Suffolk leaders react to reported Labour Government’s plans for devolution and possible scrapping of district councils

Leaders across Suffolk have reacted to reports of new Government plans for devolution in the county which could scrap local councils.

Yesterday evening, The Times reported Government sources had said Suffolk district councils would be among dozens to be abolished and merged into new unitary authorities in what would be the biggest reform in 50 years.

Addressing this, the county council’s leader, Matthew Hicks, said the authority had been briefed ahead of the announcements but stressed the need for further engagement.

He said: “Suffolk County Council has met with the government to understand what any new possible devolution options might be.

“At that meeting, the minister outlined the government’s desire for devolution accompanied by local government reorganisation — nothing has been agreed and these discussions are ongoing.

“We welcome further engagement and look forward to learning more in the Devolution White Paper.”

White papers are policy documents put together by the Government setting out proposals for future legislation, with devolution plans expected to be published in the coming weeks.

As it stands, Suffolk is among 21 other county councils in England, meaning it has powers over such things as transport and social care, while district councils, the next tier below, handle waste collection and most planning applications.

A unitary authority would bring all of these powers under one single authority.

A spokesperson speaking on behalf of Suffolk’s five district and borough councils said the authorities had not been made aware of any changes and stressed suggestions of the current structure being abolished were ‘only speculation’.

They added: “The system of two-tier local government has served Suffolk residents well and has reduced demand for more costly services in the wider public sector.

“Districts and boroughs are close to their communities, understand their needs and respond swiftly – continuously improving residents’ quality of life, especially for vulnerable citizens.”

Ministers are understood to believe two-tier local government structures are inefficient and blockers to growth.

In 2020, a report commissioned by the County Councils Network concluded merging every two-tier structure would save nearly £3 billion taxpayer money over five years.

“If a single-tier local government model were to be pursued then we want to ensure that whatever unitary arrangements are introduced have the interests of our communities and residents at their heart,” the councils’ spokesperson said.

” Local authorities must be close to their communities and focused on delivery — bigger is not always better or necessarily more efficient for local services.”

Local councils also promised to assess the details of the white paper once it’s published and make sure its implications to residents were understood.

The spokesperson added: “There is a positive case for the right type of reform that preserves and deepens the representation of and focus on places, local residents and communities.

“However, any reorganisation needs to keep local government genuinely local with a focus on services delivered as close to residents as practically possible. It must maximise the benefits for residents of Suffolk with real local democratic accountability at the forefront.”