From a geographical point of view, East Suffolk has become the largest district council in England, stretching from the villages to the north of Lowestoft to the county’s southern-most tip at Landguard Point at the southern tip of Felixstowe beach.
Formed by the merger of Suffolk Coastal and Waveney council’s, the new authority could potentially see an interesting political contest because the Labour Party has always been strong in the Lowestoft area and would be hoping to take power at Waveney if that was still a separate council.
Suffolk Coastal has always been much tougher for Labour though. It did have power there in coalition with the Liberal Democrats between 1995-99, but that is the only time in its 45-year history that anyone other than the Tories were in charge at that district.
This year there is some nervousness among the Conservatives that a combination of a strong Labour showing in the north of the district and a surge in independent support in the Suffolk Coastal area could reduce the scale of the victory.
Senior figures from both predecessor authorities are hoping to retain seats on the new council, which has completely new wards for this election.
Former county council (and outgoing Waveney) leader Mark Bee is standing in Beccles and Worlingham – and will be facing a strong challenge from the Green Party. In the county elections two years ago he was elected alongside Elfrede Brambley-Crawshaw who is standing this time as well.
Suffolk Coastal’s outgoing leader Ray Herring is standing – as is his deputy Geoff Holdcroft who got into trouble over comments he made about Ipswich earlier this year and long-serving cabinet member Andy Smith.
Here is the complete list for East Suffolk:
Aldeburgh & Leiston (three seats): Jocelyn Bond (C), T-J Haworth-Culf (C)*, Maureen Jones (C)*, Philip Harle (Lab), Sean O’Reilly (Lab), Sushila Zeitlyn (Lab), Jules Ewart (LD), Tony Cooper (Ind)*, Marianne Fellowes (Ind), Julian Cusack (G), Matthew Oakley (G), Marion Wells (G).
Beccles & Worlingham Ward (three seats): Mark Bee (C)*, Graham Catchpole (C)*, Brian Woodruff (C), Tarek Lahin (Lab), Peter Shelley (Lab), Len Allen (UKIP), Elfrede Brambley-Crawshaw (G), Graham Elliott (G)*, Caroline Topping (G)*.
Bungay & Wainford (two seats): Judy Cloke (C),David Ritchie (C)*, Ian Graham (Lab)*, David Sullivan (Lab), Dave O’Neill (LD), Skydi Thompson (LD), Annette Abbott (G), Pauline Midwinter (G).
Carlford & Fynn Valley (two seats): Tony Fryatt (C)*, Colin Hedgley (C)*, Theresa-Jane Dunningham (Lab), Jane Mardell (Lab), Mark Gibbons (LD), Daniel Clery (G), Eamonn O’Nolan (G).
Carlton & Whitton (two seats): Frank Mortimer (C)*, Trish Mortimer (C)*,Sonia Barker (Lab), Graham Parker (Lab), Sandra Tonge (LD), Nick Webb (Ind)*, Rick Seal (UKIP), Phillip Trindall (UKIP), Peter Lang (G).
Carlton Colville (two seats): Jenny Ceresa (C)*, Craig Rivett (C)*, David Finnigan (Lab), Louise Taylor (Lab), Paul Light (LD)*, Adam Robertson (LD), Andrew Bols (UKIP).
Deben Ward: James Mallinder (C), Peter Monk (LD), Garry Debenham (UKIP), Aidan Semmens (G).
Eastern Felixstowe Ward (three seats): Steve Gallant (C)*, Mark Jepson (C), Steve Wiles (C), David Rowe (Lab), Seamus Bennett (LD), Jan Candy (LD), Michael Ninnmey (LD), Jax Blunt (G), Kay Lyndle (G).
Framlingham (two seats): Maurice Cook (C), William Taylor (C), Lesley Bensley (Lab), Gary Kitching (LD), James Holloway (G), Beth Keys-Holloway (G).
Gunton & St Margarets (two seats): Linda Coulam (C)*, Mary Rudd (C)*, Nasima Begum (Lab), Malcolm Cherry (Lab)*, Bernie Guymer (UKIP), Mike Shaw (UKIP), David Youngman (G).
