Why it matters: The 'Case for Change to Three Councils for Suffolk' plan sets out the district and borough councils' alternative to Suffolk County Council's One Suffolk proposal, with both competing plans to be submitted to Government by 26 September.
Whichever plan Westminster chooses, it will result in the biggest shakeup to local democracy in our county for decades.
The big picture: The proposal creates three new council areas – Central and Eastern Suffolk, Western Suffolk, and Ipswich and Southern Suffolk – that would be "big enough to deliver, local enough to care," according to district and borough leaders.
The details: The restructure would see Suffolk's current six councils replaced by three unitary authorities that take on all responsibilities currently held by county, district, and borough councils.
The councils claim key benefits include:
Financial savings – The new councils would pay for themselves within five years, while delivering £34 million in annual savings and allowing £20 million reinvestment in services. However, this is disputed by Suffolk County Council, which says three unitaries will cost more, not save, money.
Equalised council tax – The councils' modelling shows council tax can be equalised within each new area within one year, with no household seeing greater increases than under the current system by 2028/29. We will conduct further analysis and compare it to the One Suffolk proposal later this week.
Better representation – Each councillor would represent approximately 4,000 residents, compared to 8,000 under a single county-wide authority, with each new council comprising between 60 and 66 councillors.
Improved social care – The councils say an agile, locally-driven approach, emphasising prevention and early intervention, could unlock opportunities worth £67.5 million per year.
Joint working – The councils say the new authorities would continue to work together across Suffolk, where there is commonality of service, through shared service arrangements for additional efficiency.
Local focus – The proposal recognises that Suffolk is a diverse county with very different needs, geography and history, with three unitaries providing a clearer opportunity to prioritise local needs than a single remote authority.
Supporting the community sector – The councils say they will enable the voluntary and community sector to thrive through better engagement and fairer funding.
Town and parish councils – The proposal aims to strengthen the voice of parish and town councils, ensuring they are fully engaged in decision-making and empowered to support residents more effectively.
What they're saying: In a joint statement, Suffolk's district and borough leaders said: "The people of Suffolk have made it clear: they want their council and councillors to be rooted in their communities, local, responsive, and focused on delivering value for money. Our Case for Change to Three Councils for Suffolk sets out a vision for three local unitary councils, delivering exactly that."
They added: "These new councils would take on all responsibilities currently held by county, district, and borough councils, simplifying governance and ensuring services are delivered by a single, accountable body in each area."
The other side: Suffolk County Council has responded critically to the district and borough councils' proposal. Councillor Richard Rout, the county council's cabinet member responsible for local government reform, said: "I can't quite believe we've waited this long for the district and borough councils to publish their business case, only for Suffolk residents to be given over 170 pages of unsubstantiated bluster.
"The financial analysis is based on over-promised saving ambitions in reorganisation business cases from elsewhere in the country - which subsequently proved to be undeliverable. In contrast, we have taken a far more conservative approach – taking the lessons from elsewhere to give a realistic assessment of what can be achieved.
"Bafflingly, they propose six different models of delivering social care, most of which fundamentally result in a single service provider as would be the case under a One Suffolk model. At least they recognise the risks that splitting up social care can bring to such critical public services.
"Overall, their business case lacks robust - and importantly - local evidence. Residents will be sadly disappointed and will quickly see through it."
What's next: The district and borough councils say their proposal meets the Government's criteria that unitaries must have a "clear rationale", be "sensible economic areas", and have "sensible geographies." The councils will now debate and finalise the proposal, and submit it by the Government's deadline of 26 September.
The bottom line: Following extensive public consultation and planning, Suffolk's district and borough councils have published their vision for three unitary authorities, promising significant savings while keeping decision-making close to communities.
