Councillors will be elected in May 2027 to the three new shadow authorities. When the 3 new unitary councils are formally established in April 2028 (replacing the county, district and borough councils), those councillors will then serve a four-year term - making a total term of five years. The next elections will take place in 2032.
The new unitary councils have provisionally been named:
- Central and East Suffolk (with 65 councillors)
- Ipswich and South Suffolk (with 64 councillors)
- West Suffolk (with 66 councillors)
The May 2027 elections will lead to shadow authorities being created as part of the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) process.
What is a shadow authority?
Ahead of the creation of the three new councils for Suffolk in April 2028, there will be the formation of what is known as a shadow authority for each new council.
A shadow authority works alongside the existing councils and is responsible for preparing the new unitary councils to take on their full powers and responsibilities.
They do not have control over service provision - responsibility for delivering services will transfer to the new unitary authorities on 1 April 2028.
What will the shadow authorities do?
These shadow authorities will operate from May 2027 until Vesting Day on 1 April 2028. During this period, councillors will prepare the new councils to take on all local services, including:
- agreeing budgets
- setting up systems, governance and processes
- ensuring the smooth transfer of services
- finalising how the new councils will operate from April 2028
Until the new unitary councils go live in April 2028, all current county, district and borough councils in Suffolk will continue to operate and be responsible for day to day services.
What happens next?
As the 2027 elections approach, we will continue to share information about:
- who can vote
- how to register and vote
- key dates and election arrangements
Further details will be published as they become available.