Three New Unitary Councils Confirmed for Suffolk

I am pleased that the Government has today announced that Suffolk County Council and our county’s five district councils will be replaced by three new unitary councils.

Residents are often confused about who is responsible for an issue they might have. District councils are responsible for off-street parking and county councils are responsible for on-street parking. One authority picks up your bins and another disposes of them.

It is therefore right that the Government’s Local Government Reorganisation programme ends the confusion and inefficiencies of the current two-tier system.

The proposal for three new unitary councils was supported by all five of Suffolk’s district councils and backed by strong support from residents through the consultation.

Ending the current confusing system will allow for quicker decisions, less waste, and taxpayers’ money will be saved so it can be reinvested in services that matter to local people. The three council proposal is estimated to save £106 million over five years. Across the four areas of the country that the Government have announced changes for today, 80 senior roles and 800 councillors will be cut, saving millions of pounds per year.

The three new councils are:

• Central and Eastern Suffolk Council (which we will be in)

• Western Suffolk Council

• Ipswich and South Suffolk Council

These three councils will work in partnership with Norfolk along with a directly-elected Mayor for our two counties. Police and Crime Commissioners, as previously announced, will be abolished and replaced by the Mayor.

As part of reorganising these new areas, Suffolk will receive £2.7 million from the Government to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.