Norfolk County Council submits judicial review of Local Government Reorganisation proposals

A judicial review has been submitted by Norfolk County Council in response to the proposed Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) programme in Norfolk. 

This development follows formal correspondence sent earlier in June by the county council's deputy leader, Robin Hunter-Clarke, to the secretary of state for state for housing, communities and local government, Steve Reed. In that letter, he set out the opposition to the Government's proposals and signalled the authority's intention to pursue legal action. 

The Government's proposals would replace the current two-tier system of local government in Norfolk, comprising the county council alongside district, city and borough councils, with a new structure of three unitary authorities. 

The submission of a judicial review represents an early stage in the legal process. The court will consider whether the case should be granted permission to proceed. If so, the case would move to a substantive hearing where the lawfulness of the Government's decision-making process will be examined.