Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation in Suffolk

Devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government. It means that decisions are made closer to the local people, communities and businesses they affect. Typically this involves the creation of directly elected mayors with specific responsibilities for strategic policy areas like transport infrastructure, economic development, health improvement and blue light services. 

Local government reorganisation is a process whereby the make up of councils in an area is changed to make it work better for local people. Typically this involves reducing how many tiers or layers of councils there are in any given area and setting up single (known as ‘unitary’) councils which deliver all local public services. 

The government has published a policy paper which said:

“The government sees devolution as a new way of governing, rooted in the principle that people who have a stake in a place should be the ones shaping it. It will be crucial to delivering our commitment to bring growth and opportunity to communities across the country. This is the first step on delivering on our promise to move power out of Westminster and putting power where it belongs – into the hands of local people.

“Every place has something to benefit from devolution, whether it is more regular bus services, more affordable housing, or the simple fact that local people will have a local champion with regional influence. Mayors, regardless of political stripe, have a proven track record of delivering growth.”

On October 2, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet voted in favour of creating a new mayoral authority for Norfolk and Suffolk. Norfolk County Council will hold their own vote later in October 2025. Following this, and subject to the outcome, there will be a mayoral election in May 2026.

Alongside this, councils in Suffolk have submitted business cases on local government reorganisation to the government. The government will hold a public consultation before making a final decision and announcing the implementation timetable.

The Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) is a fast-track programme towards devolution and local government reorganisation. The government established it to see areas move quickly through the process.

Many areas expressed interest in being included on the DPP. The government announced that six were successful. These are:

• Cumbria (Cumberland Council, Westmorland and Furness Council);
• Cheshire and Warrington (Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Warrington Borough Council);
• Greater Essex (Essex County Council, Thurrock Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council);
• Hampshire and Solent (Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Isle of Wight Council, Southampton City Council);
• Norfolk and Suffolk (Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council);
• Sussex and Brighton (East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council, Brighton and Hove City Council).

Being part of the DPP means that Suffolk will see inaugural elections for a mayor (covering Suffolk and Norfolk) in May 2026 and local government reorganisation a year or so after that.

The proposals are in two parts. The first is devolution, where a mayor for Norfolk and Suffolk would be directly elected in May 2026 and have powers and funding given to them by government to improve lives in the two counties. They would head up what is called a Mayoral Combined County Authority. They would only be responsible for strategic policy areas like transport infrastructure, economic development, health improvement and blue light services – along with devolved government funding to deliver positive change. This would be separate from any unitary council(s) and the mayor would not be in charge of delivering public services that are the responsibility of local authorities – like waste collection, repairing potholes and care services.

The second change is the complete reorganisation of Suffolk’s 50-year-old two-tier council structure into a more streamlined system with one, two or maybe even three unitary councils which deliver all public services in their defined areas. 

In a nutshell, the system would be simpler, cheaper and quicker. One council would provide the services in your area that are currently provided by a county and a district/borough council. Fewer councils would be less confusing for residents to access and work with, would cost less to run. Local councillors would be accountable for all council services in your area making decision-making easier to understand. This all improves efficiency which frees up time and money to plough back into delivering and improving public services.

A two-tier structure in local government means two levels of administration: county councils, and district or borough councils. County councils are responsible for services that cover the whole county, like education, adult social care, and waste disposal. District or borough councils manage more localised services like housing, planning applications, and waste collection. It can be confusing for residents and businesses to understand who does what.

A unitary authority operates under a single-tier system. This means that one council is responsible for delivering all services in an area. This eliminates the division of responsibilities seen in a two-tier structure, streamlining the delivery of services. Many corporate functions – such as finance, human resources, IT and customer services – can also be combined to improve efficiency and remove duplication. Councillors in a unitary authority represent all council services rather than being split between county and district councillors. This makes contacting elected representatives easier, helping to improve representation of local communities.

Suffolk County Council supports a single unitary council, and has set out its proposal in a business case called One Suffolk.

The district and borough councils support the idea of three unitary councils. Read their business case.

All six of Suffolk’s county, district and borough councils will cease to exist, and be replaced by one or more unitary authorities. These brand new authorities will take over all local government functions in the area they cover.

This means that, in the area you live, you will only have one council to deal with, rather than two. For areas with town and parish councils, these will continue in their existing form and are not included in the unitary process.

The structural changes arising from LGR will change county, district and borough councils – however, they will not impact town and parish councils.

Town and parish councils will be important stakeholders, particularly as a voice for local communities. Although government will lead on consultation for the devolution and LGR processes, there will be engagement with town and parish councils to help develop local LGR proposals.

Known key dates:

• 26 Sep 2025: Final business cases to be submitted to government
• November (TBC): Government launches consultation on LGR options in Suffolk
• Spring 2026 (date TBC): Government decision on LGR in Suffolk.
• 1 May 2026: Election of mayor of Norfolk and Suffolk