Why it matters: According to the county council, the failed funding proposal means that communities across Suffolk will not receive dedicated support to navigate the complex planning processes for around 20 nationally significant infrastructure projects that have been proposed, submitted, or approved in the county.
The details: On Friday, 19 September, Suffolk's six council leaders met with the police and crime commissioner to consider collectively investing £80,000 in a programme supporting parish councils dealing with nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs). The funding would have boosted £30,000 already committed by the Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC).
Suffolk County Council says the programme aimed to provide technical expertise, help communities understand processes and deadlines, and connect parishes with experts willing to do pro bono work.
The county council states NSIPs are detailed and complex projects, often beyond the capability and capacity of residents and parish councils to engage with effectively.
Investment decisions require unanimous support. While the county council says all other councils and the PCC supported the proposal, Ipswich Borough Council leader Councillor Neil MacDonald opposed it, causing the proposal to be rejected.
What they're saying: Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for devolution, local government reform and NSIPs, said: "If this isn't a perfect demonstration of the need to scrap all of Suffolk's councils and have one organisation that supports the whole of the county, I don't know what is.
"This is exactly the kind of narrow-minded, selfish approach that will hold Suffolk back if we end up with three councils not doing what is right for our county."
He described Ipswich's position as "embarrassing and shortsighted" and said he expected district councils to be "angry about the borough's approach".
The other side: Councillor Neil MacDonald, Leader of Ipswich Borough Council, responded: "Yet again, Suffolk County Council are unnecessarily politicising an SPSL (Suffolk Public Sector Leaders) decision about an unsolicited application for a post focused on NSIP (National Strategic Infrastructure Project). This is nothing to do with Local Government Reorganisation - it is part of an increasingly shrill and desperate attack on the Three Unitaries proposal, which we all know has widespread support.
"The proposal was for supporting Parish and Town Councils in dealing with NSIPs. There are none in Ipswich."
For context: The dispute comes amid ongoing disagreement over local government reorganisation in Suffolk. The county council supports a single unitary authority model, while Ipswich Borough Council supports a three-council approach.
What's next: MacDonald said the Suffolk Public Sector Leaders meeting agreed to work on alternative funding arrangements, with the chair requesting officers "to have a look and see where we go".
The bottom line: A programme designed to help Suffolk communities navigate major infrastructure projects has been blocked due to disagreement between councils, with the funding dispute becoming entangled in wider debates over local government reorganisation.
