Today, on Angel Hill in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk Conservatives launched their Manifesto for the 2026 County Council Elections.
Conservative councillors, candidates and activists were joined at the launch by Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, James Cartlidge MP (South Suffolk), and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, Nick Timothy MP (West Suffolk).
Key commitments in the Manifesto include:
- A new £40 million investment fund for town centres and high streets
- An extra £20 million to resurface residential roads
- An extra £5 million to repair pavements, footpaths and rights of way
- An extra £1 million to repair signs and white lines
- A new bus station for Sudbury
- A new Household Waste Recycling Centre for Newmarket
Speaking after the launch on Angel Hill, the Leader of Suffolk County Council and of Suffolk Conservative Group, Councillor Matthew Hicks, said:
“Leading is a privilege and one we as Conservatives never take for granted. Whether it’s our support during covid, our record helping those fleeing Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, our safeguarding of Suffolk libraries, record investment in adult and children’s services and extra investment in our roads – ours is a record I am proud of.
“We can always do more and much of this manifesto is geared towards keeping Suffolk special, restoring and enhancing pride in our area and protecting the Suffolk way of life. Our £40 million investment fund for town centres, and additional £25 million for our roads and pavements, will help tackle potholes and get areas resurfaced and enhanced. Supporting business is of vital importance to us as Conservatives and these funds will support high streets at a time when life is too hard for too many businesses.
“Our strong record supporting rural communities against an onslaught of pylons, solar, energy schemes and erosion of our countryside will continue. Whether it’s the so-called Forest City or Sunnica solar farm in the west, vast pylon runs and solar through the centre and south of the county, or interconnectors and convertor stations in the east – we have consistently said no and will continue to stand firm. It doesn’t stop there; we’re fighting unfair parking fees – recognising that rural communities rely on their cars – and in the last year alone introduced 17 new or enhanced bus services.
“In areas like Special Educational Needs, we will go further and address the need for another 1,444 places – over and above the 1,200 we have already created. In Sudbury we commit to a new bus station and in Newmarket, a new recycling centre.
“This fully costed manifesto builds on a strong record of saving £82 million since 2019 that has enabled us as an administration to invest more in Suffolk. There is something here for all of Suffolk and I look forward to hearing the response on the doorstep.”
Notes to editors:
The full manifesto can be viewed via the following links (there are different covers for different parts of the county, but the content remains consistent):
https://www.suffolkconservatives.org.uk/WestSuffolk
https://www.suffolkconservatives.org.uk/EastSuffolk
https://www.suffolkconservatives.org.uk/MidSuffolk