> ## 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 expected to back devolution – but is there a get-out? - URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/suffolk-expected-to-back-devolution-but-is-there-a-get-out/ - Published: 2026-11-04T06:57:52.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-04T06:57:52.000Z - Description: Suffolk County Council's cabinet is being asked to renew its consent to a Norfolk and Suffolk mayoral authority and to hand the final steps to senior officers. But could it later withdraw consent, and could the administration be considering other options? - Author: Jon Moran - Tags: News, Devolution & Local Government Reform, Suffolk County Council **Why it matters:** The decision would make Suffolk County Council a constituent member of a new Mayoral Strategic Authority covering both counties. The authority would have a directly elected mayor, new powers over transport, skills and planning, and an investment fund worth £1.1bn over 32 years. The council's report says the decision will affect "all communities, businesses and councillors in Suffolk". And it will. **The details:** On Thursday, 12 November, cabinet will be asked to: - Consent to the government laying regulations before Parliament to create the Norfolk and Suffolk Combined County Authority, with Suffolk as one of its two constituent councils. - Delegate to the chief executives, in consultation with the council leader and the monitoring officer, the power to approve "any final technical amendments" and to "take all decisions and all steps necessary to finalise the establishment" of the authority, "including giving any further consent required". - Appoint the leader and the relevant cabinet member as Suffolk's two members of the new authority. **But could Suffolk still change its mind?** A potentially significant legal question surrounds Suffolk County Council's consent to devolution. Section 46 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, as amended by the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, allows the Government to establish a combined county authority through regulations implementing a proposal the constituent councils have consented to in principle. The legislation does not expressly state that such consent becomes irrevocable immediately after a Cabinet vote. This raises the possibility that Suffolk's Cabinet could reconsider its decision and seek to withdraw consent before the statutory instrument is laid before Parliament. However, whether that withdrawal would legally prevent the Government proceeding remains unclear. The report is clear that Cabinet can say no. It does not say whether consent, once given, could be withdrawn before the authority is legally created, or at what point it would become final. And it does not set out any step that would bring the decision back to councillors once the final steps have been delegated to officers. **For context:** This is the second time cabinet has been asked to consent. It first agreed on 2 October 2025, but in December 2025 the government confirmed the first mayoral election would be held in May 2028 rather than May 2026\. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 then changed the legal framework, meaning the new body would be known as a Mayoral Strategic Authority. The report states: "Since these changes are material, there is the need to make a new decision to consent to these regulations." **What councillors have seen:** Councillors have been given a summary of the draft regulations rather than the full legal text. The government asked that the draft be shared "only with those requiring access in order to advise Members", and it will not become public until it is laid before Parliament. **What's on offer:** The report makes a strong case for the deal, stating: "Devolution will empower Suffolk to better shape its own future – unlocking the potential of local leadership, economies and communities." - The authority would receive a £37.4m-a-year investment fund for 30 years, split equally between capital and revenue. It would get £14.96m a year in 2026/27 and 2027/28, 40% of the full amount, before a mayor is elected. - A mayor would prepare a local transport plan and a spatial development strategy for both counties, and could call in planning applications of strategic importance or direct councils to refuse them. - Adult skills funding, worth more than £20m across Suffolk and Norfolk in 2026/27, is expected to be devolved from August 2027. The regulations are expected to include a "fail-safe" under which Suffolk and Norfolk county councils would meet the authority's reasonable costs where these cannot be covered by their own resources. Costs would be split by population unless the councils agree otherwise. The report says "the risk is minimal as the MSA has a duty to set a balanced budget that requires agreement of its constituent members". However, amending or vetoing a mayor's budget is expected to require a three-quarters majority of members present and voting. **If consent is given:** The government will lay the regulations before Parliament, and the authority will be established once they are passed. The first mayoral election is currently expected in May 2028\. However, it could be brought forward to May 2027 after the government withdrew its local government reorganisation outcome for Norfolk and Suffolk and confirmed that district council elections will go ahead in May 2027\. "At the time of writing, no change has been announced," it adds. **If consent is not given:** Suffolk could seek Foundation Strategic Authority status instead. The report says this would mean no mayor, no mayoral capacity funding and no long-term investment fund. **The bottom line:** Cabinet's vote is Suffolk's clearest chance to reject the deal, but the report does not say whether a yes could be reversed before the new authority comes into being. Ipswich.co.uk has asked Suffolk County Council to confirm whether a subsequent Cabinet could rescind its earlier decision and, crucially, whether doing so would stop the statutory process. It has not responded. --- **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. 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