You may have heard the terms “devolution” and “local government reorganisation” mentioned recently. Suffolk is currently undergoing big changes, with proposals to give more decision-making powers and funding to councils at a local level. The aim is to bring services closer to communities, making them more responsive and effective.

The current plan is to replace the two-tier system (county council and district/borough councils) with one or more “unitary” councils delivering all the local services. This is known as local government reorganisation. We are also going through devolution and will be having an elected mayor for Suffolk and Norfolk, responsible for strategic decisions like transport, economic growth and regional planning. Mayoral elections which were expected to be held in May 2026 have now been postponed until 2028. We have not yet heard what will happen with County Council elections which were due to take place in 2026.

For residents, the hope is that things will become simpler– fewer councils to deal with, clearer responsibility for services and potentially more local influence. For Parish Councils like ours, the changes shouldn’t have a major direct impact. However, we may be invited in the future to take on extra assets or responsibilities and we will keep residents updated as things progress.

Following public consultations, the proposals from Suffolk County Council and East Suffolk Council were submitted to the government in September.  Suffolk County Council is proposing one unitary council across the county, and the district and borough Councils are pushing for three Councils.

Residents are encouraged to give their thoughts on the proposals but the final decision will rest with central government. LGR presents the biggest change to local government in Suffolk for over 50 years- and the consultation gives stakeholders and residents the chance to have their say.

The consultation will run until 11th January and can be accessed here:

https://consult.communities.gov.uk/local-government-reorganisation/norfolk-suffolk/