Leaders in West Suffolk, Mid Suffolk, Babergh, Ipswich, and East Suffolk react to Government devolution announcements

Suffolk council leaders have reacted to the Government's announcements on devolution.

Yesterday afternoon, Angela Rayner MP, the deputy Prime Minister, confirmed Suffolk's participation in the Government's fast-track programme to scrap district and borough councils and replace them with a unitary authority.

Doing so, however, meant delaying this year's local elections with a view of electing a new mayor in May next year instead.

This was the outcome Suffolk County Council asked for after voting to join the priority programme last month.

Addressing the news, the county's leader, Cllr Matthew Hicks, said the Government's decision shows it is aware of the authority's seriousness towards devolution.

He added: “Devolution and council reorganisation will mean we can secure and free up funding to plough directly back into public services that benefit our residents.

“This is a major win for Suffolk and one that will be welcomed by those who want to see efficiency, accountability and streamlined delivery of council services.

"To achieve this, we want to work with residents, businesses and partners to deliver the best possible outcome for Suffolk.”

Although devolution was broadly supported by all district and borough leaders, their reactions have been mixed.

In West Suffolk, Cllr Cliff Waterman, the leader, said the announcement was an opportunity for the county to 'take power and funding away from Whitehall and put it in the hands of the town hall'.

He added: "We will now be looking to maximise the benefits and efficiencies reorganisation can produce while protecting services.

"However, residents must be as close as possible to where decisions are being made on the services, they use every day and initiatives that will affect them.

“We still await the final invite and details from Government but I look forward to working with councillors and partners on forming the future plans for Suffolk.”

Cllr Neil MacDonald, Ipswich's leader, said he was intent on ensuring the new Mayor made a positive difference to Ipswich and stressed his view that the town should have a 'prominent place' in any new arrangements.

In Babergh, Cllr Deborah Saw, the authority's leader, said she was in favour of devolution but warned about making sure it would end up having a positive impact on residents.

She added: “We must ensure there is clear evidence that any reorganisation will result in the best outcomes for our communities – whilst preserving local democracy, expertise and accountability.

“Political power must not be moved away from residents. Damaging local democracy is not something to be undertaken lightly. Real devolution should mean being able to make our own choices, not blindly carrying out the orders of Whitehall which appears to be what is driving these changes.”

Across the border, Mid Suffolk's leader, Cllr Andy Mellen, said: “Devolution will bring more local powers and funding and is broadly supported, but I am appalled by the decision to postpone May's elections to Suffolk County Council, which is unnecessary and an erosion of our democracy.

“People want high-quality, value-for-money services that help our communities thrive – not simply a redrawing of council boundaries.

“Democratic accountability must be protected, with services delivered by those who know their communities best.”

The concerns about delaying the elections for at least another year were shared by Cllr Caroline Topping, East Suffolk's leader, who said she was disappointed residents were being 'denied democracy'.

She added: "Devolution could still proceed without [the delay] and taking the voice of our county’s residents away is a clear backward step.

“Regarding the creation of unitary councils to simplify the delivery of all services, we are supportive in principle, but we strongly believe that any new structures must reflect the needs of local communities and that services remain as close as possible to the people who use them.

“This is potentially a once-in-a-lifetime change to local government structures, which absolutely must not be rushed unnecessarily."