What issues matter to Suffolk voters in local elections?

Local elections in Suffolk are due to take place on 7 May with all 70 of Suffolk County Council's seats being contested.

The council's statutory services include adult social care, children's services, SEND services, highways, transport, waste disposal, libraries, public health, fire and rescue services, school transport and rights of way.

It has a budget of £800m and makes up the largest portion of council tax bills.

So what issues are voters talking about when it comes to these elections? We have been to The Bank, an arts centre and cafe in Eye, to find out.

Ava Lewis is one of the part-time managers of The Bank's coffee shop.

She is 26 years old and admitted that local elections are not something she is "as well versed on" as national politics. However, she said "stuff like housing and social care is hugely important, especially for the elderly and disabled people".

County councils are responsible for providing care to elderly or vulnerable adults, either in their homes or in a care home. Certain criteria do need to be met to qualify for the care, which takes up more than 50% of the entire council budget.

Lewis said the key to engaging younger voters will be making sure they understand what all the parties' policies actually mean.

"I think it's important to get real information across because so much of my generation is looking at things on [social media] where obviously information is tampered with. So finding real information, I think, is the key to getting through to my generation."

Ian Williamson, a retired doctor, said transport was an issue.

"How is the future going to look given that most people are struggling to access the basics? So, I think that's going to be quite a big issue. If you want to get anywhere or do anything you've got to get in a car, haven't you?"

He said he did not have a solution to the issue but he felt highways, public transport and the quality of the roads were "crucial".

County councils are responsible for developing local transport plans and policies.

Dr Jean Bush has been living in the area for the past seven years, and she said one of the things which "winds her up" is when the sewers overflow.

"There is a huge new estate up on the hill. Our sewers cannot cope with it.

"When we get heavy rain, the rainwater goes into the sewers and it blows the sewer covers off down the road and you have raw sewage coming down the road. It's disgusting."

County councils are statutory consultees on developments to ensure drainage does not increase flood risk elsewhere.

She is also concerned by the state of roads and pavements.

"If you're a cyclist or a motorcyclist and you try going through here and you hit one, you are on your backside.

"Same with the paths, they are awful, full of holes and cracks. When you walk with a walking stick, you can get caught in them and you're over on your face".

County councils are responsible for maintaining highways, roads and pavements. This can include traffic orders and speed limits.

In Suffolk, this means they look after 6,700km (4,163 miles) of roads.

Jenny Axtell lives in Eye and said the town has a problem with lorries going through it. Temporary restrictions were put on HGVs in the town as part of a trial in 2024, but were then reversed.

"They are dangerous. The pharmacy down the road is forever being hit by lorries trying to go round that little corner. It's got scaffolding up now to be repaired."

She said she was also fed up with road works in the town.

"It is regularly being dug up. It's pretty bad, I think."

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