Devolution & Local Government Reorganisation

What is devolution?

Devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from UK government to a regional level.

Devolution would create a Strategic Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk. It would initially take the form of a Combined County Authority. An elected Mayor will be the leader of the new authority who will work together with local councils.

The key functions of the Strategic Authority would include strategic transport functions, such as support for buses, trains and concessionary fares, skills and driving economic growth.

What is the Devolution Priority Programme?

The Devolution Priority Programme is a fast-track process with additional support for areas wishing to establish a Mayoral Combined County Authority at pace.

On 5 February 2025, the government confirmed that Suffolk and Norfolk will be on the Devolution Priority Programme, which will see a regional Mayor elected in May 2026.

The government also agreed to a request from Suffolk County Council for elections that were due to take place in May 2025 to be postponed.

What powers would the elected Mayor have?

The Mayor would be directly elected by the people of Norfolk and Suffolk. The elected Mayor would have the ability to speak directly to government ministers and secure funding for local projects. They would also be able to make important decisions, attract investment and improve infrastructure – taking a wider, strategic role spanning multiple councils.

When can we expect this to take place?

The government has confirmed that the statutory tests have been met and that there will be a Mayor elected in May 2026.

Where can I find out more?

Consultation

The government ran a Norfolk and Suffolk devolution consultation between 17 February and 13 April 2025.

The consultation invited those who live and work across both counties to share their views on:

The proposed geography
The effect of establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority in Norfolk and Suffolk
How the Mayoral Combined County Authority will make decisions

Feedback from the consultation helped to inform the government’s decision.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

The Government is in the process of changing council structures across many parts of the country. For Suffolk, this means that the current “two tier” system with a county council and five district and borough councils will end.

Existing councils have been asked by the government to put proposals together for new “unitary” councils which deliver all the services that are currently provided by the two-tier arrangement.

Unitary councils – no matter what their size have some benefits:

Simpler for residents – a single point of contact for your area.
Clearer accountability – no more confusion over responsibilities.
Greater value for money – less time spent on liaison between councils and working out who is responsible for what, meaning more money for services
Stronger, more joined-up services that can deliver better outcomes
Better decision-making – one council for your area means that decisions can be made more quickly and holistically.

When can we expect this to take place?

We submitted interim plans in March 2025 and will submit full plans in September. Timelines for the remainder of the LGR process are subject to the proposals received. However, elections for shadow authorities could be expected in May 2027 following consultation, with new unitaries going live in April 2028. (A shadow authority is elected to carry out the functions of a new unitary council until that authority formally comes into effect).

What’s your council’s position?

Suffolk's district and borough councils (Babergh, East Suffolk, Ipswich, Mid Suffolk and West Suffolk) have come together to propose a multi-unitary approach, with three councils as their preferred model.

A joint interim report describes how ‘a one size fits all’ approach will not work for a county with such varied communities and businesses - rural, coastal, industrial, agricultural and urban. You can read the full report via the link below.

We believe that only by having three unitary authorities for Suffolk we can achieve greater outcomes for residents, grow the economy and provide flexible solutions to meet the needs of local communities. Read the full report via the link below.

In July, all five district and borough councils agreed at their full council meetings that having three unitary councils is their preferred option.

Three Councils For Suffolk

Three Councils For Suffolk will:

Be big enough to deliver, local enough to care
Focus on and meet the differing needs of different towns and villages
Deliver all services in one council for your area – making it simple and easy for you to access locally.
Ensure you have local councillors providing strong, local leadership and democratic representation – keeping decision-making closer to you.
Be financially sustainable providing high quality and value for money services.
Be responsive
Ensure that the new Suffolk and Norfolk Mayor understands the big issues where you live

There is further information about our proposal on our Three Councils For Suffolk website www.ThreeCouncilsForSuffolk.org which includes an initial set of information about why we believe three councils is the best option for Suffolk’s diverse communities.

It includes a map of the proposed new council boundaries – broadly equal in terms of population size, but each with their own distinct identities.

It also presents our initial financial case showing how three unitary councils are both affordable and financially sustainable, focusing on value for money and improved outcomes for our residents and communities.

Have your say

In developing our plans, it’s important that we not only meet the guidance set by the government, but what we offer provides better outcomes for our communities.

Engaging with our stakeholders such as residents, local businesses, parish/town councillors and voluntary groups is a crucial part of the process and as part of our engagement work to capture views about the future delivery of local government in Suffolk, we ran a survey over a number of months on behalf of the five district/borough councils.

The survey has now closed. Thank you for sharing your views. Your feedback will continue to help us shape our plans.

What happens next?

We will continue to work with other authorities to develop proposals that we believe provide the best solutions for our residents and communities. We will submit our final business case to the government by their deadline of 26 September 2025.