Why it matters: Hicks' appointment as Chair of the County Councils Network (CCN) gives Suffolk County Council a more powerful voice at the heart of national local government debates, as the Government pushes forward with its "devolution revolution" that will reshape councils across England.
The big picture: The timing is significant for Suffolk, where a heated battle is underway over the county's future structure. Suffolk County Council is advocating for a single unitary authority covering the entire county, while the district and borough councils are proposing three smaller unitary councils with populations of around 300,000 each.
That number is also significant, as updated CCN research indicates £1.8bn savings could be achieved if the government created 29 authorities with populations exceeding 500,000 – supporting Suffolk County Council's vision for a single county-wide authority – but could cost £850m over five years with no savings if the Government was to create 58 new unitary councils with populations as low as 300,000.
The details: Hicks was appointed following CCN's annual general meeting, where the Conservative group retained the chair position after maintaining the largest relative majority. He replaces Cllr Tim Oliver OBE, who stepped down after a four-year term.
The network represents 37 councils across England - 20 county councils and 17 unitary authorities - collectively serving 25 million people, or 47% of the country's population.
What they're saying: "All of local government faces enormous challenges and with a new ministerial team in place at MHCLG, there has never been a more important time for a strong national organisation representing the unique interests of county and rural unitary authorities," Hicks said following his appointment.
"From local government finance, to devolution, adult social care to special educational needs, I and my fellow leadership team will ensure the network continue to lead the agenda on the biggest issues facing our member councils."
The bigger picture: The appointment comes as Reform UK forms a political group at CCN for the first time, with Cllr Sean Matthews appointed as Group Leader and CCN Vice Chair. The network's political balance following May's local elections shows Conservatives with 32.5%, Reform UK with 26.0%, Liberal Democrats with 21.4%, Independents with 12.9%, and Labour with 7.2%.
What's next: Hicks will lead CCN as the Government progresses its devolution agenda. The network will also tackle major issues, including local government finance reform and the ongoing adult social care crisis.
The bottom line: Suffolk's council leader now has a national platform to influence local government policy at a crucial time for the county's future, potentially giving the single unitary proposal greater weight in Westminster discussions about devolution and local government reform.
