PROPOSALS to reform local government in Suffolk were again delayed today after it was announced that a report on the proposal would not be published this year.

Paul Geater

PROPOSALS to reform local government in Suffolk were again delayed today after it was announced that a report on the proposal would not be published this year.

The final recommendation by the Boundary Committee of the Local Government Commission had been due to be published on December 31 - but it has now been delayed until February next year.

After that is published the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, has six weeks to decide what to do about it - meaning the final decision will not be made until April at the earliest.

That is only two months before the next county council elections, due to be held in June 2009 on the same day as European Elections.

That would make it very difficult for elections to any new authorities to be held and the existing council functions to be unravelled by the time the new councils come into existence.