One new council is the best option for Suffolk
Suffolk County Council’s cabinet has approved an interim plan for local government reorganisation in Suffolk which will be submitted to ministers. A full business case will be submitted in September 2025, following extensive engagement with residents, town and parish councils, businesses and local organisations.
The key benefits of one council are:
Simpler for residents – one council would make it easier to understand and contact local government
Clearer accountability – there would be less confusion over who is responsible for what
Better use of funding – a more coherent, strategic, financially sustainable, county-wide approach to budgeting
Safer services - less risk of breaking up critical services like social care and better alignment with other agencies like health and the police
Better alignment of services – since everything is under one roof, services can be more easily coordinated, creating opportunities to improve services for residents
More efficient decision-making – with just one council, decisions can be made more quickly
Connected to and empowering residents - providing both the most straightforward and accountable democratic leadership with enhanced neighbourhood and community engagement
Stronger leadership – a single, visible and accountable body providing a clear strategic voice for Suffolk.
Analysis carried out nationally by the County Council Network has demonstrated that a single unitary council for Suffolk would have a recurring financial benefit of almost £26 million a year – with the net benefit after 5 years being over £103 million. Local analysis of data suggests that the national figures are reasonable.