Why it matters: Councillor David Nettleton is the only politician advocating for a two-unitary solution as Suffolk's major council shake-up inches closer, with no official proposal backing his plan despite government ministers having the power to choose it.
The big picture: Suffolk's six county, district and borough councils will cease to exist by May 2028 and be replaced by unitary authorities with more powers.
The county council wants a single authority covering the entire county, while the districts and borough councils are backing three authorities.
However, Cllr Nettleton, who represents Bury St Edmunds at the county council, believes both sides are playing politics instead of looking out for residents.
"There's a lot of politics in this — I think we should be looking at the interests of residents of Suffolk as a whole," he said. "Somebody should be allowed to put forward the two-unitary option, I am willing to do so — the Secretary of State should be able to choose from all three options, not just two."
The details: Under his proposal, the county would be split into a western side, made up of West Suffolk, Mid Suffolk and Babergh, and an eastern side, comprising Ipswich and East Suffolk. According to Suffolk Observatory population data, this would mean each authority would have around 390,000 residents.
A key advantage is that boundaries would not need to be redrawn, avoiding a major point of contention between the current proposals.
What's next: Councils are due to present their final business cases to the Government by 26 September, but there is no official proposal for a two-unitary solution from any of Suffolk's existing local authorities. This does not mean Suffolk could not see two unitaries set up, as the final choice will be down to the Government, but it's highly unlikely.
A Government consultation will be held after official proposals are submitted, expected to end in early 2026, ahead of a final decision later that year. Elections for a 'shadow council' will take place in May 2027, which will exist underneath the current structure until May 2028, when it will take over.
For context: The debate has largely centred around the need for local representation versus the potential savings of a single authority.
Independent analysis commissioned by the district councils projected their three-council model could unlock £34 million in annual savings whilst allowing reinvestment of £20 million yearly back into vital services.
However, independent analysis commissioned by Suffolk County Council projected that a single unitary authority could realise net savings of £104 million over five years.
The bottom line: Cllr Nettleton believes all options should have a "level playing field" on the Government's table, arguing that a two-unitary solution would strike the balance just right between local representation and cost savings whilst avoiding the political battle that he says is getting in the way of residents' needs.
