Extraordinary meeting set for Suffolk Council to debate devolution
It's to decide whether or not to put Suffolk forward for the government’s new devolution and reorganisation programme
Last updated 31st Dec 2024
Suffolk County Council has set a date for an extraordinary meeting of councillors, and a Cabinet meeting, to debate whether or not to put Suffolk forward for the government’s new devolution and reorganisation programme.
The government has required that formal notice be given if Suffolk wishes to be part of the Devolution Priority Programme by 10 January 2025.
All 75 councillors will be meeting and debate a proposal to recommend Suffolk on 9 January 2025.
This will be followed by a Cabinet meeting, where a final decision will be made.
Councillor Matthew Hicks, leader of Suffolk County Council, said: “Changes of this scale create an opportunity to streamline local government, empower joined-up decision making, save taxpayers money and ensure councils are resistant to economic challenges.
“I welcome the positive engagement of Suffolk’s district and borough councils. This is a significant decision and one that will not be taken lightly.”
On 16 December, the Government published its English Devolution White Paper, outlining plans for broader and deeper devolution coupled with a programme of coordinated local government reorganisation.
Key to the proposals is a reorganisation of council structures, particularly in two-tier areas like Suffolk, with a shift away from district, borough and county councils towards unitary councils.
It is believed unitary councils could deliver better outcomes for residents and save money that can be reinvested in public services, which has led to this Government push for change.
For most areas, the government says that this means creating councils serving populations of 500,000 or more, with exceptions where they make practical sense.
Alongside reorganisation, the government is also proposing to create new Mayoral Authorities – with a single directly elected Mayor covering larger geographies (for example Norfolk and Suffolk) and with powers over strategic policy areas like transport infrastructure, health improvement and blue light services.
At this stage, no decisions have been made about what will happen in Suffolk.
Where and when will the meeting take place?
Both meetings will be held consecutively from 2pm in the King Edmund Chamber at Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, IP1 2BX.
The meetings will also be live streamed on the council’s YouTube channel, if you wish to follow them: https://www.youtube.com/user/SuffolkCC
Papers for the meetings can be viewed at https://committeeminutes.suffolk.gov.uk