Message sent on behalf of Cllr Andy Mellen, Mid Suffolk District Council leader, and Cllr John Ward, Babergh District Council leader

You may have seen last week’s news that the government is delaying the inaugural mayoral elections for Suffolk and Norfolk by two years - from May 2026 to May 2028.

We wanted to provide you with an update on this, and explain what it means for the ongoing work around devolution and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

Firstly, the government has stressed this does NOT have any implications for the timetable for Local Government Reorganisation, which is proceeding as planned.

The consultation on the two LGR proposals for Suffolk continues until 11 January. As a reminder, these two proposals are:

• Three unitary councils (submitted by all Suffolk’s district and borough councils, including Babergh and Mid Suffolk)
• One unitary council (submitted by Suffolk County Council)

The two proposals were debated on BBC Radio Suffolk on Friday. To listen back to this, visit the show link on the BBC Sounds website and fast forward to 3:34.

We continue to encourage as many people as possible to respond to this consultation – including you, our towns and parishes – via the government website.

We would also appreciate your help in raising awareness of the consultation – whether through ‘following’, ‘liking’ and sharing our posts on social media, or through the distribution of Three Councils for Suffolk leaflets (artwork attached, once again, for your information) within your area. If you would like printed copies of these, email communications@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk

The government is still expected to make a decision on its preferred new council structure for Suffolk and Norfolk in March next year.

In terms of last week’s devolution announcement, we are considering its implications. While mayoral elections will be delayed, there is still an intention for a new Suffolk and Norfolk combined authority to be created ‘as soon as possible’ ahead of the elections.

The minister’s statement can be read in full here.

Suffolk and Norfolk were not the only counties impacted by last week’s announcement, with Sussex and Brighton, Hampshire and the Solent, and Greater Essex receiving the same news.

We will, of course, share any further updates when we can.

Thank you

Cllr Andy Mellen, Mid Suffolk District Council leader

Cllr John Ward, Babergh District Council leader