Suffolk County Council leaders kick off devolution debates

An authority won't be 'trading communities like Pokémon cards', a councillor has said as leaders kicked off devolution debates.

County councillors held the first of several debates on how to approach devolution yesterday afternoon ahead of district and borough authority meetings next week.

The Conservative administration has made no secret of wanting to set up a single unitary authority to cover the entirety of Suffolk once county, district, and borough councils cease to exist.

Cllr Richard Rout, the lead for devolution and local government reorganisation, said a single authority is the only way to place Suffolk in the 'best possible footing' for the next 50 years.

He said: “It’s incumbent on us to promote the form of local government that delivers to our residents the best possible services and the best possible value for money.

“But this isn’t just about money, this isn’t a cold and distant decision — this is a decision about the places we call home.”

Though data is yet to be released, the council says a single unitary would deliver just over £100 million in savings over the first five years.

By contrast, two unitaries would deliver £11 million in savings while three unitaries would not deliver any savings and cost £51 million to run.

Those arguing against the single unitary, on the other hand, said either the two or three-authority solution would still deliver financial benefits — data has also yet to be revealed.

Cllr Andrew Stringer, opposition leader, said the debate was too premature as little detail on the full business case was available.

According to the Government's own timeline, councils are only required to submit an interim plan by next Friday before they put together a detailed plan to be submitted in September.

Outside the finances, councillors have been split on how well different options would end up representing residents.

While the county council says decision-making would stay local, others argue a single authority would be 'too big and too remote'.

Cllr Sam Murray, who voted alongside Ipswich councillors across all parties last month to back the creation of a Greater Ipswich authority, said the town had important connections to its surrounding area.

She said: “A single, mega council, does not reflect community and will make it impossible to protect local knowledge.

“We live, work and socialise across these boundaries daily, forming a community that thrives together — this natural connectivity is why it makes sense for our region to be linked under a Greater Ipswich unitary.”

Cllr Rout criticised the idea of a Greater Ipswich, stating the town needed to be 'freed from the shackles' of the current Labour administration and said multiple unitaries would result in broken up communities.

He said: "We won't be trading communities like Pokémon cards to gerrymander Suffolk and preserve our own empire — the only identity we want to preserve is that of Suffolk."

Councillors agreed to support a single unitary authority as the preferred option with 41 votes for, 15 against and one abstention.