THE Tories strengthened their grip on Waveney District Council after gaining four more seats at Thursday's local elections in north Suffolk.The Conservatives now have a sizeable overall majority with 29 councillors on the 48-seat council.
By David Lennard
THE Tories strengthened their grip on Waveney District Council after gaining four more seats at Thursday's local elections in north Suffolk.
The Conservatives now have a sizeable overall majority with 29 councillors on the 48-seat council.
It could have even been a much worse night for Labour as two sitting councillors, John Fryers at St Margaret's and Terry Kelly at Pakefield only held on by eight and five votes respectively following recounts.
The new make-up of Waveney District Council is Conservatives 29 councillors, Labour 12, Independents 4 and Liberal Democrats 3.
Tory leader Mark Bee, who easily held on to his Wainford seat, was understandably delighted with the results. “This has been a much better set of results than we had dared hoped for.
“I believe they show that the Conservative policy of keeping a tight rein on financial matters and opposing the Labour Government's plans for regionalisation of local councils has been the key to our success,” he said.
Mr Bee said the Tories had made “enormous gains” throughout Waveney in recent years and were challenging strongly in seats that were once thought of as Labour strongholds.
For Labour councillors and supporters it was a case of accepting a disappointing set of results even though they lost only seat overall.
“I believe the national situation that has been getting a lot of media coverage in recent weeks played a part in these results,” said leading Labour councillor David Thomas.
The Liberal Democrats maintained their stranglehold on the Kirkley ward as Andrew Shepherd easily held on to his seat although the party failed to make any gains in other parts of the district.
The Green Party and United Kingdom Independence Party candidates all failed to get elected.
It was the independent councillors that fared worse losing three seats overall.
One of the biggest shocks was independent group leader Michael Ladd, who is also mayor-elect of Southwold, losing his Southwold and Reydon seat to Conservative Simon Tobin.
There was a large turnout of 53.8% in Southwold and Reydon and the result was not announced until 2am following recounts as only 17 votes separated the two candidates.
Mr Tobin emerged victorious with 728 votes compared with Mr Ladd's 711.
The average turnout for the elections in Waveney was 34% and of the 16 seats being contested the Conservatives won 11.
CARLTON COLVILLE
*Ronald Bell (Con) 702
Nicholas Webb (Lab) 401
Bryan Ayltett (UKIP) 225
Shirley Haylock (LD) 192
Graham Elliott (Green) 88
No change. Turnout 27.2%
GUNTON & CORTON
*Stephen Chilvers (Con) 925
Michelle Savage (Lab) 336
Michelle Lavill (LD) 152
Maxine Narburgh (Green) 123
Dorothy Blenkinsopp (Ind) 115
No change. Turnout 43.3%.
HARBOUR
*Ruth Ford (Ind) 629
Marion Watson (Lab) 363
Patricia Mortimer (Con) 230
Lorraine Lakes (LD) 140
Lucille Mason (Green) 106
No change. Turnout 26.4%
KESSINGLAND
*Jamie Starling (Con) 609
Michael Pickles (Lab) 382
Emma Waller (Green) 202
Stephen Went (LD) 162
No change Turnout 34.8%
KIRKLEY
*Andrew Shepherd (LD) 728
Ian Graham (Lab) 375
May Reader (Con) 240
Liam Carroll (Green) 108
No change. Turnout 27.1%
LOTHINGLAND
Paul Ashdown (Con) 289
Allyson Barron (Lab) 145
Bertie Poole (UKIP) 115
Paul Whitlow (Green) 79
Con gain from Lab. Turnout 37.7%.
NORMANSTON
John Shanahan (Lab) 581
David Coulam (Con) 405
Leslie Batchelder (LD) 226
Gary Hilton (Green) 169
Lab gain from Ind. Turnout 26.4%.
OULTON
George Hawes (Con) 419
Malcolm Cherry (Lab) 284
*Jennifer Hinton (Ind) 281
Antony Tibbitt (LD) 107
Paul Jackson (Green) 50
Con gain from Ind. Turnout 34.2%.
OULTON BROAD
*Colin Law (Con) 740
Malcolm Pitchers (Lab) 345
David O'Neill (LD) 150
Kerry Taylor (Green) 133
No change. Turnout 35.3%.
PAKEFIELD
*Terrence Kelly (Lab) 677
Brian Keller (Con) 672
Derek Hackett (UKIP) 349
Norman Walker (LD) 232
Ann Skipper (Green) 147
No change. Turnout 38.4%.
SOUTHWOLD & REYDON
Simon Tobin (Con) 728
*Michael Ladd (Ind) 711
Julie Carpenter (Green) 148
Sylvia Robbins (Lab) 147
Con gain from Ind. Turnout 53.8%.
ST MARGARET'S
*John Fryers (Lab) 679
John Burford (Con) 671
Patricia Anderson (LD) 268
Richard Vinton (Green) 126
No change. Turnout 29%
THE SAINTS
David Ritchie (Con) 563
John Sanderson (Green) 150
Mark Blunt (Lab) 102
John Marsden (LD) 75
No change. Turnout 49.6%.
WAINFORD
*Mark Bee (Con) 502
David Jermy (Lab) 104
Philip Evans (LD) 95
Nicola Elliott (Green) 86
No change. Turnout 44.3%.
WHITTON
Deanna Law (Con) 551
Paul Widdowson (Lab) 543
Sandra Tonge (LD) 371
Reginald Allen (Ind) 206
Jennifer Berry (Green) 105
Con gain from Lab. Turnout 30.6%.
WORLINGHAM
*Alan Duce (Con) 916
Alan Thwaites (Lab) 334
Philip Tregear (Green) 223
No change. Turnout 40.3%.
*denotes sitting councillor.
Key: Con _ Conservatives, Lab _ Labour, LD _ Liberal Democrats, Green _ Green Party, UKIP _ United Kingdom Independence Party, Ind _ Independent.
TORIES WIN PAKEFIELD BY-ELECTION FOR COUNTY COUNCIL
The Conservative's success in the district council was echoed in the Pakefield by-election for Suffolk County Council. Tory candidate Kenneth Sale captured the seat that had previously been held for Labour by Stephen Barrett.
Kenneth Sale (Con) 1338
Terrence Kelly (Lab) 1097
Derek Hackett (UKIP) 592
Peter Guyton (LD) 397
Ann Skipper (Green) 243.
Con gain
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