FEARS that the government were today preparing to shelve proposals to re-organise local authorities in Suffolk were today dismissed by two men in the eye of the storm.

FEARS that the government were today preparing to shelve proposals to re-organise local authorities in Suffolk were today dismissed by two men in the eye of the storm.

Ipswich council chief executive James Hehir said the boundary committee had been discussing the proposals for changes in the county are recently as last Thursday.

“We have a meeting with (local government minister) John Healey on Wednesday and that has been scheduled for weeks. I can't believe we are going to get there to be told that the whole thing is off,” he said.

And Ipswich MP Chris Mole, a government junior whip and former parliamentary aide to Mr Healey, was also confident that the reorganisation was still going to happen.

“There is no suggestion that I know of that the boundary committee is going to shelve its work. So far as I am aware they are still taking evidence and will come up with recommendations for the future of local government in Suffolk and Norfolk at the start of next year,” he said.