Suffolk and Norfolk Mayor to get more than £1bn from Government over 30 years

The Mayor for Suffolk and Norfolk is set to get more than £1bn from the Government over 30 years.

Suffolk county councillors will meet on Thursday to give the Government consent to establish a Norfolk and Suffolk Combined County Authority (NSCCA) with an elected mayor to represent it.

It follows a decision taken by the county council in January to participate in the Government's Devolution Priority Programme (DPP), fast-tracking the process.

Council papers revealed the new mayor will be given £37.4 million per year by the Government over 30 years, totalling some £1.12 billion.

Cllr Matthew Hicks, the county council's leader, said: “The confirmation of this annual investment fund is a major milestone and a clear vote of confidence in our region’s ambition and potential.

"Suffolk put itself forward for the government’s [DPP] because we believe in the power of local decision-making and the opportunities that come with greater autonomy."

The money will allow the mayor to exercise new devolved powers over transport, skills, strategic planning and public safety.

For instance, long-awaited works to the Ely and Haughley railway junctions have been tipped as potential ways in which the new mayor could spend their money.

Cllr Hicks said: “This promise of long-term funding is a direct result of that ambition and gives local leaders the certainty to plan and deliver what matters most to our residents, from better jobs and skills to improved infrastructure and connectivity.”

More money will be available through the mayor's Council Tax precept, other devolved Government funding, and outside sources such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Thursday's vote would give consent to the Government to lay a statutory instrument — effectively allowing the combined authority to be set up under delegated powers by the minister.

The new mayor is set to be elected in May next year.

The new combined authority will have four members from Norfolk and Suffolk county councils — for as long as they exist — with a further four appointed.

So far, two candidates for the new mayor role have been announced: Tim Passmore (Conservative), currently Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner, and Cllr Caroline Topping (Green), East Suffolk Council's leader.

Candidates for Labour, Lib Dems and Reform, as well as any Independents, have not yet been announced.