Hayley MaceDistrict council elections in Waveney are going to change to a four-year cycle in a bid to cut costs and improve political stability.Members of Waveney District Council have voted to scrap the current system of electing one third of the seats each year over a three year cycle and instead hold whole council elections every four years.Hayley Mace

District council elections in Waveney are going to change to a four-year cycle in a bid to cut costs and improve political stability.

Members of Waveney District Council have voted to scrap the current system of electing one third of the seats each year over a three year cycle and instead hold whole council elections every four years.

Council leader Mark Bee told the meeting last night that moving to whole council elections from 2011 will save the authority up to �150,000 in the first four years and �215,000 for the subsequent four years compared to the cost of elections by thirds.

He said that councillors elected for a four year term will have a longer term vision for the area. 'Whole council elections will ensure real political stability and allow for better strategic planning and enhanced democracy,' he said.

However independent councillor Peter Collecott said that smaller political groups could suffer under the new system because they might not be able to afford to put candidates forward for all of the district's wards at the same time.

Councillors voted by a majority to change the system of elections and the changes will come into place from 2011, with the elections for a third of the district's seats on May 6 going ahead as planned.

The parish council elections in Waveney are also going to be tied in to the new system so that they will take place once every four years.