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Many people may be unaware of who holds the responsibility for the
services they receive. Bury St Edmunds is served by three separate
Councils, each undertaking different and varied roles although positive
relationships between all three are designed to meet the needs of
service users:
• Bury St Edmunds Town Council
• St Edmundsbury Borough Council
• Suffolk County Council
Summarising what they do often detracts from the overall value that
they give so it is important to bear this in mind in the following
illustrations.
The Town Council exists
especially to look after the interests of the residents of Bury
St Edmunds. In 1974 local government was reorganized, leaving the
town without a town council, although an Area Forum operated to
consider local issues. On 1 May 2003 Bury St Edmunds Town Council
was reformed and has since aimed to meet the needs of townspeople
in a variety of ways including the management of allotments, war
memorials, provision of several waste and grit bins, working in
partnership to provide the town’s Christmas lights. As an
accountable body, Council and its committees consider and address
local matters and can be regarded as the voice of the people, for
example making representations in planning and licensing applications,
campaigning for better services, challenging contentious matters.
Funding for the Town Council comes from a small proportion of the
townspeople’s council tax. Bury St Edmunds Town Council currently
comprises 17 Councillors to represent the nine wards of the Town
and its services are administered by a small team. 
Having been ‘lost’ in the local government reorganisation
of 1974, the Town Council’s Coat of Arms were re-established
in 2006 by the College of Arms under Royal Warrant. Further information
regarding the Town Council can be found on its website www.burystedmunds.suffolk.gov.uk.
The Borough Council
covers the towns of Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill and surrounding
parishes. Since 2009 its functions have been coordinated from West
Suffolk House, bringing stronger partnership links with co-located
County Council employees working in the western area. It is funded
and staffed commensurately to provide services to these areas where
collective delivery is likely to be more effective, efficient and
economic. Typically its services include maintaining electoral registers
and the administration of elections; environmental health; housing;
waste disposal; planning, building control and licensing; street
cleaning; parks and cemeteries; leisure; legal compliance and monitoring
standards of those in local  government;
car parking; issue of bus passes; management and maintenance of
local highways. More information about the Borough Council is available
on its website www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk.
The County Council undertakes
major services that have countywide necessity for example business
and trading standards; education and learning; fire prevention and
response; waste disposal; library, arts, museums and heritage services;
social care; registration of births, deaths and marriages; archaeology;
transport, rights of way and road safety. Information relating to
the County Council can be obtained on its website www.suffolkcc.gov.uk.
Services are not all delivered by its Councils; other key organisations
include:
• Suffolk Constabulary, responsible countywide for policing
services. Policing for Bury St Edmunds falls within its western
area and on a more local basis Safer Neighbourhood Teams exist.
Further information can be found at www.suffolk.police.uk.
• Health Services are provided by relevant Trusts. Emergency
services can be contacted via 999 or more general advice on health
can be obtained from NHS Direct. Further information can be found
at www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories.
• The Department for Work and Pensions has responsibility
for matters relating to jobseekers, pensions, income support. Further
information can be found at www.dwp.gov.uk.
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