The current Chairman of Waveney District Council is Councillor Alan Duce .

Councillor Duce has been a member of Waveney District Council for 5 years. He was first elected to the Worlingham Ward in 2004.


If you have an event in the future which you would like the Chairman to attend or visit, please contact the Chairman’s Secretary on Tel: 01502 523257 or email carol.george@waveney.gov.uk  or write to The Chairman's Secretary, Waveney District Council, Town Hall, High Street, Lowestoft, NR32 1HS

Please do not contact the Chairman of Waveney District Council direct or send correspondence to his home address. All communications must be done through the Chairman’s Secretary.

If the Chairman is unable to attend, invitations may be passed to the Vice-Chair, Councillor Patricia Flegg , if appropriate. 


The Role of the Chairman of the Council 

Appointment of Chairman

The Chairman is elected by the District Councillors at the Annual Meeting in May/June. The Vice Chairman is also appointed at the same meeting.
Any elected Member of the Council shall be eligible for appointment to the office of Chairman unless he/she is a Member of the Cabinet.

The Chairman of the Council has two main roles: 


Civic Role

• The civic role entails raising and maintaining the profile of Waveney, the District Council and the people of Waveney. The office will promote the aims and values of the Council in an apolitical manner.
• The Chairman will promote such civic and ceremonial functions as the Council or he/she may determine following consultations, where appropriate, and within the allocated resources.
• The Chairman will represent the District Council at civic and ceremonial functions of other local authorities or involving other appropriate bodies.
• The Vice-Chairman will support the Chairman in his/her civic role and will carry out civic duties as well on behalf of the civic office.
• The Vice-Chairman will also deputise in the absence of the Chairman in carrying out the responsibilities of the office of Chairman.

Council Role

• The Chairman is responsible for the following:-
• upholding and promoting good governance in accordance with the Council’s Constitution and interpreting it with appropriate advice when necessary.
• presiding over meetings of the Council to ensure that business is carried out efficiently and effectively whilst preserving the rights of District Councillors and the interests of the population of Waveney.
• ensuring that at Council meetings matters of concern to local communities can be debated through the appropriate District Councillors.
• ensuring that District Councillors who are not on the Cabinet who do not hold the Chair a Committee or Sub-Committee are able to hold those office holders to account.
• Community leadership and promote active citizenship
• The Chairman has a casting vote and it is essential that this is exercised in the event of a tie at a Council meeting. There is no convention that the Chairman should seek to vote to protect the status quo. The law requires that the Chairman has complete freedom of conscience in exercising his or her casting vote and it is important that that discretion is not seen to be fettered.

The role of the Chairman is separate from that of the Leader of the Council who is the political head of the Council and will speak for the Council on all aspects of policy and Cabinet business.

To support the Chairman in his/her obligations of the office, the law provides for the Chairman to be paid a Special Responsibility allowance, as the Council sees reasonably fit.