52°09′22″N 1°02′56″E / 52.1560°N 1.0489°E / 52.1560; 1.0489

Mid Suffolk District
Non-metropolitan district
Stowmarket, the district's largest town
Stowmarket, the district's largest town
Mid Suffolk shown within Suffolk and England
Mid Suffolk shown within Suffolk and England
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast of England
Non-metropolitan countySuffolk
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQIpswich
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyMid Suffolk District Council
 • MPsDan Poulter
Jo Churchill
Area
 • Total336.3 sq mi (871.1 km2)
 • Rank37th (of 296)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total103,417
 • Rank229th (of 296)
 • Density310/sq mi (120/km2)
 • Ethnicity
99.0% White
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code42UE (ONS)
E07000203 (GSS)
OS grid referenceTM0853555286

Mid Suffolk is a local government district in Suffolk, England. The district is primarily a rural area, containing just three towns, being Stowmarket, Needham Market and Eye. Its council was based in Needham Market until 2017 when it moved to shared offices with neighbouring Babergh District Council in Ipswich, outside either district. In 2021 it had a population of 103,417.

The neighbouring districts are East Suffolk, Ipswich, Babergh, West Suffolk, Breckland and South Norfolk.

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering five former districts which were all abolished at the same time:

Thedwastre Rural District had been in the administrative county of West Suffolk prior to the reforms; the other districts had all been in East Suffolk.[1] The new district was named Mid Suffolk, reflecting its position within the wider county.[2]

Governance

Mid Suffolk District Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Rowland Warboys,
Green
since 22 May 2023[3]
Andy Mellen,
Green
since 22 May 2023
Arthur Charvonia
since 2017[4]
Structure
Seats34 councillors
Political groups
Administration (24)
  Green (24)
Other parties (10)
  Conservative (6)
  Liberal Democrats (4)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, IP1 2BX
Website
www.midsuffolk.gov.uk

Mid Suffolk District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Suffolk County Council.[5] The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[6]

In 2011, Mid Suffolk and Babergh District Councils began working together, with one, fully integrated staff structure.[7]

Political control

The council has been under Green Party majority control since the 2023 election, being the first time that the party had taken majority control of any council.[8][9]

The first elections were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[10][11]

Party in controlYears
Independent1974–1976
No overall control1976–2003
Conservative2003–2005
No overall control2005–2007
Conservative2007–2019
No overall control2019–2023
Green2023–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2003 have been:[12]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Penny Otton Liberal DemocratsMay 2003
Roger Saunders[13] ConservativeMay 2003Aug 2005
Tim Passmore ConservativeAug 2005Nov 2012
Derrick Haley[14] ConservativeDec 201228 Apr 2016
Nick Gowrley[15][16] Conservative28 Apr 20165 May 2019
Suzie Morley Conservative20 May 20197 May 2023
Andy Mellen Green22 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[17]

Party Councillors
Green 24
Conservative 6
Liberal Democrats 4
Total 34

The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 34 councillors representing 26 wards, with each ward electing one or two councillors. Elections are held every four years.[18]

Premises

Since 2017 Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils have their combined headquarters at Endeavour House in Ipswich, sharing the building with Suffolk County Council.[19][20]

Council Offices, High Street, Needham Market: Council's headquarters 1982–2017

When first created the council inherited offices in Elmswell, Eye, Stowmarket and Needham Market from its predecessors. It initially used the former Hartismere Rural District Council offices on Castleton Way in Eye as its headquarters, retaining the former Gipping Rural District Council offices in Needham Market and Stowmarket Urban District Council offices at Red Gables on Ipswich Road as secondary offices.[21]

The council initially decided to consolidate its offices in Stowmarket, being the district's largest town and a central location, but no suitable site could be found there. Instead it decided to extend the former Gipping Rural District Council's headquarters in Needham Market. The original building there was a large eighteenth century house called "Hurstlea" at 131 High Street.[22][23] A large modern extension was built behind the original building, which was formally opened in January 1982.[24]

Towns and parishes

Hawks Mill at Needham Market
Church and Guildhall at Eye

The whole district is covered by civil parishes. The parish councils for Eye, Needham Market and Stowmarket have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council.[25]

References

  1. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan District (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 17 November 2023
  2. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 3 January 2024
  3. ↑ "Council minutes, 22 May 2023". Mid Suffolk District Council. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "New council chief hired". Suffolk News. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  6. ↑ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "One Council » Babergh Mid Suffolk". midsuffolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  8. ↑ Irwin, Vikki; Cooper, Pete (5 May 2023). "Local elections 2023: Greens secure victory in Mid Suffolk". BBC News. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  9. ↑ Gecsoyler, Sammy; Topping, Alexandra; Walker, Peter (5 May 2023). "Greens win majority control of council for first time in UK". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Mid Suffolk". BBC News Online. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  12. ↑ "Council minutes". Mid Suffolk District Council. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  13. ↑ Howard, John (6 May 2003). "Tories re-take Mid Suffolk". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  14. ↑ "New leader at Mid Suffolk District Council replaces police commissioner". BBC News. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  15. ↑ Maclean, Callum (29 April 2016). "Nick Gowrley appointed new leader of Mid Suffolk District Council". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  16. ↑ Geater, Paul (3 May 2019). "Suffolk local elections 2019: Council leaders face defeat as voters punish Conservatives in Suffolk". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  17. ↑ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  18. ↑ "The Mid Suffolk (Electoral Changes) Order 2018", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2018/1317, retrieved 6 January 2024
  19. ↑ Geater, Paul (7 August 2017). "Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils set to move to Ipswich in September". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "Contact Us". Mid Suffolk District Council. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  21. ↑ Municipal Year Book. London: Municipal Journal. 1976. p. 792.
  22. ↑ "No. 45050". The London Gazette. 27 February 1970. p. 2464.
  23. ↑ Historic England. "131 High Street (Grade II) (1254005)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  24. ↑ "Four snub £1¾m office opening". Diss Express. 22 January 1982. p. 3. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  25. ↑ "Parish Council contacts". Babergh District Council. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
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