Group will look at borough status and mayoralty for new West Suffolk Council

A group will be created to consider whether the new West Suffolk Council should apply for borough status and have a mayor.

The leaders of St Edmundsbury Borough and Forest Heath District Councils have asked that a working group be set up to look at civic leadership.

A shadow authority, which will be created to oversee the period until the new council comes into being on April 1, 2019, would set up the group at its first meeting.

The new council, a district authority with a chairman rather than a mayor, can apply to the Privy Council for borough status.

Cllr John Griffiths, leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, revealed plans for the working group at a council meeting last night (Tuesday) in response to a question from James Sheen, founder of the ‘We Love Bury St Edmunds!’ Facebook group about the mayoralty and borough status.

After the meeting, Cllr Griffiths said: “The working group will look at civic leadership across the whole of West Suffolk and will be working with all our members and our communities to understand their views.”