Suffolk County Council reveals devolution plans for single unitary authority but opposition left 'disappointed'

Suffolk’s county leaders have revealed devolution plans for a single authority.

As part of the Government's fast-track devolution plans, Suffolk County Council has to submit plans to scrap all local authorities in the county and replace them with a single-tier system by March 21.

Cllr Richard Rout, the county council's lead for devolution and local government reform, has revealed SCC's preferred position to be a single authority to represent the whole of Suffolk.

He said: “If the government is serious about delivering savings, efficiencies, better outcomes for residents and financially sustainable local government, then there is only one answer — one council for Suffolk.

“One council for Suffolk will provide clear leadership, simplify access to services and eliminate the confusion of navigating multiple councils.

"Carving the county in two or three – as has been suggested - would defeat the purpose.”

The announcement comes nearly two weeks after councillors in Ipswich voted to propose creating a Greater Ipswich unitary authority.

Other district authorities have not made their own proposals.

Cllr Rout said a single unitary authority was the only way to meet the Government's criteria of serving more than 500,000 people.

According to the Government's white paper, however, exceptions could be made where they made practical sense.

Cllr Rout said a single authority would allow more money to be invested into frontline public services, deliver greater accountability and speed up decision-making.

He added: "There is a huge opportunity in pulling together services currently separated across the district, borough and county councils – such as housing and social care."

Creating a single unitary would mean all services including waste, housing, planning, and highway maintenance would be provided by the same authority — currently, these are handled by different tiers of Government, sometimes causing confusion.

But opposition leader, Cllr Andrew Stringer, questioned the savings and warned a single unitary council could take decision-making further away from local communities due to decisions for the whole county being made centrally.

He said: "We are in favour of devolution as a principle that genuinely empowers and brings decision-making closer to local communities, but this is not what is being proposed to date.

"Suffolk is a county with areas of different character and need, and what is best for Ipswich may not be best for rural Mid Suffolk, or the coastal communities of East Suffolk.

"We will fight for keeping the ‘local’ in local democracy every step of the way.”

According to the Government schedule, once the initial proposals are made next month, a more detailed business case must follow later in the year.

On the district's side, a joint statement read: "Our county is diverse and what’s good for Ipswich or Bury St Edmunds may not be good for Newmarket or Lowestoft. Coastal, rural and urban communities all have different challenges — we are focusing on the needs of our communities and on proposals which will best serve our residents now and in the future.

"It is absolutely vital that new council structures make sense for our local communities and economies.

"They must benefit local residents, preserve or strengthen real local democratic accountability, and ensure a close link between communities and the councils which serve them."

The Government's devolution plans include the election of a mayor for Suffolk and Norfolk in May 2026 — the mayor would have special responsibilities in transport infrastructure, health improvement, and economic development.