Halesworth & Blything (two seats): Alison Cackett (C)*, Tony Goldson (C)*, Peter Coghill (Lab), Sarah Hunt (LD), Kim Hoare (G).
Harbour & Normanston (three seats): Jean Bowry (C), Deanna Law (C), May Reader (C), Janet Craig (Lab)*, Tess Gandy (Lab)*, Keith Patience (Lab)*, Janet Blowers O’Neill (LD), Tim Sutton-Day (LD), Steve Ardley (Ind)*, Tracey Eastwood (Ind), Mike Healy (Ind), Peter Knight (Ind), Marcus Crouch (UKIP), Patricia Hawes (UKIP), Lynn Oakley (UKIP), Emma Bateman (G).
Kelsale & Yoxford: Stephen Burroughes (C)*, Keith Dickerson (LD), Peter Wilkinson (Ind), Jeremy Adams (G).
Kesgrave (three seats): Stuart Lawson (C)*, Geoff Lynch (C)*, Debbie McCallum (C)*, Helen Clarkson-Fieldsend (Lab), Julie Cuninghame (Lab), Sally Neal (LD), Alistair Jeffreys (UKIP), Tracy Watson Brown (G), Martin Wilks (G).
Kessingland: Letitia Smith (C)*, Alan Green (Lab)*, David Gwynn (LD), Nicky Elliott (G).
Kirkley & Pakefield (three seats): June Ford (C)*, Jenna Meen (C), Melanie Vigo di Gallidoro (C)*, Peter Byatt (Lab)*, Louise Gooch (Lab)*, Malcolm Pitchers (Lab), David Hunt (LD), Christian Newsome (LD), Colin Bedson (UKIP), Robin Hinton (UKIP), Rosemary Brambley (G).
Lothingland: Paul Ashdown (C)*, Bob Groome (Lab), Fiona Shreeve (LD), Sally Phillips (G).
Martlesham & Purdis Farm (two seats): Chris Blundell (C)*, Patti Mulcahy (C)*, Edward Thompson (LD), Margaret Walsh (G).
Melton Ward: Jim Bidwell (C)*, Rachel Smith-Lyte (G).
Orwell & Villages Ward (two seats): Melissa Allen (C), Richard Kerry (C)*, Neville Mayes (Lab), Sherrie Green (Ind), Stephen Wrinch (Ind), Betsy Reid (G).
Oulton Broad (three seats): Edward Back (C)*, Andree Gee (C), Keith Robinson (C)*, Yvonne Cherry (Lab)*, Jen Jones (Lab), Jack Smith (Lab)*, Chris Thomas (LD), George Hawes (UKIP), Jenny Hinton (UKIP), Bert Poole (UKIP), Nick Hoare (G), Josi Horne (G),
Rendlesham & Orford Ward: Ray Herring (C)*, Stephen Smedley (Lab), Kit Twinch (LD), Thomas Daly (G).
Rushmere St Andrew: Mark Newton (C)*, Anthony Meehan (Lab), Peter Ward (G).
Saxmundham Ward: Phillip Dunnett (C)*, James Sandbach (LD), John Fisher (Ind)*.
Southwold: Michael Ladd (C)*, John Cracknell (Lab), David Beavan (LD)*.
Western Felixstowe Ward (three seats): Stuart Bird (C)*, Tracey Green (C)*, Andy Smith (C)*, Mike Deacon (Lab)*, Mark Jones (Lab), Margaret Morris (Lab), Lee Reeves (LD), Kate Dickinson (G), Nigel Hiley (G), Jon Mulberg (G).
Wickham Market: Carol Poulter (C)*, Callum Paylor (Lab), Jon James (LD), Peter James (G).
Woodbridge Ward (two seats): Geoff Holdcroft (C)*, Chris Mapey (C), Sharon Miller (Lab), Kay Yule (LD).
Wrentham, Wangford & Westleton: Norman Brooks (C)*, Philip O’Hear (Lab), Andrew Turner (LD), Sarah Butt (G).
Key: C – Conservative, Lab – Labour, LD – Liberal Democrats, Ind – Independent, UKIP – UK Independence Party, G – Green Party.
The asterisk denotes a sitting councillor in that authority or its predecessor.
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