Suffolk’s Conservative MPs, James Cartlidge, Patrick Spencer and Nick Timothy have met Suffolk County Council’s Leader, Matthew Hicks and newly appointed Cabinet Member for Devolution and Local Government Reform, Richard Rout to discuss next steps in the county’s bid to progress with devolution and local Government reform.
Earlier this week, the Government launched its consultation on proposals to create a Mayoral Combined Authority across Suffolk and Norfolk, seeking views from interested parties on the effect of establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority in the area. The consultation includes questions on the proposed geography and how the Combined County Authority will make decisions, together with questions on the effects of working across this geography through a Mayoral Combined County Authority.
Under the proposals, all six of Suffolk’s district, borough and county councils would be disbanded and just one authority would provide all councils services in an area. The Government argues that unitary councils can deliver better outcomes for residents and save money that can be reinvested into public services.
However Suffolk’s Conservative MPs have concerns that lack of meaningful consultation and information from the Government so far means that residents are understandably unclear on the next steps and what changes will mean for them, particularly around the delivery of public services, such as highways, waste collections and more.
Member of Parliament for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, Patrick Spencer said “People living and working in Suffolk deserve high quality local service provision. Devolution should therefore be an opportunity to think about ow we can improve public services, make them more efficient, and invest in expanding access.
Nick Timothy, the MP for West Suffolk, said: “There are opportunities in local government reform but the danger with the Government’s plan is that power will be taken further away from local residents, not brought closer to home.
“We need councils that respond to the needs of local areas. Money saved through this reorganisation in Suffolk must stay in Suffolk — and be spent on high-quality services for local people.
“I am really keen that we use the change to empower parish councils, so local needs can be met more immediately by local people. After all, residents know best the changes they need in their areas.
“It was reassuring to hear that Suffolk County Council is keen to put the needs of local communities at the heart of the reform process, and I was delighted we were all singing from the same hymn sheet.”
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Nick Timothy MP is calling for parish and town councils to have the more freedom and financial power to:
- Change speed limits
- Erect suitable signs
- Introduce traffic-calming measures
- Establish speed cameras
If you agree, and if you want to tell me about the challenges of road safety where you live, please sign my petition by clicking here. You can also send this petition on to anybody in West Suffolk who wants a greater say in the safety of the roads where they live. To do so, please share the following link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K8VXFDH with your friends and neighbours.
Alternatively, you can print out a petition sheet below and ask your friends and neighbours to sign it the old-fashioned way and posting it to Conservative Office, Moulton Road, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8DY OR by scanning it and attaching it to an email to send to Nick at [email protected]. You can also ask me a question using that email address.
