Kesgrave Council chair's isolationist stance ignores devolution reality

Following the announcement from Ipswich Borough Council that Ipswich's main political parties were all behind proposals for a Greater Ipswich unitary authority, Neal Beecroft-Smith, the chair of Kesgrave Town Council, quickly declared that "the people of Kesgrave would prefer to stay independent."

Speaking to the Ipswich Star, he said:

Opinion

Devolution is still in the early stages and we have to think a lot about this, but I don't think that the people of Kesgrave would like to be grouped with Ipswich at all.

The community in Kesgrave would prefer to stay independent and keep to the interests of our town, and I do not think being with Ipswich will help us ensure that.

From devolution, we would like to see what we can get, but the plans are still at a very early stage right now. However, the community and the interests of Kesgrave should be kept.

The government's devolution framework clearly indicates that new unitary authorities should serve populations of approximately 500,000. While town and parish councils are not affected by structural changes, the notion that Kesgrave, a town of around 15,000 people, could maintain independence and prosper is fanciful.

So, was this political posturing? An attempt to negotiate a "better deal" for Kesgrave? Perhaps it was just poorly worded. Who knows?

Regardless, it's an untenable position on Suffolk's devolution plans that risks marginalising Kesgrave and weakening our position at a critical moment in local government and for the future of both our towns.

His assertion that he speaks for the town's residents in opposing closer ties with Ipswich is also questionable. No evidence has been presented of any consultation with Kesgrave's residents, many of whom will commute to Ipswich and rely on its services.

After all, the economic reality is that Kesgrave's prosperity is deeply entwined with Ipswich's. We are objectively (in my opinion) stronger together.

The choice isn't between independence and being "grouped with Ipswich"—it's between having a strong voice within a Greater Ipswich authority and being subsumed into a larger unitary, which would dilute our town's shared interests even more.

As Suffolk moves toward devolution, the future prosperity of both our towns depends on us working together, not pulling apart. We must take a more forward-thinking and open-minded approach that acknowledges a Greater Ipswich authority's practical realities and potential benefits.

Mr Beecroft-Smith was approached for comment but declined.