Suffolk Coastal was a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council was based in Melton, having moved from neighbouring Woodbridge in 2017. Other towns include Felixstowe, Framlingham, Leiston, Aldeburgh, and Saxmundham.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the municipal borough of Aldeburgh, along with Felixstowe, Leiston-cum-Sizewell, Saxmundham and Woodbridge urban districts, and Blyth Rural District and Deben Rural District. The population of the district was 124,298 at the 2011 Census.[1]
Suffolk Coastal district was merged with Waveney district on 1 April 2019 to form the new East Suffolk district.[2]
There were new ward boundaries in 2003 and 2015.
| Party | 2003[3] | 2007[4] | 2011[5] | 2015[6] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Con | Conservative | 43 | 45 | 44 | 37 | |
| LD | Liberal Democrats | 10 | 9 | 5 | 2 | |
| Lab | Labour Party | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | |
| Ind | Independent | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| Greens | Green Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| UKIP | UK Independence Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| FAC | Firefighters Against Cuts | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| Result | Largest party | Con | Con | Con | Con | |
| Majority | 31 | 35 | 33 | 32 | ||
| Total no. of seats | 55 | 55 | 55 | 42 |
Below is a list of wards with the number of councillors they returned in the relevant periods. There were 118 civil parishes and towns distributed amongst these wards.
| Ward | No. of Cllrs. 2003-2015 | Communities 2003-2015[7] | No. of Cllrs. 2015-2019 | Communities 2015–2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldeburgh | 2 | Aldeburgh Ward: Aldeburgh Town Buxlow Ward: Aldringham cum Thorpe, | 2 | ||
| Deben | 0 | n/a | 1 | ||
| Earl Soham | 1 | Earl Soham Ward: Brandeston; Earl Soham; Easton; Kettleburgh; Letheringham Hasketon Ward:, Charsfield Otley Ward: Cretingham, Hoo, Monewden | 0 | n/a | |
| Farlingaye | 1 | Farlingaye ward: Farlingaye ward of Woodbridge Town Woodbridge Central ward: Central ward of Woodbridge Town (part) Woodbridge Seckford Ward: Seckford ward of Woodbridge Town (part) | 0 | n/a | |
| Felixstowe East | 2 | Felixstowe East Ward: East ward of Felixstowe Town (part) Felixstowe North Ward: North ward of Felixstowe Town (part) Felixstowe South East Ward: South East ward of Felixstowe Town (part) | 2 | ||
| Felixstowe North | 2 | Felixstowe Central Ward: Central ward of Felixstowe Town (part) Felixstowe North Ward: North ward of Felixstowe Town (part) Felixstowe South East Ward: South East ward of Felixstowe Town (part) | 2 | ||
| Felixstowe South | 2 | Felixstowe Central Ward: Central ward of Felixstowe Town (part) Felixstowe South Ward: South ward of Felixstowe Town (part) Felixstowe West ward:West ward of Felixstowe Town (part) | 2 | ||
| Felixstowe South East | 2 | Felixstowe Central Ward: Central ward of Felixstowe Town (part) East ward of Felixstowe Town (part) Felixstowe South Ward:South ward of Felixstowe Town (part) Felixstowe South East Ward: South East ward of Felixstowe Town (part) | 0 | n/a | |
| Felixstowe West | 3 | Felixstowe Central Ward: Central ward of Felixstowe Town (part) Felixstowe West Ward: West ward of Felixstowe Town (part) | 2 | ||
| Framlingham | 2 | Framlingham Ward Framlingham Town Dennington Ward: Dennington (part); Badingham Earl Soham ward: Saxtead (part) | 2 | Framlingham | |
| Fynn Valley | 0 | n/a | 1 | ||
| Grundisburgh | 1 | Bealings Ward: Great Bealings (part); Little Bealings; Grundisburgh & Witnesham Ward: Culpho (part); Grundisburgh; | 1 | ||
| Hacheston | 1 | Dennington Ward: Bruisyard; Cransford; Rendham; Swefling Glemham Ward: Great Glemham; Hacheston; Little Glemham; Marlesford; Parham | 1 | ||
