The leader of Suffolk County Council Matthew Hicks has responded angrily to a letter from leading district and borough councillors, including East Suffolk's Caroline Copping, airing concerns over proposed cuts relating to Housing Related Support (HRS)

Babergh and other council leaders' letter here...

In his response, backed by fellow Conservative cabinet member Cllr. Beccy Hopfensperger, beleaugued councillor Hicks, dismissed a lot of the leaders' concerns regarding HRS as 'inaccurate' in the four page letter.

He also labelled their concerns at the proposed arts funding cuts, and plan to replace the more with project grants as beneficial to all of Suffolk "not just nine organisations".

Beccy Hopfensperger SCC (Picture: BBC LDRS)

Cllr Hicks is quoted in his letter as saying:

I'm afraid that just simply recognising those pressures without also accepting what impact those pressures create, is simplistic and meaningless. 

He also accused the district and borough council leaders of "double standards" over their reliability on Suffolk council to deliver key elements of both their housing and homelessness strategies.

In signing off Cllr Hicks insisted the county council wants to continue to work collaboratively with the borough district and districts but warned: 

What will not happen, however, is Suffolk County Council continuing to pay for non-statutory services it can no longer afford to fund.

Cllr Hicks, who was recently forced to make wholesale changes to his Conservative administration following the fall-out from a devastating SEND Ofsted report and subsequent criticism.

He has ignored calls that he should also resign.

The district and borough leaders are considering their response.

Full Suffolk County Council response letter from Cllr Hicks and Hopfensperger, below.

Letter