The way voters choose their councillors in the Great Yarmouth area is to change from May 2019.

Tonight a full meeting of Great Yarmouth Borough Council overwhelming decided to move to the full election every fours year model instead of the current system of election by thirds.

The decision follows a non-binding postal referendum that saw 23,785 ballot papers returned with 69.6pc of valid voting forms going for a switch to full elections every four years.

Tonight’s vote saw 29 councillors vote in favour of the referendum result, with four going against the public vote.

Council leader Graham Plant, of the Conservative group and who proposed the motion to switch electoral cycles, said: “It is really important we listen to the public.”

The motion was seconded by the leader of the Labour opposition group, Trevor Wainwright, who said: “We are doing what the people want.”

Adrian Myers, of the Lothingland ward and one of the four councillors to vote against the change, spoke in support of keeping the current system.

He said a change would create apathy, indifference and undernourishment in the political system and facilitate the poor performance of the councillors in charge and insulate them from the voter.

The council says the move to full elections will save the authority £120,000 over the four year electoral cycle.

Currently one third of the council’s 39 seats come up for election for three successive years in four.