MORE than 150 candidates are standing in Waveney District Council's first ever all-seat election, it was revealed this week.

May 5 will be the first time that all 48 seats in Waveney are up for grabs – and the Conservative party is keen to retain power. A total of 154 candidates are standing, including 48 Conservatives, 43 Labour, 27 Green, 13 UK Independence Party, 12 Liberal Democrats, six Independents, and four for the Labour and Co-operative Party.

Two of the candidates have no party descriptions.

Last year, when just a third of seats were contested, Labour gained the Whitton ward from the Conservatives and Kirkley from the Liberal Democrats. However, the Conservatives held on to a majority of 29.

As they campaign on doorsteps, would-be councillors will face tough questions from residents. While many are pleased with Waveney's recent move to allow the Friends of the Marina Theatre to take over the running of Lowestoft's historic theatre, high on the agenda will be the Conservative-led Suffolk County Council's swingeing cuts which put the waste sites in Beccles and Southwold under threat - only for Waveney to step in and set aside �140,000 to keep the sites open for six months.

Earlier this week it was confirmed that Mark Bee has joined the running to become the next leader of Suffolk County Council. Mr Bee is now standing in Waveney's Worlingham ward, having previously represented Beccles.

Elsewhere in the district, husband and wife George and Pat Hawes, who dramatically resigned from the Conservative party in February, are standing as Independent candidates in the Carlton and Carlton Colville wards respectively. Mr Hawes will be fighting against his former Conservative colleague Stephen Ardley to take the seat.

Labour candidate John Shanahan, who previously represented Normanston, is standing in Bungay.

Here is a full list of all candidates standing in Waveney District Council:

Beccles North: Mark Blunt (Lab); Diana Coghill (Lab);Graham Elliot* (Green); Nicky Elliot (Green); Doug Farmer (Lib Dem); Christopher Punt* (Con); Brian Woodruff (Con).

Beccles South: Barry Bee* (Con); Norman Brookes (Con); Graham Catchpole (Indp); Stuart Foulger (UKIP); Maxine Narburgh (Green); Paul Jackson (Green); Keith Jenkins (Lab); Alan Thwaites (Lab).

Blything: Alison Cackett (Con); Helen Compton (Lab); Tamsin Elliott (Green).

Bungay: John Groom* (Con); Kate Jackson (Green); Josiah Meldrum (Green); Dave O'Neill (Lib Dem); Natasha Ray (Lab); John Shanahan (Lab); Simon Woods* (Con).

Carlton: Steve Ardley* (Con); Harry Ashbee (UKIP); Timothy Fisher (Lab); John Fryers (Lab); George Hawes (Ind); Frank Mortimer* (Con); John Nixon (Green); Andrew Thomas (Lib Dem); Chris Thomas (lib Dem).

Carlton Colville: Jos� Manuel Bamonde (Lab); Janet Craig (Lab); Kathleen Grant* (Con); Phil Haggerty (Con); Brian Howe; Patricia Hawes (Ind); Brian Kite (Lab); Paul Light* (Con); Bill Mountford (UKIP); Dave Norton (Ind); Richard Vinton (Green).

Gunton and Corton: David Coulam* (Con); Deborah Dann (Lib Dem); Peter Eyres (Green); Paul Newbery (UKIP); Christian Newsome (Lab); Mary Rudd* (Con); Steven Taylor (Lib Dem); Peter Thomassen (Lab).

Halesworth: Jen Berry (Green); Christopher Dyer (UKIP); Paddy Flegg* (Con) Tony Goldson (Con); David Thomas (Lab); Tobias Walton (Lab).

Harbour: Scott Ardley (Con); Louis Barfe (Green); Dorothy Blenkisopp (Ind); Liz Dack (Con); Tess Gandy (Lab); Christopher Goodings (Green); Ian Graham* (Lab); Jenny Hinton; Douglas Hoffman (Green); Beckie Raven (Con); Julian Swainson (Lab).

Kessingland: Bruce Provan* (Con); Jamie Starling* (Con); Emma Waller (Green); Alan Brown (Lab); Robert Riley (Lab); Jack Tyler (UKIP)

Kirkley: Yvonne Cherry* (Lab), Gareth Douce (Lab), June Ford (Lab), Paul Foulger (UKIP), Kathy Gosling (Con), Rose Hudson* (LD) George Langley (Green), Bernard Reader (Con), May Reader (Con), Andrew Shepherd (Lib Dem).

Lothingland: Paul Ashdown* (Con), Peter Hytch (Lab), David Pigney (Green), Bertie Poole (UKIP).

Normanston: Philip Beer (UKIP), Peter Coghill (Lab Co-op), Jan Corbett (Con), Kerri Edmondson (Green), Keith Patience* (Lab Co-op), Ken Sale (Con), Jacki Wheatley (Lab Co-op).

Oulton: Peter Collecott* (Ind), Mike Ives-Keller (Lab), Deanna Law (Con), Vince Rule (Con), Joy Russell (Lib Dem), Jed Smith (Green), Katie Webb (Lab).

Oulton Broad: Mike Barnard (Con), Leonard Jacklin (Lab), Colin Law* (Con), Michelle Narburgh (Green), James Robinson (UKIP), James Russell (Lib Dem), Shaun Wade (Lab).

Pakefield: Jonathan Andersson (Green), Sonia Barker (Lab), Linda Bee (Con), Peter Byatt* (Lab), Derek Hackett (UKIP), Malcolm Pitchers* (Lab), Chris Scott (Con), Susan Weston (Con).

Southwold and Reydon: Sue Allen* (Con), Josette Bellham (Lab), Michael Ladd (Con), Simon Thompson (Green), George Wheatley (Lab Co-op).

St Margaret's: Iftekhar Alan (Con), Allyson Barron (Lab), Roger Bellham* (Lab), Malcolm Cherry* (Lab), Linda Coulam (Con), Bernard Ladd (UKIP), Michelle Elinor (Lib Dem), Rachel Ritchie (Con), Trevor Rix (Green).

The Saints: Benjamin Murray (Lab), David Ritchie* (Con), John Sanderson (Green).

Wainford: Robert Kane (Lab), Kevin Springall (Con), Smanda-Jane Stones (Green).

Whitton: Fiona Beesley (Con), Susan Bowring (Con), Tom Hammond (Green), Raymond Roy (Con), Tod Sullivan* (Lab), Sandra Tonge (Lib Dem), Nick Webb* (Lab), Sarah Webb (Lab)Tricia Grint (UKIP), .

Worlingham: Mark Bee (Con), Lindy Cocker (Lab), Andy Draper (Con), Sylvia Robbins (Lab), Eric Wareham (Green).

Wrentham: Michael Milan (Green), Martin Parsons (Con), James Wells (Lab).

*denotes sitting councillor.