sent on behalf of Cllr Andy Mellen, Mid Suffolk District Council leader, and Cllr John Ward, Babergh District Council leader
Dear Town and Parish Clerks
As 2026 gets under way, there is still an important opportunity for you to have your say on the future of how public services are delivered in Suffolk.
As you know, Local Government Reorganisation is the biggest change to local authorities for 50 years, with county, district and borough councils replaced with new unitary councils responsible for delivering all services from 2028.
Two proposals are under consideration for Suffolk: the Three Councils for Suffolk case submitted jointly by the district and borough councils; and One Suffolk, submitted by Suffolk County Council.
The Government's statutory consultation on these proposals is open until 11 January and we strongly encourage you to have your say. Click on this link to respond to the consultation.
Suffolk’s district and borough councils believe three unitary councils will best meet the needs of our communities, deliver better services and stronger local accountability, while also saving £34m annually. You can read more about both proposals using the links above.
We see this moment as a fantastic opportunity to transform public services, so they work for all our citizens and communities.
Your monthly town and parish briefing notes sent yesterday (Monday) also set out some further details and links, but we wanted to contact you directly to ensure you didn’t miss the chance to respond to the consultation.
You may have also seen recent news that the government is delaying the inaugural mayoral elections for Suffolk and Norfolk from May 2026 to May 2028. However, the government has stressed this does not affect the timetable for Local Government Reorganisation, which is proceeding as planned.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Kind regards
Cllr Andy Mellen, Mid Suffolk District Council leader
Cllr John Ward, Babergh District Council leader