011 2323011No overall control
2015 2720010Conservative

Results maps

By-elections

2002-2006

Kessingland By-Election 26 February 2004 [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative 46339.3+3.1
Labour 41735.4−16.5
Liberal Democrats 29725.2+13.3
Majority 463.9
Turnout 1,177
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

2011-2015

Worlingham By-Election 19 December 2011 [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Norman Brooks70845.9−7.1
Labour Sylvia Robbins58638.0+4.8
Green Sue Bergin1378.9−5.0
UKIP Stuart Foulger644.1+4.1
Liberal Democrats Doug Farmer483.1+3.1
Majority 1227.9
Turnout 1,543
Conservative hold Swing
Beccles South By-Election 15 November 2012 [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Graham Catchpole52039.6+12.3
Green Nicky Elliott39029.7+15.0
Labour Alan Green36928.1−5.3
Liberal Democrats Doug Farmer352.7+2.7
Majority 1309.9
Turnout 1,314
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Harbour By-Election 2 May 2013 [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Janet Craig64748.2+2.5
UKIP Bertie Poole35826.7+26.7
Conservative Anthony Taylor21716.2−7.5
Green George Langley856.3−7.8
Liberal Democrats Christopher Thomas362.7+2.7
Majority 28921.5
Turnout 1,343
Labour hold Swing
Oulton By-Election 8 August 2013 [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Len Jacklin44941.2+11.5
Conservative Deanna Law32930.2+2.2
UKIP Bert Poole26924.7+24.7
Green Maxine Narburgh232.1−4.8
Liberal Democrats Chris Thomas211.9−4.3
Majority 12011.0
Turnout 1,091
Labour hold Swing
Halesworth By-Election 22 May 2014 [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Letitia Smith72642.2−0.6
Labour Tobias Walton53531.1+3.7
Green Jennifer Berry24514.3−1.6
Independent Jack Tyler21312.4+12.4
Majority 19111.1
Turnout 1,719
Conservative hold Swing

2015-2019

Wrentham By-Election 5 May 2016 [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Craig Rivett33540.4−8.0
Labour Paul Tyack25230.4+11.6
UKIP Andrew Bols15618.8−4.3
Liberal Democrats Chris Thomas465.5+5.5
Green David Brambley-Crawshaw404.8−4.9
Majority 8310.0
Turnout 829
Conservative hold Swing
Oulton Broad By-Election 21 September 2017 [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Keith Robinson52750.2+8.8
Labour Len Jacklin35734.0+5.4
UKIP Phillip Trindall11210.7−11.1
Liberal Democrats Chris Thomas545.1+5.1
Majority 17016.2
Turnout 1,050
Conservative hold Swing
Kirkley By-Election 16 November 2017 [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Peter Byatt37447.8+12.2
Conservative Gilly Gunner21727.7+7.2
Liberal Democrats Dominic Leslie8410.7+10.7
UKIP Phillip Trindall7810.0−9.7
Green Ben Quail303.8−5.2
Majority 15720.1
Turnout 783
Labour hold Swing
St Margaret's By-Election 16 November 2017 [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Linda Coulam48741.7+11.8
Labour Nasima Begum41035.1−1.3
UKIP Bernie Guymer11910.2−15.8
Liberal Democrats Shaun Waters887.5+7.5
Green Baz Bemment655.6−2.2
Majority 776.6
Turnout 1,169
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Pakefield By-Election 12 July 2018 [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Melanie Vigo di Gallidoro64341.7+11.8
Labour Paul Tyack60040.9−5.2
UKIP Phillip Trindall1167.9+7.9
Green Peter Lang644.4−8.3
Liberal Democrats Adam Robertson443.0−6.0
Majority 432.9
Turnout 1,467
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Southwold and Reydon By-Election 12 July 2018 [28]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats David Beavan1,00571.4+71.4
Conservative David Burrows30721.8−28.4
Labour John Cracknell785.5−14.8
UKIP Mike Shaw181.3−13.3
Majority 69849.6
Turnout 1,408
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing

Notes

  1. Includes totals for the predecessors of the Liberal Democrats, the Liberal Party and SDP (both of which participated in the Alliance).

References

  1. Changing to Whole Council Elections – Explanatory Document Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine , Waveney District Council, 2010. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
  2. Reporter, Jason Noble Local Democracy (1 April 2019). "April 1 marks "momentous day" with formation of two new Suffolk councils". East Anglian Daily Times.
  3. "Waveney". BBC News Online . 19 April 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  4. "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Waveney" in search box to see specific results.)
  5. "Talks to take place on who runs council". East Anglian Daily Times. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  6. Lennard, David (14 May 2003). "Tories to take control of council". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  7. Lennard, David (21 June 2004). "All change at council helm". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  8. Geater, Paul (23 May 2011). "Suffolk: New leader to be confirmed at county". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  9. Boggis, Mark (15 May 2017). "'Waveney has lost a great councillor and a great friend' - touching tributes paid after death of district council leader Colin Law". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  10. Smith, Amy (10 May 2017). "New Conservative leader announced for Waveney District Council". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  11. "Election results: Labour holds Ipswich as Tories lose seats". BBC News. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  12. "Composition calculator". Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher . The Elections Centre, Plymouth University . Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  13. The District of Waveney (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1980
  14. "Waveney". BBC News Online . Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  15. legislation.gov.uk - The District of Waveney (Electoral Changes) Order 2001. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  16. legislation.gov.uk - The District of Waveney (Electoral Changes) (Amendment) Order 2002. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
  17. "Local Elections Archive Project — Kessingland Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  18. "Local Elections Archive Project — Worlingham Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  19. "Local Elections Archive Project — Beccles South Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  20. "Local Elections Archive Project — Harbour Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  21. "Local Elections Archive Project — Oulton Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  22. "Local Elections Archive Project — Halesworth Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  23. "Local Elections Archive Project — Wrentham Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  24. "Local Elections Archive Project — Oulton Broad Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  25. "Local Elections Archive Project — Kirkley Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  26. "Local Elections Archive Project — St Margaret's Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  27. "Local Elections Archive Project — Pakefield Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  28. "Local Elections Archive Project — Southwold and Reydon Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2024.