East coast councils to develop business case for 'super-district'

Two councils on the east coast of England are to develop a draft business case for a merger leading to the creation of a ‘super-district’.

Suffolk Coastal and Waveney District Councils have worked together for a number of years and appointed a joint chief executive in 2008. The two councils already have a joint business plan, issue joint performance and annual reports, use a joint ‘east Suffolk’ email account for staff and are developing a joint east Suffolk website.

The Cabinets of the two authorities held simultaneous meetings this week (14 March). A report prepared for these meetings outlined various options ranging from forming a wider partnership with one or more other district/borough councils through to a formal merger.

The councils said the decision to pursue the latter option marked "the beginning of a lengthy democratic process which, if further progress is made, would include a full and formal public consultation.

"The legal requirements of such a process mean that the implementation of any merger would not be seen before 2019 at the earliest."

In a statement, the Leaders of Suffolk Coastal and Waveney District Councils, Cllrs Ray Herring and Colin Law, said: "This is an historic moment but we must stress that it is only the start of a long and thorough process. It is important that no stone is left unturned in considering the benefits and impact of a decision to merge our two councils.

"We want the people of east Suffolk to play their part and we are greatly looking forward to a healthy and robust discussion about what is best for the future of local services in Suffolk Coastal and Waveney."