One new council is the best option for Suffolk

Suffolk County Council’s cabinet has approved an interim plan for local government reorganisation in Suffolk which will be submitted to ministers this week. A full business case will be submitted in September 2025, following extensive engagement with residents, town and parish councils, businesses and local organisations.

The key benefits of one council are:

• Simpler for residents – one council would make it easier to understand and contact local government
• Clearer accountability – there would be less confusion over who is responsible for what
• Better use of funding – a more coherent, strategic, financially sustainable, county-wide approach to budgeting
• Safer services - less risk of breaking up critical services like social care and better alignment with other agencies like health and the police
• Better alignment of services – since everything is under one roof, services can be more easily coordinated, creating opportunities to improve services for residents
• More efficient decision-making – with just one council, decisions can be made more quickly
• Connected to and empowering residents - providing both the most straightforward and accountable democratic leadership with enhanced neighbourhood and community engagement
• Stronger leadership – a single, visible and accountable body providing a clear strategic voice for Suffolk.

Speaking about Suffolk itself, Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for devolution, local government reform and NSIPs, said:

“When people visit Suffolk, it’s hard not to fall in love with it. Indeed, if you’re lucky enough to live and work here, that love grows strong, anchoring people, families and businesses for generations.

“Whether you’re looking for a place for your children to go to school, a forever home or a location from which to do business, Suffolk gives you options. Sea views, rolling fields, big skies, quiet villages, market towns and bustling urban centres. Although different from each other, our areas exist as part of a coherent and historic geographical area.

“We are proud of Ipswich, our county town. But so are we of the many other places, large and small, that make Suffolk the cohesive place it is. There is, without doubt, a spirit or force that’s hard to describe that connects and unites our great and special county.”

Analysis carried out nationally by the County Council Network has demonstrated that a single unitary council for Suffolk would have a recurring financial benefit of almost £26 million a year – with the net benefit after 5 years being over £103 million. Local analysis of data suggests that the national figures are reasonable.

Speaking about the one council proposal, Cllr Rout said:

“All the evidence shows that one council for Suffolk is the only viable option to deliver significant savings that can be reinvested into frontline services, financial sustainability and maximum clarity and accountability. This is clearly demonstrated in our interim plan and will be expanded upon in the final business case in September.

“The latest independent analysis makes it clear that having a single council for Suffolk will save the most money which can be reinvested into frontline public services that benefit residents, while having three councils would cost the taxpayer more than the current 50-year-old system. The funding could be reinvested in services like pothole repairs, waste collection and disposal, housing, social care, planning, leisure, school placements and travel and street cleaning.

“There’s been talk of creating three unitary councils for Suffolk, including a Greater Ipswich. But that model is without credibility and is financially ruinous. We want to deliver the best possible opportunity to Ipswich and all our market towns and rural communities. The only way to do that is as one Suffolk. A Greater Ipswich would be in financial peril from day one, threatening the very services we want to protect.

“But this isn’t just about money, it’s about people too. A single council will absolutely be able to reflect and serve the whole of Suffolk, and our plans will clearly show how local priorities and residents’ voices can and will be central to decision making.

“If we’re going to create a truly sustainable and effective council structure for Suffolk, then one new council is not just the only viable option, but also the best one.”