Norfolk County Council submits plan to Government saying that one unitary authority would save up to £29million per year

A plan which says up to £29million per year could be saved by having fewer councils in Norfolk is being submitted to the Government.

Norfolk County Council's interim submission for local government reorganisation was agreed today by the authority’s cabinet. The Government has invited Norfolk’s councils to submit proposals by March 21.

At the moment, Norfolk is what is known as a two-tier area.The Government wants to see all eight councils replaced with fewer, unitary councils - which are responsible for all services in their area.

County council leader Cllr Kay Mason Billig said: “We have an opportunity to create a new council system for the future, which provides effective, joined-up, value for money services and has strong links to all our communities.”

The council's interim submission indicates 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.

This is in contrast to a report commissioned by the seven district councils in Norfolk which found that three unitaries would provide the best mix of services, access and value.

The interim submission from the county council highlights a range of potential benefits from having a unitary council system, including:

• Ending confusion - people would know that one council would deliver all services in their area

• Delivering value for money - with fewer sets of senior officers, councillors and council headquarters, there would be more money to invest in services

• Joining up services, to make them more effective - such as bin collection and waste disposal, and enabling housing and social care to work more closely together

• Ensuring strong local links, through close working with town and parish councils, or local boards

You can read the interim submission online at https://norfolkcc.cmis.uk.com/norfolkcc/CalendarofMeetings/tabid/128/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/496/Meeting/2350/Committee/169/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx