Three councils for Suffolk government in shake-up

There will be three councils for Suffolk under the government shake-up of local authorities, a minister has confirmed.

In a White Paper in December 2024, Labour said it wanted to scrap two-tier council systems and replace them with unitary authorities that provide all services in their area.

Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Local Government, announced in a written statement they had considered all proposals put forward on a "case-by-case basis" and Suffolk would be getting three unitary authorities.

Suffolk County Council's Conservative leader Matthew Hicks called the decision "ludicrous" after his council had put forward a business case for one unitary authority.

Under the plans, all services will be provided by each council - including bin collection and waste disposal, planning, social care, highways, libraries and housing.

The new councils will replace the county council and the five district councils of Babergh, East Suffolk, Ipswich, Mid Suffolk and West Suffolk.

The names and exact boundaries of the new councils have not been decided yet, but the county will be roughly split into:

• East
• West
• Greater Ipswich

Each authority will cover a population of about 250,000 and have about 60 councillors.

Elections for shadow authorities will take place in May 2027, with the new councils formally taking over responsibilities from May 2028.

So what do local politicians think?

The Conservatives have 44 seats at the county council and Hicks, who has been council leader since 2018, said he was "astounded" by the government decision.

"Dividing our county into three new areas carries huge risks to service provision for vulnerable people and long-term financial resilience," he said.

"Throughout the process we have been clear that a single authority for the whole county would not only be the most financially resilient - saving £40m a year - but it would also be the best option for improving service delivery."

The Labour leader of Ipswich Borough Council, Neil McDonald, was a supporter of the three-authority option and helped to compile the business case sent to government.

"There's this idea that one is better than three, because it's always cheaper, but that isn't the case," he said.

"I think if you can work locally, if you can work together with other service providers, with other public agencies, we can get the costs down and make savings that way."

Andy Mellen, Green leader of Mid Suffolk District Council, also backed the three-unitary model.

"I don't think reorganisation of local government is something any of us came into local politics to do. As the government is determined to do it I think three councils for Suffolk is the best option," he said.

"It gives us an opportunity to re-imagine local government and deliver a step-change in services that meets the needs of people.

"My thoughts are now with the thousands of council staff who face a period of transition as we develop the new unitary authorities."

Reform backed the proposals for one unitary council for the whole of Suffolk.

Chris Hudson, leader of the six-strong Reform group at the county council, said the three-council plan was "unworkable, ridiculous, ill-conceived and will plunge us into economic chaos".

"The only answer was one council, because it had merit and was justifiable; three can't work - it will be too expensive," he said.

Inga Lockington, leader of the five-strong Liberal Democrat group at Suffolk County Council, said she was "delighted" by the decision.

"As long as I have been a councillor, so for the last 26 years, unitary authorities have been discussed on and off. I have always thought that we need three in Suffolk.

"I believe we should make decisions as close to people as possible. We need an authority that people can relate to and Suffolk as a whole was just too large."

Conservative MP for West Suffolk, Nick Timothy, said: "Upheaval on this scale is only worth the disruption if it delivers real improvements for local people.

"This decision addresses some of the tests I set for local council reform. It means people in West Suffolk will not pay to subsidise services in Ipswich."

The Labour MP for Ipswich, Jack Abbott, said he was "delighted" with the decision.

"While these new councils will offer better, more efficient services, they will be rooted in local representation and identity," he said.

"Suffolk's historical fabric remains intact, but a Greater Ipswich will finally give local people the power and resources we need to fulfil our potential."

In his written statement to Parliament, Reed added: "Reorganisation presents a once-in-a-generation chance to make sure our councils match the modern realities of our places, making sure outdated boundaries are not constraining growth, particularly in our towns and cities."

Previously the government had outlined the changes to local government would improve services and make efficiencies.

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