If a single giant unitary covering all of Suffolk is set up there is a real risk that all of the vital services which affect your day-to-day life will be run by a distant authority with no real local knowledge of the issues affecting your community.
These are just some of the frequently asked questions which have been raised by local residents who are concerned about the Boundary Committee proposals.
I am confused! Has the Boundary Committee put forward two draft proposals for the future of councils in Suffolk?
No, in its consultation document the Boundary Committee has put forward one draft proposal Suffolk – an "Ipswich and Felixstowe unitary and a Suffolk unitary authority comprising the rest of the county apart from the Lowestoft area". The document also says it "considered a Suffolk unitary comprising the existing county apart from the Lowestoft area" but it has not put this forward as a draft proposal.. It said it saw "some merit" in a unitary covering all of Suffolk (apart from Lowestoft). But it considers this ". . . presents a number of challenges" and is "not persuaded" this model would be better than its draft proposal for two unitaries.
Is it true that if we had one council for Suffolk it would save us £100 on our Council Tax bills?
This claim is odd because no figures have been published which show how this was worked out – it appears to be have been a soundbite conjured out of nothing. Supposedly it is £100 over five years – that's £20 a year (less than the cost of one family trip to the cinema!). But of course any unitary proposal (including our suggestion of three local authorities) will save you money simply by combining various councils and cutting duplication. Our proposal would also safeguard local democracy, preserve our local services and improve your quality of life by keeping you at the heart of local decision-making.
Will the historic boundaries of Suffolk change?
No the historic boundary will remain as it is. We are all Suffolk and proud! The proposal for three unitaries will simply safeguard the needs of Suffolk's distinctly different and unique communities.
Will my views be taken into consideration?
The Boundary Committee has said that it wants to know what the public thinks about its proposals and it will take on board these comments. This period of consultation closes on 26 September so you have until then to make your views known. They want to know what you think - not just whether you are 'for' or 'against', their plans but why?
Email: reviews@boundarycommittee.org.uk
Write: Review Manager (Norfolk and Suffolk Reviews), The Boundary Committee for England, Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London, SW1P 2HW.
Why can't we just stay as we are?
Unfortunately it is not currently an option to stay as we are. The Government is insisting that Suffolk considers unitary councils, which is why Forest Heath, St Edmundsbury and Waveney are fighting for the three-unitary option, which we feel is the best way to ensure that our local communities can retain your voice, sense of place, local democracy and quality of service.
How much will three Council's cost? Will it be much more than one single Council?
Over five years the cost of setting up three unitary councils instead of one will vary by just 0.46% of the total £1 billion Suffolk budget, offering savings of around £30 million each year (after set-up costs are paid). These savings will provide funds for investment in innovative service delivery and ways to bring local people into the heart of decision-making. These savings will meet the Government's affordability test – one of its criteria.