Overview

• Ipswich Borough Council’s leader rejected an £80,000 countywide fund to help parish councils navigate major infrastructure projects, and the proposal failed because unanimous backing was required.
• County cabinet member Richard Rout condemned the move as selfish and used it to press the One Suffolk single-unitary plan, citing £78.2m in five-year savings and a Band D council tax cut he says would be £245 in Ipswich.
• Neil MacDonald countered that Ipswich has no parishes and accused the county of a desperate political attack on the three-unitary alternative promoted by district and borough leaders.
• The clash follows dueling public arguments, with county leaders stressing efficiencies and tax harmonisation while opponents argue local accountability and question claimed savings.
• Both camps are finalising business cases for the 26 September government deadline, with any approved changes expected to take effect by May 2026 against a backdrop of Ofsted criticism of CYP services and a rising DSG deficit.