# Waveney District Council elections

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. 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.

## 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:
| Party in control | Years |
| No overall control | 1973–1976 |
| Conservative | 1976–1986 |
| No overall control | 1986–1990 |
| Labour | 1990–2002 |
| No overall control | 2002–2006 |
| Conservative | 2006–2011 |
| No overall control | 2011–2015 |
| Conservative | 2015–2019 |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council from 2003 until its abolition in 2019 were:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| Brian Hunter | Labour | | 15 May 2003 |
| Peter Austin | Conservative | 15 May 2003 | 13 Jun 2004 |
| Mark Bee | Conservative | 24 Jun 2004 | 25 May 2011 |
| Colin Law | Conservative | 25 May 2011 | May 2017 |
| Mark Bee | Conservative | 17 May 2017 | 31 Mar 2019 |
Mark Bee served as leader of the East Suffolk shadow authority prior to the new council coming into effect in 2019, but he was unsuccessful in securing a seat at the first election to the new council.

## Council elections

* 1973 Waveney District Council election
* 1976 Waveney District Council election
* 1979 Waveney District Council election
* 1983 Waveney District Council election (New ward boundaries)
* 1984 Waveney District Council election
* 1986 Waveney District Council election
* 1987 Waveney District Council election
* 1988 Waveney District Council election
* 1990 Waveney District Council election
* 1991 Waveney District Council election
* 1992 Waveney District Council election
* 1994 Waveney District Council election
* 1995 Waveney District Council election
* 1996 Waveney District Council election
* 1998 Waveney District Council election
* 1999 Waveney District Council election
* 2000 Waveney District Council election
* 2002 Waveney District Council election (New ward boundaries)
* 2003 Waveney District Council election
* 2004 Waveney District Council election
* 2006 Waveney District Council election
* 2007 Waveney District Council election
* 2008 Waveney District Council election
* 2010 Waveney District Council election
* 2011 Waveney District Council election (Change to whole council elections)
* 2015 Waveney District Council election

## Results maps

* 2002 results map
* 2003 results map
* 2004 results map
* 2006 results map
* 2007 results map
* 2008 results map
* 2010 results map
* 2011 results map
* 2015 results map

## By-elections
### 2002-2006

Kessingland By-Election 26 February 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | | 463 | 39.3 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | | 417 | 35.4 | −16.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 297 | 25.2 | +13.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 46 | 3.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,177 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### 2011-2015

Worlingham By-Election 19 December 2011 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Norman Brooks | 708 | 45.9 | −7.1 |
| | Labour | Sylvia Robbins | 586 | 38.0 | +4.8 |
| | Green | Sue Bergin | 137 | 8.9 | −5.0 |
| | UKIP | Stuart Foulger | 64 | 4.1 | +4.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Doug Farmer | 48 | 3.1 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 122 | 7.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,543 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Beccles South By-Election 15 November 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Graham Catchpole | 520 | 39.6 | +12.3 |
| | Green | Nicky Elliott | 390 | 29.7 | +15.0 |
| | Labour | Alan Green | 369 | 28.1 | −5.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Doug Farmer | 35 | 2.7 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 130 | 9.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,314 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Harbour By-Election 2 May 2013 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Janet Craig | 647 | 48.2 | +2.5 |
| | UKIP | Bertie Poole | 358 | 26.7 | +26.7 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Taylor | 217 | 16.2 | −7.5 |
| | Green | George Langley | 85 | 6.3 | −7.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Thomas | 36 | 2.7 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 289 | 21.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,343 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Oulton By-Election 8 August 2013 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Len Jacklin | 449 | 41.2 | +11.5 |
| | Conservative | Deanna Law | 329 | 30.2 | +2.2 |
| | UKIP | Bert Poole | 269 | 24.7 | +24.7 |
| | Green | Maxine Narburgh | 23 | 2.1 | −4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Thomas | 21 | 1.9 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 120 | 11.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,091 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Halesworth By-Election 22 May 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Letitia Smith | 726 | 42.2 | −0.6 |
| | Labour | Tobias Walton | 535 | 31.1 | +3.7 |
| | Green | Jennifer Berry | 245 | 14.3 | −1.6 |
| | Independent | Jack Tyler | 213 | 12.4 | +12.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 191 | 11.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,719 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2015-2019

Wrentham By-Election 5 May 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Craig Rivett | 335 | 40.4 | −8.0 |
| | Labour | Paul Tyack | 252 | 30.4 | +11.6 |
| | UKIP | Andrew Bols | 156 | 18.8 | −4.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Thomas | 46 | 5.5 | +5.5 |
| | Green | David Brambley-Crawshaw | 40 | 4.8 | −4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 83 | 10.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 829 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Oulton Broad By-Election 21 September 2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Robinson | 527 | 50.2 | +8.8 |
| | Labour | Len Jacklin | 357 | 34.0 | +5.4 |
| | UKIP | Phillip Trindall | 112 | 10.7 | −11.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Thomas | 54 | 5.1 | +5.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 170 | 16.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,050 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Kirkley By-Election 16 November 2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Peter Byatt | 374 | 47.8 | +12.2 |
| | Conservative | Gilly Gunner | 217 | 27.7 | +7.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dominic Leslie | 84 | 10.7 | +10.7 |
| | UKIP | Phillip Trindall | 78 | 10.0 | −9.7 |
| | Green | Ben Quail | 30 | 3.8 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 157 | 20.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 783 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
St Margaret's By-Election 16 November 2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Linda Coulam | 487 | 41.7 | +11.8 |
| | Labour | Nasima Begum | 410 | 35.1 | −1.3 |
| | UKIP | Bernie Guymer | 119 | 10.2 | −15.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shaun Waters | 88 | 7.5 | +7.5 |
| | Green | Baz Bemment | 65 | 5.6 | −2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 77 | 6.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,169 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Pakefield By-Election 12 July 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Melanie Vigo di Gallidoro | 643 | 41.7 | +11.8 |
| | Labour | Paul Tyack | 600 | 40.9 | −5.2 |
| | UKIP | Phillip Trindall | 116 | 7.9 | +7.9 |
| | Green | Peter Lang | 64 | 4.4 | −8.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adam Robertson | 44 | 3.0 | −6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 43 | 2.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,467 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Southwold and Reydon By-Election 12 July 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Beavan | 1,005 | 71.4 | +71.4 |
| | Conservative | David Burrows | 307 | 21.8 | −28.4 |
| | Labour | John Cracknell | 78 | 5.5 | −14.8 |
| | UKIP | Mike Shaw | 18 | 1.3 | −13.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 698 | 49.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,408 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |