East Suffolk Council

Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

On Monday 16 December 2024, the Government published its English Devolution White Paper. This White Paper presents a vision for all areas of England to benefit from greater decision-making powers, devolved from central government to the regions. This would be achieved through the creation of new regional, mayoral authorities and the reorganisation of local government.

The ‘ask’ of Suffolk councils

All local authorities in Suffolk have been written to and invited to develop proposals for local government reorganisation. The letter is published on the Government’s website.

The councils’ position

There are two proposals being considered for Suffolk:

• Three Councils for Suffolk: proposed by district and borough councils. This would replace the current six councils with three unitary councils, each responsible for all local services.
• One Suffolk: proposed by Suffolk County Council, creating a single unitary authority.

Formal consultation

The Government launched its statutory consultation on the future of local government in Norfolk and Suffolk on 19 December 2025 and local people are encouraged to take part.

Local government reorganisation in Norfolk and Suffolk - GOV.UK

The consultation period will close on 11 January 2026. The Secretary of State is then expected to make his decision on new structures in March 2026, with new councils in place from April 2028.

Local elections

In February 2025, it was announced that Suffolk would participate in the government’s new fast-track Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) with the election of a mayor, covering Suffolk and Norfolk, in May 2026.

To facilitate change of this scale and at this pace, the government tabled legislation to postpone Suffolk County Council’s May 2025 elections. East Suffolk Council’s current four-year electoral cycle runs from 2023 to 2028 and therefore no elections were due to take place in 2025.