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Four possible options for unitary arrangements have been identified by Suffolk’s Council Leaders. These are:
- one single unitary council for the whole of Suffolk
- two unitaries made up of separate councils for East and West Suffolk
- two unitaries made up of a council for an expanded Ipswich and a council for the rest of Suffolk
- three unitaries made up of a council for an expanded Ipswich plus councils for East and West Suffolk
The Boundary Committee will now judge these four options, together with options for a Waveney/Great Yarmouth unitary and any other(s) they might think of themselves against the following criteria, as set down by the Secretary of State:
- Affordability
- Broad Cross Section of Support
- Strategic Leadership
- Neighbourhood Empowerment
- Value for Money
The Suffolk Councils have differing views on which option would best meet the needs of Suffolk’s residents, although all councils have expressed their opposition to creating a unitary council based on Waveney and Great Yarmouth.
Babergh Council believes that a unitary structure based on an East/West split is likely to provide the best overall balance between efficiencies and cost savings and an ability to engage with local communities and achieve real neighbourhood empowerment.
The Council also believes that the interests of residents in the east of the county would be much better served by having a unitary council that includes Ipswich rather than artificially placing the urban and rural parts of East Suffolk in separate unitary areas.
As a result, Babergh Councillors have backed the two-unitary option that would create councils for East Suffolk (including Ipswich) and West Suffolk as their first preference, with a single unitary council for the whole of Suffolk as their second preference.
In its submission to the Boundary Committee, Babergh indicated that it would wish to see these two options developed in more detail for comparison with each other, but emphasised that Parish and Town Councils, as well as the Suffolk Association of Local Councils, should be actively engaged in this review.
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