Suffolk residents, businesses and local organisations are being urged to take part in a once in a generation opportunity to shape how council services are delivered for their local communities.
District and borough council leaders have welcomed the launch by Government of a statutory consultation into the future of local government in Suffolk and Norfolk. People have until 11 January 2026 to have their say.
Joint quote from the Suffolk district and borough leaders: "This is a pivotal moment for Suffolk. By moving to three strong, locally focused councils, we can deliver better services, make decisions closer to the communities they affect, and ensure every pound is spent wisely. We urge everyone to take part in this consultation, your voice matters in shaping Suffolk’s future. Three Councils for Suffolk isn’t just a structure, it’s a commitment to local accountability, faster decisions, and stronger communities – it is Suffolk to the Power of Three."
This is an opportunity for residents, businesses, and community organisations to help shape how local services are delivered for decades to come. The consultation seeks views on the two proposals for unitary councils in Suffolk – one for the eastern area, one for Ipswich and southern and one covering the western area of Suffolk. The District and Borough proposal is for Three Councils for Suffolk. These three councils would replace the current six councils – with each unitary providing ‘all the services where YOU Live’. This Suffolk to the Power of Three model is designed to be big enough to deliver, local enough to care, ensuring strong local leadership, tailored services, and financial sustainability.
Three councils means three strong voices for Suffolk; faster decisions tailored to the needs of towns and villages; local, accountable, and responsive to their communities – Suffolk to the Power of Three. It also means council wards will be the right size to give residents better access to local councillors and decision-making. Three strong voices championing their communities locally and together regionally and nationally.
Three unitary councils would be close to and understand their communities playing to their natural economic strengths, focused on supporting business growth and innovation to create real opportunities and generating targeted investment where it’s needed.
The district and borough councils, alongside finance specialists KPMG, have analysed the budgets for all six Suffolk councils alongside national evidence and the costs of change. The three council proposal delivers significant savings without compromising service quality. Savings of £106 million over the first five years, achieved through efficiencies and harmonised services. From year six there is an annual saving of £34 million, from which £20 million a year is reinvested in services.
This significant change to local government creates three councils with a real understanding of their communities, and the capacity to tailor services to local needs, will drive better outcomes for residents and businesses alike.
They will also be future proofed to be able to deal with a growing county which is set to have a population of more than a million by 2045.
The Three Councils for Suffolk proposal, with analysis from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), shows that an additional £67.5m could also be unlocked each year through localising Adult and Children’s services – improving care for vulnerable children and adults driving better value and outcomes by focusing on prevention and early help.
The consultation is open now, and your views are vital. Visit the official consultation portal at Consultation on Proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Norfolk and Suffolk - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government - Citizen Space to submit your feedback.
Local Government reorganisation for Suffolk includes proposals for a three unitary solution by the district and borough councils and a one unitary proposal ‘One Suffolk’ by Suffolk County Council.
ENDS