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BBC News
27-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
East Suffolk Council signs anti-violence charter
A local authority has claimed to be the first in the East of England to sign a charter aimed at ending violence at Suffolk Council and its trading company East Suffolk Services Limited put their names to UNISON's End Violence at Work local authority said some of its frontline staff in waste management were recently subjected to extreme and threatening behaviour."It is with regret that this charter is even needed," said Green party councillor and leader of East Suffolk Council, Caroline Topping. "Let us not forget, our staff are serving their communities and I thank them for their service."To qualify for the charter, organisations must meet 10 key standards, providing evidence of clear reporting and investigation procedures, and ongoing data monitoring of violent must also be trained to handle threatening situations charter aims to encourage organisations to protect employees working in public services from acts of abuse, assault and intimidating East Suffolk branch secretary Kerry Rayden said: "No-one should be subjected to violence at work."It's fantastic that East Suffolk Council and East Suffolk Services are showing this commitment to employees to keep them safe.""Hopefully other local employers will follow suit." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
26-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Suffolk council calls for one sole authority in devolution deal
The county council has said it wants to see one authority in Suffolk as part of the current devolution to draw up initial suggestions on how to reorganise local councils as part of devolution proposals are due before government at the end of Conservative-run Suffolk County Council argues a single body, rather than two unitary authorities for example, "would make delivering public services simpler, cheaper and quicker".The opposition Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent Group said: "We will fight for keeping the 'local' in local democracy every step of the way." Suffolk and Norfolk have been fast-tracked for devolution, which means the county would share a mayor with Norfolk, and existing councils would be scrapped and replaced with a number of unitary authorities - instead of the current two-tier system of county and district political leaders have already voiced their opposition to one council for the whole of Suffolk. Caroline Topping, the Green leader of East Suffolk Council, said: "We do not believe that a single, vast council covering the whole county would best serve those who matter most. "There are far better options under consideration which would keep democracy local, including a two-unitary east and west model."Labour-run Ipswich Borough Council said it wanted to see a Greater Ipswich Unitary Council included in future plans. If the county council gets its wish, all council services, such as waste collection and disposal, housing, social care, planning, highways maintenance, leisure, school placements and travel and street cleaning, would all be provided by one Rout, county council cabinet member for devolution and local government reform, said: "The financial benefits of unitary local government are clear. "By cutting unnecessary bureaucracy, the new council – whoever may serve on it – will have more money to invest in frontline public services, ensuring better value for taxpayers."If the government is serious about delivering savings, efficiencies, better outcomes for residents and financially sustainable local government, then there is only one answer - one council for Suffolk. "Moreover, it is the only model that meets their criteria of serving over 500,000 people." Andrew Stringer, leader of the Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent Group at the county council, said: "We are disappointed but not surprised that the county council administration are proposing a single unitary council for Suffolk before the business case has even been written. "We are in favour of devolution as a principle that genuinely empowers and brings decision-making closer to local communities, but this is not what is being proposed." How many councils could Suffolk have? Currently there is one county council and five district councils in Suffolk:Suffolk County CouncilBabergh District Council (politically independent from Mid Suffolk, but shares provision of most services with it)East Suffolk Council (formed by merging Suffolk Coastal and Waveney district councils in 2019)Ipswich Borough CouncilMid Suffolk District CouncilWest Suffolk Council (formed by merging Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury district councils in 2019)Government guidance suggests new unitary authorities should aim to serve a population of 500,000 or that is not a fixed rule and areas with fewer people can put forward has a population of about 760,000 and some are arguing the county should have two or more new councils. What happens next? As Suffolk is part of the government's Devolution Priority Programme, the reorganisation and devolution is happening quickly, and new structures could be in place by May is a timeline as the BBC understands it:March 2025 - Suffolk councils to agree and submit by 21 March their interim suggestions of how councils should reorganise 2025 - Suffolk County Council elections postponedAutumn 2025 - final plans for Suffolk's authorities sent to government for approvalMay 2026 - Mayoral election for Suffolk and NorfolkMay 2026 - Shadow authority elections for new agreed authorities Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
21-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
One unitary authority for Suffolk not an option for East Suffolk leaders
Political leaders in east Suffolk are ruling out suggestions of a single unitary authority for to draw up initial suggestions on how to reorganise local councils and bring devolution to the county are due before government at the end of is because Suffolk and Norfolk have been fast tracked for devolution, which means the county would share a mayor with Norfolk, and existing councils would be scrapped and replaced with a number of unitary authorities. East Suffolk Council leader Caroline Topping said: "I am certainly not looking for a single unitary for Suffolk, two or three unitaries please, is what we are looking for." The government announced in December it wanted to have the largest shake-up of local government in 50 years with their white paper on devolution. It would see more money and powers coming to areas with a mayor, and two-tier council systems, like the one we have in Suffolk, being dismantled and replaced with unitary authorities which would provide all services. Suffolk will be sharing a mayor with Norfolk but negotiations of how many authorities the county will end up with are on going. These new unitary authorities need to serve a population of at least 500, a population of nearly 800,000 in Suffolk, the maths tell us there should be two, but politicians are arguing that with population growth over the next twenty years, it could be three. Ipswich borough councillors have already set out there stall, deciding last week they would be proposing a Greater Ipswich authority. Topping, who is also leader of the Green group, said: "No-one I have spoken to, bar Suffolk County Council's admiration, think a single unitary is a good idea."I am not happy with that suggestion and there are other suggestions on the table like the East-West split."Topping added: "All the options are still on the table. The county council, the districts and borough have engaged a consult to run the numbers. We need to make sure when we go to the government that we have a credible plan." What are the other parties saying in East Suffolk? Mark Jepson, group leader for the Conservatives at East Suffolk Council, said: "I am very proud at what East Suffolk as a new authority has delivered over the last six years, and if there's a way we can preserve our identity I would be keen to explore those options."Labour group leader at the council, Peter Byatt, said: "Our group are concerned about there being a whole Suffolk unitary, we don't feel that is the best route."Tony Love is the interim chairman of Suffolk Coastal for Reform, and is against the idea of a greater Ipswich area."Voters in Felixstowe and Woodbridge would be appalled to be bundled in with the very sad problems in Ipswich," he Ashton, group leader for the Liberal Democrats at East Suffolk and deputy leader of the council, said he was "not in favour" of a single unitary authority for Suffolk. Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, the Labour MP for Suffolk Coastal, said: "The Suffolk coast is a net contributor to the Suffolk economy. "Does a 'Greater Ipswich' work for East Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal? If it approaches the problem by asking, 'What's good for Ipswich?" then I suspect it won't. "If we approach the problem by asking, "What's good for Suffolk and driving the regional economy," I imagine the answer puts East Suffolk more in the driving seat. " What happens next? As Suffolk is part of the Devolution Priority Programme, the reorganisation and devolution is happening quickly, and new structures could be in place by May 2026. Below is a timeline as the BBC understands it:March 2025 - Suffolk councils to agree and submit by 21 March their interim suggestions of how councils in the county should reorganise 2025 - Suffolk County Council elections postponedAutumn 2025 - final plans for Suffolk's authorities sent to government for approvalMay 2026 - Mayoral elections for Suffolk and NorfolkMay 2026 - Shadow authority elections for new agreed authorities East Suffolk Council is having a by-election on 27 February - a full list of candidates is available on their website. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
