Jack Abbott and Alice Macdonald MP- discuss local government

Tomorrow, councils across East Anglia will submit their interim plans to the Government for the devolution of power to our region.  This will set out how they want local services to look in our two counties. Since January, local councils across East Anglia have been debating the options for a reshaped and simplified pattern of local government. This is our view, as Labour MPs for Ipswich and Norwich.  

Local government reorganisation represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide more efficient public services across our region, end the overlap of multiple district, city and county councils, and deliver better value for money for residents. It will also present our region with significant pulling power after years of being forgotten by Whitehall.

Six Unitary Councils

Local authorities may have different ideas about how best to grasp the opportunities on offer to our region. However, we believe that the most compelling case – one that protects our counties’ heritage and enables Norwich and Ipswich to be real drivers of economic growth, alongside our friends and neighbours across East Anglia – is a three unitary council model for each county.

What would that look like in practice? In Norfolk, there would be a Greater Norwich unitary with extended boundaries and two unitary authorities broadly covering the eastern and western parts of Norfolk. The specific boundaries still need to be defined with the support of community engagement but one suggested proposal can be found in this in the Norwich city council’s interim submission.

In Suffolk, it would mean a Greater Ipswich Council, plus new East and West Suffolk Councils. We would become a real powerhouse with our foundations based on our three largest towns, Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, and Lowestoft, our market towns, and our rural communities which are the very fabric of our county.

Maintaining distinct identities

Each area will have the appropriate identity, and priorities can be developed to reflect their historic identities, with Norwich and Ipswich focusing on knowledge and innovation, professional and technology services; the coastal areas on maximising the opportunities presented by the energy transition, and the market towns and rural areas focusing on agriculture and manufacturing.

These plans could be a watershed moment for our premier economic hubs, Norwich and Ipswich, and by extension, East Anglia as a whole. A Greater Norwich area, as outlined in the City Council’s plans could be a gamechanger. Norwich is already a key city in our region and its economy has grown by 64% since 2010, but there is so much more we can do to unlock the full potential as a city of great innovation, culture and prosperity.

Similarly, a Greater Ipswich Council, as proposed by the Borough Council, would have the size, scale and strategic oversight to rebuild our public services and boost economic growth. This could include tackling our aging infrastructure, which would give a new lease of life to the Port of Felixstowe, for example, a site of local, regional, and national significance. As warned before, a failure to future-proof this essential part of our economy could put thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment at risk.

This model will also provide a strong base for devolution alongside a Norfolk and Suffolk Combined Authority, under a Mayor, due to the balanced population sizes of the proposed six council areas, allowing equal representation and improved collaboration between service providers.

There is clear local consensus on this too, with councillors of many political stripes on Ipswich Borough Council, Norwich City Council and Broadland District Council putting party differences aside and uniting to back these proposals.

Alternatives?

The option for single county unitaries in Norfolk and Suffolk, as proposed by Norfolk county council is just too big, with a footprint covering thousands of square miles, stretching ties between local councillors and the people they are elected to serve, and jeopardising the economic benefits of devolution.

Similarly, a model based on two unitary authorities in each county fails to recognise the unique growth opportunities in both Ipswich and Norwich, and will create authorities whose needs and requirements are far too diverse. Economic growth will not come by watering down devolution, as we fear a two-unitary model will do. We have to remember: this settlement could last for at least half a century. We simply have to get it right.

A once in a generation chance for change

No-one in East Anglia thinks the status quo is working. So, making what would be little more than cosmetic changes which, in reality, would mean sticking with a failing system, is simply not a viable option.

People we speak to want and need real change. Devolution offers exactly that – it truly is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for East Anglia. It is incumbent on us all to fully grasp the future in front of us.