Central and Eastern Suffolk or Central and East Suffolk was a proposed unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Suffolk, England. It would have been formed from the Mid Suffolk district less 29 parishes and East Suffolk less 25 parishes. There would have been elections in May 2027 and the new unitary would have been created in 2028. In 2021 the population of the area was 253,416. Plans to create it were withdrawn in September 2026.
Formation It was being formed as part of ongoing local government changes throughout England, in which all areas of the country that have separate county councils and district councils will see those replaced with single-tier, or unitary, local governance.
The other new unitary authorities in Suffolk would have been Western Suffolk and Ipswich and South Suffolk. The alternative proposal for a single unitary council for Suffolk, which was put forward by Suffolk County Council, was not chosen.
In September 2026, the Suffolk proposals were withdrawn by the government in light of new legal advice.
Parishes and settlements The largest settlement in the district would have been Lowestoft, the whole of the area is currently parished. It would have contained the following civil parishes:
Aldeburgh, Alderton, Aldringham cum Thorpe, All Saints and St Nicholas, South Elmham, Ashbocking, Ashfield cum Thorpe, Aspall, Athelington Bacton, Badingham, Badley, Barking, Barnby, Barsham, Battisford, Bawdsey, Baylham, Beccles, Bedfield, Bedingfield, Benacre, Benhall, Blaxhall, Blundeston, Blyford, Blythburgh, Boulge, Boyton, Braiseworth, Bramfield, Brampton with Stoven, Brandeston, Bredfield, Brome and Oakley, Bromeswell, Bruisyard, Brundish, Bungay, Burgate, Burgh, Butley, Buxhall Campsey Ash, Capel St Andrew, Carlton Colville, Charsfield, Chediston, Chillesford, Clopton, Coddenham, Combs, Cookley, Corton, Cotton, Covehithe, Cransford, Cratfield, Creeting St Mary, Creeting St Peter, Cretingham, Crowfield, Culpho Dallinghoo, Darsham, Debach, Debenham, Denham, Mid Suffolk, Dennington, Dunwich Earl Soham, Easton, Ellough, Eye, Eyke Farnham, Finningham, Flixton, Lothingland, Flixton, The Saints, Framlingham, Framsden, Fressingfield, Friston, Frostenden Gedgrave, Gipping, Gisleham, Gislingham, Gosbeck, Great Bricett, Great Finborough, Great Glemham, Grundisburgh Hacheston, Halesworth, Harleston, Hasketon, Haughley, Helmingham, Hemingstone, Henstead with Hulver Street, Hevingham, Hollesley, Holton, Hoo, Horham, Hoxne, Huntingfield Iken, Ilketshall St Andrew, Ilketshall St John, Ilketshall St Lawrence, Ilketshall St Margaret, Kelsale cum Carlton, Kenton, Kessingland, Kettleburgh, Knodishall Laxfield, Leiston, Letheringham, Linstead Magna, Linstead Parva, Little Finborough, Little Glemham, Lound, Lowestoft Marlesford, Mellis, Melton, Mendham, Mendlesham, Metfield, Mettingham, Mickfield, Middleton, Monewden, Monk Soham, Mutford Needham Market, Nettlestead, North Cove Occold, Offton, Old Newton with Dagworth, Onehouse, Orford, Otley, Oulton Palgrave, Parham, Peasenhall, Pettaugh, Pettistree Ramsholt, Rattlesden, Redisham, Redlingfield, Rendham, Rendlesham, Reydon, Ringsfield, Ringshall, Rishangles, Rumburgh, Rushmere Saxmundham, Saxtead, Shadingfield, Shelland, Shipmeadow, Shottisham, Sibton, Snape, Somerleyton, Ashby and Herringfleet, Somersham, Sotherton, Sotterley, South Cove, Southolt, Southwold, Spexhall, St Cross South Elmham, St James South Elmham, St Margaret South Elmham, St Mary South Elmham Otherwise Homersfield, St Michael South Elmham, St Peter South Elmham, Sternfield, Stoke Ash, Stonham Aspal, Stonham Earl, Stonham Parva, Stowmarket, Stowupland, Stradbroke, Stratford St Andrew, Stuston, Sudbourne, Sutton, Sweffling, Syleham Tannington, Theberton, Thorington, Thorndon, Thornham Magna, Thornham Parva, Thrandeston, Thwaite, Tunstall Ubbeston, Ufford, Uggeshall Walberswick, Walpole, Wangford with Henham, Wantisden, Wenhaston with Mells Hamlet, Westhall, Westhorpe, Westleton, Weston, Wetherden, Wetheringsett-cum-Brockford, Weybread, Wickham Market, Wickham Skeith, Wilby, Willingham St Mary, Willisham, Wingfield, Winston, Wissett, Woodbridge, Worlingham, Worlingworth, Wortham, Wrentham, Wyverstone Yaxley, Yoxford
Governance The local authority would have been Central and Eastern Suffolk Council. The first councillors would have been elected in May 2027. This election was cancelled in September 2026.
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