Historic half a billion pound devolution deal hands Suffolk regeneration and skills powers to level up

13 Dec 2022

A landmark devolution deal, which puts money and power over building, regeneration and skills into the hands of leaders in Suffolk has been signed.

Suffolk will be given devolved power over their Adult Education budget, so they can shape provision in a way that best suits the needs of the local community and will receive immediate support to build new affordable homes on brownfield sites, as well as more capital funding to improve energy efficiency in houses.

The deal will also see Suffolk County Council, in partnership with district and borough councils, handed control over a £480 million investment fund – this will be guaranteed for the next thirty years. This will enable the county to drive growth and plan for the long-term with certainty as it looks to level up and unlock its full economic potential.

Suffolk will also get a directly elected leader of the county council. This not only provides a single person who is accountable to the people of Suffolk but gives the county a local champion who can attract investment and be a stronger voice in discussions with central government.

West Suffolk hosted the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) Lee Rowley MP who attended a ceremony near Bury St Edmunds with all Suffolk partners. There, he with Suffolk County Council Leader Cllr Matthew Hicks officially signed the provisional 'minded to' deal.

With three new devolution deals signed in the last seven days, 50% of England will now be covered by a devolution deal and reaffirms the government’s commitment in the Levelling Up White Paper to offer a devolution deal to any area that wants one by 2030.

The deal also sets out the government’s plans to devolve more power to Suffolk County Council through:

• Investment: It will bring decades of funding worth £480 million to improve the lives of Suffolk’s residents and spend on their local priorities.
• Housing: The deal will provide £5.8 million to regenerate brownfield land into beautiful, affordable homes and drive economic growth across the area; Suffolk will also receive greater compulsory purchase powers.
• Education: The agreement devolves the Adult Education Budget so they can shape provision in a way that best suits the needs of residents and the local Suffolk economy.
• Transport: An integrated transport settlement starting in 2024/25, to support the area to improve key transport infrastructure priorities.
• The environment: The new deal will help Suffolk deliver on its ambitions to be the country’s greenest county with £3 million to improve energy efficiency in homes.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:  

“I said we would give devolution deals to all that wanted them and today we are keeping that promise by putting power into the hands of the people who know best what Suffolk needs so they can level up the county and unleash its full economic potential.

“It is now people in places like Ipswich, Felixstowe and Newmarket who will have a greater say on how their areas are run. Because we know important decisions are best taken by those who know their areas inside out, not by those many miles away in Whitehall.

“This new deal will empower leaders in Suffolk to shape policies and direct spending to address issues that are unique to them, and I will commit to working with them even further to help drive through that change.”

Cllr Matthew Hicks, Leader of Suffolk County Council, said:

“This devolution deal is the first of its kind between the Government and a county council, making it a truly historic moment for Suffolk. The deal recognises Suffolk’s ambitions, would put more powers in the hands of local people and bring more than half a billion pounds of investment into the county.

“On the table are greater decision-making powers around transport, infrastructure, skills and more resources to help us achieve our net zero ambitions. Ultimately, this significant additional investment will improve the lives and outcomes of Suffolk’s residents.

“Devolution is a journey, not a one-off event. This deal for Suffolk is the first step towards an exciting future for our great county.”

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council, said:

“This deal represents a vote of confidence from the Government in Suffolk’s ability to build on our achievements and further drive forward national issues such as growing the economy, raising educational attainment, and improving wellbeing using tailored local initiatives. We are pleased to be part of this ground-breaking County Deal which will see a guaranteed £480m in Government funding for the next 30 years. This means we in the West with the rest of Suffolk Public Service leaders can plan for the long-term. 

“Suffolk and, indeed, West Suffolk is part of the nationally economically vital Cambridge Sub-Region as well as being connected by the A14, the UK’s premier international trade route, to the Midlands Engine, the Northern powerhouse, and the rest of the UK. In addition, the Cambridge to Norwich Tech Corridor connects a variety of technology business clusters from Norwich to Cambridge. We are also home to a range of strong business sectors such as food, drink, agriculture, tourism, and cultural sectors as well as horseracing in Newmarket and advanced manufacturing.

“The powers and funding provided in this devolution deal will empower us to be in an even stronger position to build on the work we are already doing to accelerate growth locally and nationally.”

Cllr Suzie Morley, Leader of Mid Suffolk District Council and Chair of Suffolk Public Sector Leaders Group, said:

"This is an exciting deal for Suffolk, bringing more decision-making powers to the county and decades of investment.

"Suffolk's public sector leaders have shown ambition and determination to make this happen, and will continue to work together to do the very best for residents and businesses.”

These deals are just the first steps in transferring power away from Whitehall into areas that want them. The East Anglian agreements mean that six of 13 places invited to negotiate devolution deals in the Levelling Up White Paper have now signed agreements with government. Suffolk and Norfolk join Cornwall – who signed their own deal just last week - York and North Yorkshire, and the East Midlands who have already signed devolution deals this year - these deals equate to another five million being covered by a devolution deal in 2022 alone.

The deal is now subject to local consultation, a council resolution to change their governance model so that electors directly elect the council leader, and elements, such as the transfer of new powers, require parliamentary approval to secondary legislation.

The deal envisages the election of a directly elected leader in May 2024. Subject to the passing of the relevant measures in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, Suffolk and Norfolk would call the directly elected person the 'elected leader' of the county council.

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