A newly-elected rural councillor has said his success in the role will depend on whether he can ensure villagers' concerns are listened to and acted upon.

Craig Rivett will now represent the parishes of Benacre, Covehithe, Brampton, Frostenden, Henstead, Hulver Street and Wrentham on Waveney District Council after he was voted to succeed predecessor Dr Martin Parsons in a by-election.

The 34-year-old retained the seat for the Conservatives with 335 votes after Dr Parsons resigned to take up a new job supporting victims of jihadist violence in the Middle East.

The former senior manager for Royal Mail said his priorities would be trying to find a solution to the road safety problems through Wrentham and supporting residents when it comes to planning issues.

The district council is currently consulting on where thousands of new homes should be built over the next 20 years, and Mr Rivett said: 'It has got to be done sensitively.'

Mr Rivett added that the revised proposal to keep Wrentham fire station open - albeit with a rapid response vehicle instead of a fire engine - was 'certainly an improvement on the original'.

However he said he would like to see more detail about what the new rapid response vehicle would be.

He believes the negotiation and management skills he developed at Royal Mail when overseeing large numbers of staff and dealing with unions has prepared him well for the role.

But he added: 'My success will come down to whether I can make sure the issues Wrentham ward are raised, listened to and acted on.'

Mr Rivett's nearest challenger in Thursday's (May 5) poll was Labour's Paul Tyack, who got 252 votes.

That left the Conservatives with a 40.41 per cent share of the vote, compared to Labour's 30.39 per cent.

Dr Parsons has won the seat last year with a 56.9 per cent share of the vote, although there was a higher turnout last year as the poll coincided with the general election.

The turnout for the by-election was 46.04 per cent.

Also standing were the UK Independence Party's Andrew Bols, who got 156 votes, Liberal Democrat Christopher Thomas, who got 46 votes, and Green Party candidate David Brambley-Crawshaw, who polled 40 votes.

? What do you think are the main priorities for Wrentham ward? Write, giving your full contact details, to: Journal Postbox, 147 London Road North, Lowestoft NR32 1NB or email andrew.papworth@archant.co.uk