West Norfolk councillors vote to back option for three-unitary authority model in Norfolk for local government reorganisation

Councillors in West Norfolk have decided which model for local government reorganisation they would prefer to “best meet Norfolk’s needs”.

Last night, the full council meeting of West Norfolk Council voted on the issue and backed an option for three new unitary councils to be created to serve communities in the future.

It came after councillors considered and debated an independent assessment by specialist consultant Deloitte which included three potential options for reorganisation - one, two or three unitary councils.

The same report is being debated by all seven Norfolk district authorities this week - with Norfolk County Council’s own plan stating that up to £29million per year could be saved by having fewer councils in the county.

This independent options appraisal was commissioned jointly by all district councils to help inform their initial response to the Government asking two-tier areas - those with districts and county councils - to develop and submit plans for establishing larger single-tier unitary authorities in their place.

Last night, West Norfolk councillors voted unanimously to endorse the three-unitary model for reorganisation as the council’s preferred option for submission to Government, reflecting Deloitte’s conclusion that the three-unitary model scores best overall against the Government-set criteria for reorganisation.

Council leader Cllr Alistair Beales said: “This is an important issue for Norfolk and we had a valuable debate as councillors, informed by the independent assessment.

“That assessment concluded that three unitaries will provide the best mix of services, access and value for local people.

“As council leader, I have also reached that conclusion myself after weeks of meetings with other council leaders, officer teams and careful consideration of the data.

“I believe that three unitaries, in a large and varied county like ours, will best meet Norfolk’s needs and also provide greater local representation than just one or two large councils.”

Cllr Beales said it was important to remember that submitting its interim proposals for consideration did not mean that a decision had been made, but that it was a “starting point” for working with the Government and continuing to liaise with other Norfolk councils so that full proposals could be submitted later in the year.”

“As I have said before, the communities we serve must remain at the heart of our discussions around reorganisation, and to that end we will start a consultation and engagement process in due course to seek the views of local communities in shaping final proposals,” he added.

“This is the biggest change in local government for 50 years.

“While this is a Government directive and ultimately will be a national decision, it is vital that the council represents its residents and businesses and takes this opportunity to influence and achieve the best outcome possible to meet local needs.”

Earlier this week, Norfolk County Council agreed its interim submission for local government reorganisation, which indicated that having one unitary council in Norfolk would save a recurring £29million per year and a total of £120million over five years, repaying start-up costs within a year.

Having two would save a recurring £9.6million per year and a total of £16.8million over five years, the report says, as it would take more than three years to repay start-up costs.

Having more than two would cost more money than the current arrangement, it adds.

Its submission highlighted a range of potential benefits from having a unitary council system.