The co-leader of the Green Party, Sian Berry, has visited Stowmarket to boost the party’s bid to strengthen its position on Mid Suffolk council in next year’s elections.

The Greens currently hold six seats on the council where it is the official opposition – and it hopes to increase that number despite the fact that the overall number of councillors is set to fall from 40 to 34.

Group leader councillor Rachel Eburne said: “Continued control of the council by a single party can lead to complacency and our aim is to continue challenging and holding the Conservatives to account.”

The Greens campaign will aim to: Give local people back their council by moving the meetings and headquarters to where they live, while making decision making more public and transparent.

The party has been critical of the move of the council’s administration, which it shares with neighbouring Babergh, to offices in Suffolk County Council’s Endeavour House headquarters in Ipswich.

The party wants to focus council investment on building homes locally not buying properties in remote shopping centres – the Cifco investment company jointly owned by Mid Suffolk and Babergh has invested in retail and business premises in Peterborough, Norwich, Milton Keynes and Brentwood.

And the Greens want to ensure new homes in Mid Suffolk are built to 21st century standards with minimal heating bills adapted to the low carbon future.

Ms Berry became co-leader of the Green Party earlier this month alongside Jonathan Bartley, replacing the party’s only MP Caroline Lucas. She is a member of the London Assembly and has been a campaigner on several green and civil liberty issues.

The Mid Suffolk Green Party is one of the strongest in Suffolk. As well as holding six district council seats, Andrew Stringer sits on Suffolk County Council where he is leader of the Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent group.

And in this rural part of the county the Green Party has established itself as the main opposition to the Conservatives running the authority.