How the council works

West Suffolk Council is responsible for over 80 different services that we deliver to members of the public and local businesses. Each year, we undertake millions of transactions – collecting bins, processing business rate payments and considering planning applications. This wouldn’t be possible for 64 Councillors to do themselves – so the council employs staff, known as officers, who do all the day-to-day work and decision making. Councillors then make more significant and controversial decisions.

The West Suffolk Council operates a Leader and Cabinet system of governance which includes a number of scrutiny committees, working parties, panels and other committees, for example to determine planning applications or to consider licensing matters. Councillors are often required to attend formal meetings of the full Council and some councillors are also appointed to represent the council on outside organisations such as charities and public bodies.

As a new councillor, you are likely to be on one or more committee. Don’t worry if you don’t have any experience in this area: once elected, you will be provided with induction and on-going support.

You can find out more about how the council operates its decision making structure:

• Decision making structure document
• Making decisions within the council

West Suffolk strategic framework

West Suffolk's strategic framework is available on the council’s website and sets out our vision and what the council aims to achieve together, with our partners, local businesses, communities and residents. This means focusing our efforts and resources in the areas that are the greatest priorities for West Suffolk.

Our vision is:

Supporting and investing in our west Suffolk communities and businesses to encourage and manage ambitious growth in prosperity and quality of life for all.

The one page strategic framework summary gives the vision and high level priorities from the framework document: Vision and strategic priorities for 2020 to 2024

You can access the strategic framework, read about the progress we’ve made against our priorities and find details of our financial strategy on our Strategic framework page.