Name Your feedback Pat Bellay I wish to put on record my support, as a Business [Pat Bellay Designers Ltd], for the , + North Haven 3 way split of Suffolk as being proposed by St Edmundsbury; Forest Heath + Councils. One Suffolk would be far to large an area controlled from + there is a definite clear difference between East + West Suffolk going way back beyond the reorganisation in 74 + this difference should be recognised + restored. I knew + regularly visited Suffiolk from Essex in the 50's, moved here to live + work in Suffolk in 1968, + have been in business on my own account since 1976 [firstly based in Ipswich, in from 1982]. Re-organistion is well overdue, the District/County mix has not worked at all well + District Authorities have become extremely parochial. Hopefuly whatever comes out of this review will have sufficient scope to be less parochial as currently with the Districts but not too remote as would be the likely case with the whole of Suffolk centred on Ipswich.

Ideally I would probably go even further than this 3 way proposal [not proposed by anyone that I know of - but to get away from connection with Ipswich] to a 2 way split centred on - with the dividing line running South to North from the 'North Haven' western edge as East Suffolk centred on Ipswich, West Suffolk with + Needham Market along with as far as current MSDC areas of 'Barking+Somersham'; Helmingham+Coddenham'; 'Debenham'; Worlingworth, + Hoxne.

The latter 2 way split alternative being essentially a very personal view - but with considerable merit I feel derived from my own experience of dealing with most of the past + existing Suffolk Authorities since June 1968. Gary Butler I have watched the various changes in direction regarding the structure of local government in Suffolk over recent years with wonderment. I am an ex local government at service management level. As a member of the public, I now have as much information on the subject as I am likely to have.

The conclusion I have reached is that it would be madness to have any solution other than one unitary Suffolk Council. Why should local government in Suffolk be any different from that in Norfolk? It must also produce not only the greatest financial savings but also bring the people of Suffolk together, which is to be desired in what is predominantly a rural county. We will receive better service if our services are not split.

Yours sincerely

Gary Butler

s I think that the whole of suffolk option will be more cost effective and hopkinson efficient. Much is organised like that already, such as: schools, police, fire service. To really make the system unitary, ie one authority Suffolk County Council do an extremely good job already.

Splitting Suffolk as proposed will be bad for all the rural areas taken over by Ipswich with which they have nothing in common. There will be too little representation for a rural area which is not part of the development area of the Haven Gateway, whereas with a whole suffolk there would be a better balance of rural and urban. This must be less efficient and more expensive for the poll tax payers.

Susan This planextends the distance from the voter to the local authority, and will Mason further alienate the less articulate voter from their representatives. Gone will be the day when people felt thay could call on their councillor with problems, or the councillor could recognise constituents in the stree. Democracy must ensure that governemt keeps within reach of the electors. Of course, this will suit those who donot care about the underprivelged, who already have a poor polling record. Ultimately, the function of the council will be to commission business consortia to carry oyt local government functiond. Then the councillors will have no rsponsibility, will always be able to blame the company for shortcomings, and will claim that they arewatchdogs. This is not demcoracy, but will aid the increase of private profiteers who will take on othe profitable jobs, and further disadvantage the underprivileged. Eventually locasl governemnt will go the way of the NHS and the increase in private services. Working is it? I hope you don't have toothache. John I have been a resident of Bury St Edmunds for more than 30 years; I was Williams an elected member of St Edmundsbury Borough Council for 20 years; I am closely involved with the running of a local sports ground, which is owned by the Borough Council, but managed by a not-for-profit company with the aid of a grant from the council.

I am in favour of the establishment of unitary authorities; the public do not understand the difference between District and County Councils, and why should they.

I want to see a Council that is connected with and represents the area where I live, work, and play; this is Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding area.

My first preference would be for 3 separate unitary authorities for West Suffolk, East Suffolk, and 'Greater' Ipswich

If this is not possible on economic grounds then the published proposal for 'rural' Suffolk and 'North Haven'is the best solution.

I rarely visit Ipswich, which I see as remote and a different sort of place; I am strongly opposed to a single Unitary Authority for the whole of Suffolk

Jackie I have lived in hte middle of Suffolk for 29 years, and practised as a Ward chartered town planner in four of the district council areas, and my views are similar to those expressed by St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath councils.

A single giant unitary council for Suffolk would be too large and remote with any claimed benefits outweighed by the loss of local accountability;

East Suffolk, West Suffolk and North Haven have distinctly different priorities and needs which one council would struggle to balance;

All three councils will be of sufficient size to offer strategic leadership, economy and value for money, but will be much closer to, and empower, local people;

The East and West are very different places, with different futures because: landscapes, heritage, age profiles, housing, growth, patterns of deprivation, learning and skills needs, densities and patterns of settlement are all different; economically they look in different sub-regional directions: West Suffolk to Cambridge; East Suffolk to Ipswich, the Haven Gateway and Norwich; both areas demand different and innovative approaches to environmental management, growth, transport, and the way in which services are actually delivered in local communities;

Under an East Suffolk, West Suffolk and North Haven split, should stay in Suffolk

Jackie Ward B A(Hons), Tip TP, MBA, MRTPI S Lambirth Very strongly opposed to the idea of Ipswich expanding to include rural parishes/villages. This will mean representation of the rural areas will be minimal and completely swamped by the urban members. I don't think this was made clear in any of the publicity material put out promoting the scheme by Ipswich Council.

