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 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.[2] The new district was named Mid Suffolk, reflecting its position within the wider county.[3]
In 2011, Mid Suffolk and Babergh District Councils began working together, with one, fully integrated staff structure.[8]
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.[9][10]
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:[11][12]
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.[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.[23]
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.[24][25] A large modern extension was built behind the original building, which was formally opened in January 1982.[26]
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.[27]
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