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# Ipswich set to get new town council to keep civic identity
- URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/ipswich-set-to-get-new-town-council-to-keep-civic-identity/
- Published: 2026-07-09T08:10:02.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-09T09:23:42.000Z
- Description: Ipswich Borough Council will vote on 15 July to create a new Ipswich parish/town council, keeping a mayor and local representation as the town moves towards a unitary authority.
- Author: Nicola Sebastian
- Tags: News, Ipswich Borough Council, Devolution & Local Government Reform

**Why it matters:** Amid local government reorganisation, the move would secure Ipswich's civic status, giving it the same level of very local representation as towns such as Felixstowe and Hadleigh.

**The details:** The new council would hold elections for 17 councillors in May 2027\. The mayoralty and civic regalia would then transfer to the new body on 1 April 2028, to coincide with the start of the Ipswich and south Suffolk unitary council.

The regalia includes:

- The mayor's chain of office, dating from 1871
- The town's maces, gifted to Ipswich in 1665 by King Charles II
- The borough's ancient seals
- The water bailiff's ceremonial oar
- A ceremonial sword commissioned for Queen Victoria's golden jubilee in 1887

**The big picture:** Ipswich is England's longest continuously settled Anglo-Saxon town, with a charter dating back to 1200\. The new council and the Ipswich and south Suffolk council may in time agree that the town council should operate some services in the town.

**For context:** The Government announced on 25 March 2026 that Suffolk's existing county, district and borough councils would be replaced by three new unitary authorities: Western Suffolk Council, Central and Eastern Suffolk Council, and Ipswich and South Suffolk Council. Suffolk County Council has since filed a judicial review claim challenging the lawfulness of that decision, though elections for the new unitary authorities remain planned for May 2027.

[Suffolk is taking the Government to court over LGR, but can it win its £500k taxpayer-funded battle?Suffolk County Council has filed a judicial review claim against the Secretary of State over local government reorganisation. The legal arguments are now known, but the threshold is high, and even a successful outcome may not deliver what the council is seeking. We explain all.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/icon/ipswich-icon-d2f803e2-6f2e-4f5c-9ab3-e8d3077046c0.png)Ipswich.co.ukOliver Rouane-Williams![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/thumbnail/Hero-Image--35--4761d813-a9fa-4405-b564-42d7ea325427.png)](https://www.ipswich.co.uk/suffolk-is-taking-the-government-to-court-over-lgr-but-can-it-win-its-500k-taxpayer-funded-battle/)

**The bottom line:** The vote on 15 July marks a key step in preserving Ipswich's mayor and civic traditions as the town prepares for a new unitary authority.

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