Suffolk Chamber statement on Local Government Reorganisation announcement

“The Government’s announcement that the current two-tier local council system will be replaced with three unitaries from 2028 presents an exciting opportunity to redefine the relationship between the public and private sectors in the county and especially to boost dynamic, local business growth and investment.

“As the county’s leading business body with an active and strong presence in all parts of Suffolk, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce looks forward to working both with the transitional councils and the new unitaries once they are established to ensure the voice of business is at the top of their respective agendas.”

“Suffolk Chamber hopes that the new councils will fully realise the efficiencies and savings identified in their business plan, to increase investment in relevant day-to-day business-facing functions, including planning, environmental health and licensing.

“There is also the need to deliver a more SME-friendly procurement culture in order to give greater weighting to local firms and boost the amount of public money staying in the county, including via closer cooperation with the Suffolk Supply Chain, which is managed by the Chamber.

“At the same time, there is an absolute imperative that the new unitary system works in alignment with the business community, our MPs and the forthcoming Norfolk & Suffolk Mayor to enhance support for key Government investment in our out-of-date connectivity, road, rail and utilities infrastructure and through the Chamber-run Local Skills Improvement Plan to boost productivity and community cohesion.