> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Suffolk and Norfolk to form mayoral authority following devolution vote - URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/suffolk-and-norfolk-to-form-mayoral-authority-following-devolution-vote/ - Published: 2026-11-10T17:54:30.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-10T17:54:30.000Z - Description: Suffolk County Council's cabinet voted unanimously on Tuesday, 10 November, to consent to the creation of an East Anglia Mayoral Strategic Authority, clearing the way for the Government to lay the regulations before Parliament. - Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams - Tags: News, Suffolk County Council, Devolution & Local Government Reform **Why it matters:** The authority will oversee transport, skills, housing, public safety and economic development across Norfolk and Suffolk. Renewed consent was needed following changes to legislation and the Government's mayoral election timetable, and it clears the way for the Government to lay the regulations before Parliament. **The details:** Cabinet voted unanimously on Tuesday to: - Consent to the Norfolk and Suffolk Combined County Authority Regulations being made, so Suffolk becomes a constituent council of the authority - Delegate approval of any final technical amendments to the regulations – and all remaining steps needed to establish the authority – to the council's chief executives, in consultation with the leader and monitoring officer - Appoint the leader and the relevant cabinet member as Suffolk's constituent members of the authority Cllr Tristan Gale, cabinet member for planning, devolution and the fire service, introduced the report, telling cabinet: "Today, we are being asked to consider a decision of real significance for Suffolk." Mark Ash, joint chief executive, said the deal was "quite similar" to the previous devolution proposal, but that legislation had since changed to set out different powers and duties for the mayor, including greater prospects of financial devolution such as retained business rates and income tax. Our sources from within the Reform UK group indicated that Cllr June Mummery, cabinet member for coastal affairs, communities and public health, was considering voting against the proposal. And made copious notes during Cllr Gale's speech. In the end, she did not speak in the debate and was not invited to do so by the chairman, Cllr Michael Hadwen. The paper passed unanimously. Norfolk County Council has also renewed its consent to the proposals. **What they're saying:** Cllr Michael Hadwen, leader of Suffolk County Council, said: "Today we have given devolution the green light – and in doing so have reaffirmed our commitment to giving people in Suffolk a stronger voice in the decisions that affect their everyday lives." He added: "Cabinet's decision today gives us the opportunity to turbo-charge economic growth and improve transport and infrastructure in our region. We will continue to work closely with our neighbours in Norfolk, as well as central Government, as we move towards establishing this Mayoral Strategic Authority for our region." Cllr Gale said: "This is an important step towards bringing more powers and investment to the people and businesses of Suffolk. By renewing our consent, we are securing a devolution deal that will unlock over £1 billion of investment for our region. "Devolution will give us greater influence over decisions on transport, skills, housing, public safety and economic growth, ensuring they are shaped by local priorities rather than determined nationally." Cllr Vicky Armstrong, cabinet member for finance, economic development and efficiency, said the authority would bring £37.4m of investment funding every year for 30 years. "Devolution is not a solution to every challenge we face, but it is a significant opportunity to secure greater investment, strengthen our economy, and give Suffolk a stronger voice in shaping its future," she said. Cllr Patti Mulcahy, the new cabinet member for transport and highways, rejected suggestions that the deal amounted to a "power grab" from local councils. "It's nothing of the sort," she said, adding that the county and district councils would continue running day-to-day services including council housing, social services, waste collection, street cleaning and council tax collection. Cllr Morgan Brobyn, cabinet member for food, waste and rural affairs, said the deal could help secure potentially more than £1.1bn of investment over 30 years, but cautioned the authority "must not become another expensive layer of bureaucracy". Suffolk Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the decision. Paul Simon, the Chamber's head of public affairs and strategic communications, said: "This is great news. Suffolk County Council's administration has absolutely made the right decision in backing the Government's devolution deal... Suffolk Chamber has backed the principle of devolution and, on behalf of the county's whole business community, has strongly advocated for this deal." **The other side:** Not every question raised in the meeting went unchallenged. Cllr Alistair Jeffreys warned that devolved planning powers could see new housing concentrated in existing communities, citing a 2,000-home development at Brightwell Lakes and a further 1,200-home application submitted on neighbouring farmland containing prehistoric burial mounds, Anglo-Saxon remains and traces of a Second World War airfield. Cllr Gale said the authority would have oversight of planning and could "call in" applications, helping to safeguard areas from "being overdeveloped without infrastructure". Cllr Martin Cook questioned what exactly Cabinet was consenting to, noting that neither the regulations nor a separate agreement between Suffolk and Norfolk signed off the previous day had been published. He was told the agreement was not part of the day's consent, which covered only the statutory instrument, and that the Suffolk-Norfolk agreement was largely guidance for how the authority's constitution would be written. Cllr Lindsay pointed out that only four voting members are proposed for the authority – two each from Suffolk and Norfolk county councils, both under Reform UK control – despite two-thirds of people who voted in May backing other parties. Cllr Gale said voting patterns in the two counties were "completely irrelevant" to a mayoral election, since every party would field a candidate. "We are here about Suffolk. We're not here about ourselves," he said. Suffolk's official opposition, the Green group, criticised the deal after the meeting. Group leader Cllr Andrew Stringer said: "The deal does not include devolving down any powers from central government. Local transport, economic development, skills, public health and protection and the environment are all powers that have been taken from local councils, so this means that rather than devolving power closer to local communities, it will be taking them further away, to a mayoral authority which covers two counties." **What's next:** The Government can now lay the regulations before Parliament. The first mayoral election is scheduled for May 2028. **The bottom line:** Suffolk's cabinet was united behind renewing its devolution consent, but questions remain – from within cabinet and from the opposition benches – over how much genuine power it hands to local communities, and how smaller parties and district councils will be represented once the new authority is up and running. --- **Don't forget:** If you enjoy our content, please [add Ipswich.co.uk as a "preferred source" on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=ipswich.co.uk&ref=ipswich.co.uk) so you can easily find more of the content you value. [Add as a preferred source on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=ipswich.co.uk&ref=ipswich.co.uk) --- ### This article cost us \~£54 to produce It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners. Please support us by supporting them.