New chair and vice-chair elected for West Suffolk Council 2026-27

13 May 2026

Cllr Peter Armitage has been elected the new chair of West Suffolk Council at its Annual Meeting held on Tuesday, 12 May.

He follows outgoing Chair Cllr Phil Wittam, who attended 71 events and raised £1,727.27 for Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS) and £1,503.93 for Gatehouse, an independent charity that works with the vulnerable throughout East Anglia, including West Suffolk – his chosen charities for the year.

Cllr Armitage was vice-chair, last year and will be supporting the Bury Water Meadows Group and Restore as his chosen charities.

The objectives of the Bury Water Meadows Group is to conserve, preserve and improve the rivers Lark and Linnet in Bury St Edmunds and adjacent areas for the benefit the public. Restore is a caring organisation that offers advice and support to anyone who is experiencing domestic abuse.

Cllr Jools Savage was elected as this year’s vice-chair.

Cllr Armitage said: “Being the Chair of West Suffolk Council is an honour. The role is an important civic link to our communities. I am looking forward to meeting as many community groups as possible and representing the authority as well as working with all our West Suffolk councillors. I know how busy Cllr Wittam has been during his time as Chair and I would like to congratulate him on the excellent job he has done and the money he has raised for his charities.”
 

---