Leader’s response to Devolution White Paper

Leader of Babergh District Council, Cllr Deborah Saw, said: “Local government must remain genuinely local.  I’m sure any new Combined Authority and Mayor would be seen as a positive step by many, as long as it brought with it the finances and power to deliver real change for our residents.  But we need to ensure that services are delivered by those who are close to their communities, that understand their specific needs, and can respond quickly to address inequalities – particularly for those most in need.

“Bigger is not always better – and a ‘one size fits all’ approach is unlikely to meet the diverse, and often complex, needs of our rural communities and market towns.

“We will now work our way through the White Paper in detail and discuss a response, together with our neighbouring authorities, to ensure the best outcome for our communities – maximising the benefits of any reorganisation whilst preserving local democracy, expertise and accountability.”