Please throw out this bad idea. If savings are to be made, why not reduce the number of rural councils, perhaps amalgamating neighbouring ones, but keeping them in charge of all rural areas.

I can see no benefit for villages just outside Ipswich being part of a huge authority.

Michael I first lived and worked in Suffolk, in 1974 and know it very well. Anyone Munt who has lived in the county will almost certainly agree that the East/West division, which before 1974 was reflected by the two county administrations is still very relevant to the social, economic, spatial and cultural character of Suffolk and the way in which it functions. The communications network in east Suffolk is focused on Ipswich. In the west Bury is an important hub, although many residents look to Cambridge for work, education and leisure.

Any reorganisation which ignores such a fundamental trait is unlikely to provide an efficient, sustainable or locally accessible form of government. It therefore suggests two uniitary authorities based in Ipswich and Bury. There is a strong arguement for Lowestoft becoming part of a Norfolk authority, reflecting the strong links that Lowestoft has with Yarmouth e.g. through the 1st East URC, and Norwich as its most accessible regional centre .

Under the present proposals Bredfield, where I live would be served by a council based in Bury St. Edmunds about 35 miles away, rather than Woodbridge (3 miles) or Ipswich (10 miles). This can only be a retrograde step. For towns such as or it would be a nonesense.

If the Haven Gateway is to be used as a base for a new authority then it should cover the whole designation including Colchester and Tendring. "North Haven" has no basis historically or in socio-economic terms with a boundary still running through Harwich Harbour.

Michael Munt

Dip TP, MRTPI, Grad Dipl Cons, IDBE, IHBC Allan I both live in Ipswich and work for SCC in CYP services. My children attend Cadzow SCC schools.

I favour the Unitary Suffolk option including Lowestoft. Whilst I believe a North Haven and a Rural Suffolk could survive I feel only a unitary Suffolk can thrive. As well as believing a Unitary Suffolk will be cheapest, easist and closest Suffolk needs as strong a voice as possible regionally, nationally and in Europe and this is most easily acheived with One Suffolk. Ipswich and need the rest of Suffolk and vice versa - they will be stronger with each other and weaker without.

I do not want my address made public - I manage sensitive services.

Keith I'm very concerned that the proposed new Unitary boundary: Ipswich, Beaumont Felixstowe and South Suffolk council - North Haven will be focused primarily upon urban expansion issues (particularly those of Ipswich - an aspiring city). Lttle Bealings is a small rural parish and the vast majority of parishoners live here for it's rural character and NOT urban attributes. As a parish we are more closely linked with Woodbridge than Ipswich, the majority of services are closer in Woodbridge than Ipswich and far less conjested. My main concerns are with the proposed "savings" expounded by Ipswichunitarynews.com, £35m savings within 4 years and £15m / yr thereafter - I suspect these figures have been cobbled together hurredly to meet the deadline set by yourselves without proper scrutiny or independant verification, I would be dubious as to their validity. As the Chief Executive of Ipswich Borough Council ; James Hehir, stated in his recent letter on Local Government Review "These changes will have great significance for Ipswich's development over the next thirty years or so", which highlights where the emphasis would be in the proposed "North Haven" boundary. I feel it would be more appropriate to have "OneSuffolk" as a boundary, so that the views of the whole county's voters can be represented. D S The re organisation of Suffolk into two units ie Ipswich and a second unit NOTLEY for the whole of Suffolk is desperately needed. Any alternative which would include the executive of Forest Heath who for the last eleven years have sadly ruined the town of Newmarket, whilst ignoring the pleas of local people,(please see press reports of recent local meeting in town hall that castigated Forest Heath) where members of the public shouted down the Chief executive, Planning officer and the Leader of the Forest Heath Council. All this whilst increasing Forest Heath Council taxes in the 98/99- 08/09 by 157% while Suffolk over the same period was 99% much more in line with the National average. That Forest Heath is now campaigning to set up an authority with Bury St Edmunds and Waverney claiming they can save £30 MILLION a year after set up costs is contrary to any fiscal past records of Forest Heath and is more likely to be about saving a few executive positions and councillors benefits. Please do not disclose my name, the data on increases in council tax can be checked by your people.

A Bridges I would like to express my support for the North Haven option in Ipswich please.

This appears to make financial and business sense. Jayne I support the idea of unitary authorities, combining the confusion between Rockall county and district/borough levels.

Lowestoft is histrically part of Suufolk and should be left where it is.

I was born on Bury and live in Haverhill. There is a natural east/west county split and I would support the re-introduction of the pre-1974 position for two unitary authorities.

Importantly, I believe Ipswich should not be hived off separately along with Shotley and Flixtowe.

All of eastern Suffolk should unite to assist with coastal errosion and flooding issues. Resources between east & west can then be targeted to the relevant areas.