David Ruffley MP has today slammed the Government for granting Ipswich Borough Council unitary status.

David said:

'Research by Cambridge University has estimated that the reorganisation costs of converting two-tier councils to unitary councils could be in the region of £121 per head, and 'there is every prospect that on-going costs would in fact be increased'. Such a bill would be equivalent to £345 per council tax-paying household.

'This is an absurd waste of taxpayers' money- it could mean a £121 a year poll tax on Suffolk people.

'The Labour Party is clearly so terrified of losing seats, such as Ipswich, at the next General Election that it is making recklessly populist decisions without any thought for the consequences.

'If England's boroughs and counties are wiped off the map and replaced with 'sub-regional' hybrids, it will weaken local identities and create a vacuum in which unelected Quangos suck up power.

'There is little evidence to suggest that services within Ipswich will improve and the process of reorganisation will have a serious impact on the wider quality of life enjoyed by Suffolk residents.

'A unitary Ipswich will require a new budget structure, the relocation and redeployment of staff, the redistribution of assets and property and the possible renegotiation of existing contracts. All this pen pushing will distract our councils from what they are elected to do- representing the interests of the people of Suffolk and Ipswich.

'The creation of a unitary Ipswich is going to result in a duplication of effort and create an unnecessary tier of bureaucracy- unfortunately it is the people of Suffolk who will ultimately suffer.

'I have strong reservations as to the costs associated with a unitary Ipswich. To my mind there is little evidence that the new authority will be capable of meeting the five-year payback period required by the Government.'