Suffolk County Council to set aside £1.9m war chest to push single authority proposal

Why it matters: The county council says the funding will help deliver plans for what is the biggest local government shake-up in 50 years, potentially replacing six local authorities with one new council in an attempt to cut costs and improve services for residents across Suffolk.

The big picture: Following the Government's decision to place Suffolk on its Devolution Priority Programme, the council must submit full business case proposals for ministerial decision by 26 September 2025.

The £1.9 million would come from a council-wide underspend in 2024/25 and build upon £290,000 of government capacity funding announced last week.

What Suffolk County Council says: The council says that early analysis by PwC suggests establishing a single new local council could cost around £19 million but deliver quick savings through reduced duplication.

By contrast, it says, splitting Suffolk into two councils would cost £7 million to £13 million more, while creating three new councils would cost even more and never repay the investment through savings.

Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for devolution, local government reform and NSIPs, said: "Modernising Suffolk's 50-year-old council structure is a significant piece of work which will require a large investment of time and money to achieve the even larger savings and improvements that are on offer."

He added: "We're very clear that a new single local council is the smartest, simplest, and best option for the whole of Suffolk which will deliver the biggest savings and most sustainable service improvements."

The other side: Councillor Neil MacDonald, Leader of Ipswich Borough Council, disputed the county council's analysis, saying: "Residents are telling us that being local, value for money and quality is what's important, and not a mega-council."

He said the county council "continues to promote the County Councils Network figures without understanding the detail of the three unitary proposal being developed".

MacDonald argued three councils would offer "locally responsive governance" that could be "tailored to the distinct needs of rural, urban, agricultural, and coastal communities", adding: "One-size-fits-all governance cannot match this level of local focus."

Ipswich Borough Council has "cross party unanimous support for an Ipswich and South East Suffolk Council, delivering all council services and delivering better outcomes for everyone", he said.

What's next: The council's Cabinet will consider the budget report at a meeting on 17 June. Meanwhile, a new survey giving residents the opportunity to shape the future of councils and public services in Suffolk has launched.

The survey asks questions about local democracy, decision-making and council reorganisation specifics. It takes about 10 minutes to complete and can be done online at www.suffolk.gov.uk/devolution, by emailing devolution@suffolk.gov.uk, calling 0345 603 1842, or at any of Suffolk's 45 libraries.

Councillor Rout said: "A key part of this work is finding out what people think about the state of local government in Suffolk – and what their hopes are for the future. After all, it's their council tax and services so what they think is vitally important."

We also encourage readers to complete Ipswich Borough Council's cross-party survey as both councils will likely use responses to support their own agendas.

The bottom line: Suffolk County Council believes one new council is the only financially viable option, while Ipswich Borough Council favours three councils for better local representation. Both want residents' input through their respective surveys.