Help shape the future of Norfolk's council services

People and organisations in Norfolk are being invited to give their views to help shape the future of local government in the county.

Norfolk County Council is posing a series of questions and will use your replies to help it draw up plans for a future council structure. The feedback form is available at www.norfolk.gov.uk/LGRfeedback and people can answer as many or as few questions as they wish to.

County council chief executive Tom McCabe said: "We have an opportunity to build on the best features of our current councils and create something that delivers efficient and effective services, with strong community links, which meets your needs.

"We want to hear from people and organisations in Norfolk on what's good at the moment, what could be improved and what you'd like to see for your local area, before we draw up our detailed proposals."

At the moment, Norfolk is what's known as a two-tier area, with eight councils:

• A County Council, which is responsible for services such as highways and transport, adult social care and children's services
• Seven district councils, which provide services such as bin collections, leisure and housing

The Government wants to see all eight councils replaced with fewer, unitary councils - which are responsible for all services in their area.

The feedback form will be available from 23 April to 20 May. Views expressed will help shape the county council's proposals, with further engagement planned when a preferred option is identified.

A final proposal must be submitted to the Government by 26 September, before ministers take a final decision on the future shape of local government in Norfolk.

You can find out more about local government reorganisation at www.norfolk.gov.uk/LGR and by subscribing to the county council's email bulletin, Your Norfolk Extra.

Background:

On 16 December 2024, the Government published its devolution white paper and announced a priority programme for areas interested in devolution and local government reform.

The Government wants to replace county and district councils in two-tier areas like Norfolk with unitary authorities, which run all services.

The county council's interim submission to the Government on 17 March highlighted 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 and councillors, freeing up 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