How your council works

There are a variety of different types of council in England, together they form what is known as local government. In West Suffolk there are:

a county council - Suffolk County Council
a district council (West Suffolk Council)
85 parish councils

Each type of council has responsibility for providing different services, these are set out below.

Suffolk County Council

Suffolk County Council is broadly responsible for:

adult and community services
children and young people's services (including schools)
economy, skills and environment (including highways)
public protection

West Suffolk

For a number of years, Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council have been working together as West Suffolk, but particularly since 2012, when all staff started working across both councils. On 1 April 2019 a new district council, West Suffolk Council, was formed replacing the two councils. West Suffolk Council is responsible for:

culture and community development
economic development
housing
licensing and environmental health
planning and building control
running elections
waste and recycling

West Suffolk's leisure services are run by Abbeycroft on behalf of the council.

Council Tax and benefits are administered on behalf of West Suffolk by Anglia Revenues Partnership

To find out more about the West Suffolk area, read: About the area

Town and parish councils

The responsibilities of town and parish councils vary, depending on the locality. In broad terms, they may be responsible for:

allotments
bus shelters
cemeteries
footpaths
open spaces
village halls

Contact details for parish and town councils are available: Parish councils contact details.