Suffolk County is subject subject to a unitary authorities review, which will hopefully break up Suffolk into more accessible and accountable units, eg the formation of an East Suffolk. The final recommendation originally delayed until July 15th, 2009 has now been further delayed. On 10 July, Mr Justice Foskett ruled that the planned publication by the BCE of its final recommendations on 15 July 2009 was flawed as the process used by the BCE in drawing up its final recommendations was flawed. This decision will probably mean a further delay in the review. The Government and the BCE are considering appealing against his decision. The judgement was made following a judicial review requested by Suffolk Coastal, St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath councils. The councils bringing the legal challenge have brought their own ideas to the table for three unitary councils in Suffolk.

photo courtesy of BBC Suffolk

On Dec.2nd 2009, the appeal was upheld when the Court of Appeal recognised that the process the Committee followed in formulating its draft proposals in Suffolk was lawful and consistent with the guidance that the Secretary of State issued.

On Dec.7th 2009, the Boundary Committee made two proposals for Suffolk:

1. a unitary county of Suffolk (the Committeeâ€'s preferred alternative proposal for Suffolk); and
2. a two-unitary pattern comprising an Ipswich & Felixstowe authority and a Rural Suffolk authority.

On Feb.10th, 2010 the Government decision was summarised to Suffolk local authorities...

"From the representations received the Secretary of State is clear that there is wide agreement across the county that there should be a unitary solution in some form. However, it is equally clear to him that neither of the unitary proposals which the Secretary of State considers meet the criteria is supported by all the principal councils in the county. Accordingly, the Secretary of State has concluded not now to take his statutory decision on any of the Suffolk unitary proposals before him, and to invite all the Suffolk councils, with their Members of Parliament, consulting other stakeholders and through a county constitutional convention, to reach a consensus on a unitary solution for that area. We will be writing shortly to you with further information about this initiative."

Any new unitary authorities may come into being around May, 2011 or 2012...

Thanks to the success of some recent Judicial Reviews brought by local authorities, unhappy with the consultation process, the Government has instructed the Boundary Committee to further delay their recommendation for Suffolk - until July 15th, 2009!

Of course the UK economic/political/social scene has recently started to undergo some extreme changes, as a major recession has now dramatically changed the scenario. With dropping local authority revenues the whole background for "budget savings" coming from further re-organisation is becoming very suspect...

Meanwhile, the consultations has been reopened and hopefully show majority support for a 3-way split (based more on existing district boundaries) - Greater Ipswich, West Suffolk & East Suffolk (with a heavy Suffolk Coastal/Waveney core).We've come too far, and spent too much money, to turn back to the status quo!

The Boundary Committee will consider all the representations they have received throughout the review. If you have written to them before they will take what you've already said into account.

The Boundary Committee for England
Trevelyan House
Great Peter Street
London SW1P 2HW

Email: reviews@boundarycommittee.org.uk

Unlike parish, town and district councils, the county (or unitary) local authority makes decisions on a number of key factors that affect all local lives eg Education, Social Care, Transport etc...Help keep national party politics out of these local issues!

Don Tricker, previously standing as a non-political Independent, had a very credible showing first time out in the County Elections in 2005, coming in only 384 votes behind the Labour candidate - and without a party machine behind him.

His result outperformed virtually all the Independent, UK Independence and Green party candidates across the whole of Suffolk.

Don plans to stand again when the unitary authorities have been agreed and elections take place on a more permanent and meaningful basis.

NB. This website has remained essentially unchanged since May 5th , 2005, but will receive a radical revamp, serious overhaul and extensive updating when we have one or more local independent candidaters. A great deal has changed since then with several more significant developments and achievements by Don who continues to volunteer and work tirelessly for the community. Precisely because he is not a "career politician" Don doesn't just pop up at elections! Don continues to make a positive impact on the local community, but as an elected county/unitary councillor, with the mandate of the community, he could be even more effective...

Soon it will be time for a real change!!!

If you would like to find out what's involved in standing as an Independent candidate

and what advice and support you can expect, call Don on tel: 01728-604944

and/or click on the Local Government Association's Independent Group web pages

2005 Blything county division Results

For the councillor and council summary results of the 2005 elections,

please click here.here.herehere.

DON TRICKER

YOUR INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE

ACCOUNTABLE TO YOU, THE LOCAL RESIDENTS,

NOT A PARTY BUREAUCRACY!

FIGHTING TO KEEP NATIONAL POLITICS

OUT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT!

AND PROVIDE TRUE LOCAL REPRESENTATION,

FOR DEALING WITH ALL LOCAL ISSUES AS THEY ALL MATTER!

DON TRICKER stood in the May 5th (2005) Suffolk County Council elections, in the new Blything Division - covering the wards of Saxmundham, Walberswick & Wenhaston and Yoxford.

For the case for Independent candidates, please click here

For Don Tricker's pen picture, please click here.

For Don Tricker's manifesto summary, please click here.

For a message from Mike Ames, please click here.

Other related links:

Saxmundham IP17 Community

PASTEL

Rural East Suffolk Carers Action Network (RESCAN)

Social Enterprise Network Suffolk (SENS)

The Saxmundham & District Community Development Partnership

Suffolk Enterprise Business Support

BFRA