Why it matters: The £1.12bn funding commitment represents a substantial long-term investment in regional infrastructure and services, with the annual £37.4m allocation providing resources for transport, skills, planning and public safety initiatives.
The details: Suffolk county councillors will meet on Thursday, 2 October, to give the Government consent to establish a Norfolk and Suffolk Combined County Authority (NSCCA) with an elected mayor to represent it. The decision follows the county council's January commitment to participate in the government's Devolution Priority Programme, fast-tracking the process.
Council papers revealed the new mayor will be given £37.4m per year by the government over 30 years, with the money allowing the mayor to exercise new devolved powers over transport, skills, strategic planning and public safety.
What they're saying: Cllr Matthew Hicks, the county council's leader, said: "The confirmation of this annual investment fund is a major milestone and a clear vote of confidence in our region's ambition and potential. Suffolk put itself forward for the government's [DPP] because we believe in the power of local decision-making and the opportunities that come with greater autonomy."
He added: "This promise of long-term funding is a direct result of that ambition and gives local leaders the certainty to plan and deliver what matters most to our residents, from better jobs and skills to improved infrastructure and connectivity."
What's next: Long-awaited works to the Ely and Haughley railway junctions have been tipped as potential ways in which the new mayor could spend their money, but all councils have remained tight-lipped about a potential Ipswich northern bypass. Additional funding will be available through the mayor's council tax precept, other devolved government funding, and outside sources such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Thursday's vote would give consent to the government to lay a statutory instrument, effectively allowing the combined authority to be set up under delegated powers by the minister. The new mayor is set to be elected in May 2026.
The bigger picture: The new combined authority will have four members from Norfolk and Suffolk county councils – for as long as they exist – with a further four appointed. So far, two candidates for the new mayor role have been announced: Tim Passmore (Conservative), currently Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner, and Cllr Caroline Topping (Green), East Suffolk Council's leader. Candidates for Labour, Liberal Democrats and Reform, as well as any independents, have not yet been announced.
The bottom line: The proposal would provide Suffolk and Norfolk with £1.12bn over three decades to fund transport, skills, planning and public safety initiatives under a newly elected mayor's direction.
