For too long we have had the worst of the deal within a county set-up that too often sees us getting less than fair shares.

The Boundary Committee's draft proposal for a Norfolk unitary authority could leave us in the same position.

While the county council's concept includes the idea of Community Partnership Boards outside Norwich, the Boundary Committee is already saying: "We are also keen to ensure that effective strategic leadership is provided for King's Lynn and the west of the county.

"Both might necessitate greater devolution than the model currently envisaged by the County Council."

Of the two other patterns the Boundary Committee identifies as having merit, the one which could place the emphasis more on the west is the two unitary set-up which has, on the one hand, Norwich, Yarmouth, Lowestoft and the areas between with, on the other, the rest of the county in which Lynn would be the largest town.

What the Boundary Committee says is that they were not persuaded there is a clear vision with clear intended benefits for either of the two authorities.

They go on to say "In particular, at this stage, it is not clear to us how Lynn's sphere of influence would be accommodated in the strategic leadership and vision for the rural Norfolk authority."

I think it is highly significant that, before the Boundary Committee reported, it went back to all those submitting proposals with key questions.

One which all were asked to answer focussed on how Lynn's influence (as a key economic driver for the west of the county) would be taken into account in each body's proposal.

So what can be done? Two things:

The case for Lynn needs making by advocates of the two-unitary pattern I've summarised above

If we are to have a Norfolk unitary, practical proposals will have to be put to strengthen democratic leadership for Lynn and the west of the county including, I suggest, a stronger role for parish and town councils including the creation of a town council for King's Lynn.

Irene Macdonald, county councillor, Lynn,

North and Central