People across Suffolk are being asked for their views on a proposed, in principle, devolution deal that would hand Suffolk greater decision-making powers and control of more than half a billion pounds of public funding.  

In December 2022, Suffolk County Council and the Government signed an in-principle deal to transfer certain powers and funding from London to Suffolk. 

Residents and businesses can now share their views about important aspects of the deal, including:  

·        Control of a new investment fund worth £480m over the next thirty years 

·        Local control of the Adult Education Budget each year (worth £9.4m in 2025/26) 

·        £5.8m one-off funding to prepare brownfield sites for development 

·        Multi-year transport funding plus an additional £500,000 over two years to finalise Suffolk's Local Transport Plan. 

If agreed, the proposed deal would also mean that, for the first time, the leader of Suffolk County Council would be directly elected by the people of Suffolk – rather than by county councillors. Once every four years, residents would vote to elect both their local county councillor (as they do now) and the leader of the county council.  

Cllr Matthew Hicks, leader of Suffolk County Council, said: "This is an important and empowering decision about the future we want for Suffolk. A decision of this significance deserves considered input from the broadest range of people possible, which is why the consultation is open for 10 weeks. I urge everyone to take time to read the details of the deal and then complete to have their say in this consultation."   

Supporting information and details on how to respond are available at www.suffolk.gov.uk/devolution. The consultation opens at 2pm today.

Once the consultation has closed, Suffolk county councillors and Government ministers will consider a report on findings as part of the decision-making process on whether or not to proceed with Suffolk's devolution deal. A decision is expected in July 2024.