| Hollesley with Eyke | 1 | Hollesley Ward: Boyton; Butley; Capel St Andrew; Hollesley; Wantisden Tunstall Ward: Chillesford; Ufford Ward: Eyke | 0 | n/a | |
| Kesgrave East | 3 | Kesgrave Ward: Kesgrave East; Martlesham Ward: Martlesham West | 2 | ||
| Kesgrave West | 2 | Kesgrave Ward: Kesgrave West; | 2 | ||
| Kirton | 0 | n/a | 1 | ||
| Kyson | 1 | Woodbridge Kyson Ward: Woodbridge Seckford Ward | 0 | n/a | |
| Leiston | 3 | Buxlow Ward: Knodishall Leiston Ward: Leiston Town | 2 | ||
| Martlesham | 2 | Martlesham Ward: Martlesham | 2 | ||
| Melton | 0 | n/a | 2 | ||
| Melton and Ufford | 2 | Melton Ward: Melton Ufford Ward: Ufford; Pettistree | 0 | n/a | |
| Nacton | 2 | Kirton Ward: Hemley; Newbourne; Waldringfield Nacton Ward: Brightwell; Bucklesham; Foxhall; Levington; Nacton; Purdis Farm; Stratton Hall | 0 | n/a | |
| Nacton and Purdis Farm | 0 | n/a | 1 | ||
| Orford and Tunstall | 1 | Orford Ward: Gedgrave; Iken; Orford; and Sudbourne Tunstall ward: Blaxhall; Tunstall | 0 | n/a | |
| Orford and Eyke | 0 | n/a | 1 | ||
| Otley | 1 | Hasketon Ward: Boulge; Bredfield; Burgh; Dallinghoo; Debach; Hasketon (part) Otley Ward: Clopton; Otley | 0 | n/a | |
| Peasenhall | 1 | Bramfield an Cratfield Ward: Cookley (part); Cookley; Cratfield; Heveningham; Huntingfield; Linstead Magna; Linstead Parva; Walpole; Yoxford Ward: Peasenhall (part); Sibton | 0 | n/a | |
| Peasenhall and Yoxford | 0 | n/a | 1 | ||
| Rendlesham | 1 | Tunstall Ward: Campsey Ash; Rendlesham | 1 | ||
| Riverside | 1 | Martlesham Ward: Martlesham North ward Woodbridge Central Ward: Central ward of Woodbridge Town Woodbridge Riverside Ward: Riverside Ward of Woodbridge Town Woodbridge Seckford Ward: Seckford ward of Woodbridge Town | 0 | n/a | |
| Rushmere St Andrew | 3 | Rushmere Ward: Rushmere St Andrew | 0 | n/a | |
| Saxmundham | 2 | Kelsale Ward: Kelsale cum Carlton; Theberton Saxmundham Ward: Saxmundham Town | 2 | ||
| Seckford | 1 | Woodbridge Seckford Ward: Seckford ward of Woodbridge Town (part) Woodbridge Central Ward: Central ward ofWoodbridge Town (part) Woodbridge Riverside ward: Riverside ward of Woodbridge Town (part) | 0 | n/a | |
| Snape | 1 | Buxlow Ward: Friston (part) Snape Ward: Benhall; Farnham; Snape; Sternfield; Stratford St Andrew | 0 | n/a | |
| Sutton | 1 | Alderton & Sutton Ward : Alderton, Bawdsey, Ramsholt, Shottisham, Sutton; Sutton Heath (from 2012)[8] Ufford Ward: Bromeswell | 0 | ||
| Tower | 0 | n/a | 2 | ||
| The Trimleys | 0 | n/a | 2 | ||
| Trimleys with Kirton | 3 | Kirton Ward: Falkenham; Kirton Trimleys Ward: Trimley St Martin; Trimley St Mary | 0 | n/a | |
| Walberswick and Wenhaston | 1 | Bramfield & Cratfield Ward: Bramfield (part); Thorington Walberswick Ward: Blythburgh; Walberswick; Wenhaston with Mells Hamlet | 0 | n/a | |
| Wenhaston | 0 | n/a | 1 | ||
| Wickham Market | 1 | Wickham Market | 1 | ||
| Witnesham | 1 | Bealings Ward: Playford (part); Tuddenham St Martin; Westerfield Grundisburgh & Witnesham Ward: Swilland (part); Witnesham | 0 | n/a | |
| Woodbridge | 0 | n/a | 3 | ||
| Yoxford | 1 | Westleton ward: Darsham; Dunwich; Middleton; Westleton Yoxford Ward: Yoxford | 0 | n/a | |
| Total | 55 | 42 |
| Escutcheon: | Barry wavy of eight Azure and Argent a lymphad sail set Or flying flags and pennon of St. George on a chief Or three pellets that in the centre charged with a cross engrailed and the others each with an escallop of seven lobes Or. |
| Crest: | On a wreath of the colours in front of a port between two square towers Proper issuant therefrom a rising sun of seven rays a mitre Or. |
| Bagde: | A heptagon Azure fimriated Argent and charged with a lymphad as in the Arms. |
| Motto: | New Views To Life.[9] |
| Notes: | Granted 10 December 1975. |