Local Government Devolution - Suffolk Update

Suffolk's 50-year-old two-tier council structure is set to change with the government proposing to abolish county, borough and district councils and replace them with a new unitary council arrangement and a directly elected mayor.

Under the proposals, all six of Suffolk's district, borough and county councils would be disbanded and just one authority would provide all councils services in an area. The government argues that unitary councils can deliver better outcomes for residents and save money that can be reinvested into public services.

Today in parliament, Angela Rayner MP, the deputy prime minister and secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, announced that Suffolk is one of only a handful of areas on the government's new fast-track Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) which would also see the election of a mayor (covering Suffolk and Norfolk) in May 2026. The mayor would take control over strategic policy areas like transport infrastructure, economic development, health improvement and blue light services – along with devolved government funding to deliver positive change.