‘A strong case for three unitary councils in Norfolk,’ says West Norfolk Lib Dem leader Rob Colwell

West Norfolk’s Liberal Democrat leader Rob Colwell writes this week’s Friday Politics and discusses devolution…

For the Liberal Democrats, local government is key – localism, community politics and devolved power are all hallmarks of the Liberal Democrat approach. We have a strong and proud tradition in local government, and we have thousands of councillors, and control or share power on councils throughout the country, just like here in West Norfolk.

This week all councillors across Norfolk were presented with an independent report from Deloitte, regarding the options available for Local Government Reform (LGR). The Labour government have made this one of their flagship policies, which they have linked to devolution of powers away from central government. The idea around devolution is to give greater powers and hopefully more money, to local councils to help grow their local economy, make decisions locally that impact communities, and introduce regional mayors to act as a link to government.

The Deloitte report was commissioned by all seven district/borough councils in Norfolk to present a united front for reporting back to government. The government had given some strict criteria beforehand upon which councils should base their future unitary councils, to include an expected minimum size of 500,000 residents, save for possible geographical quirks. Norfolk is a large county with significant rural areas, and given the population, there was limited scope for Deloitte to play with. They had to consider three possible options, the first being a single unitary for the whole county, the second cutting Norfolk in two as east/west, and the third a split down the middle, but to separate off Norwich into its own urban unitary.

The recommendation within the report was clear, a three-unitary council model was the most advantageous option against the government criteria. It priorities and reflects the three main historic urban centres of King’s Lynn, Norwich and Great Yarmouth. It would provide more options for delivering economic growth. Not only that but it will deliver improved outcomes for the people of Norfolk and ensure that areas have appropriate place identities.

The report also highlights local relationships between councils that exist, with West Norfolk, Breckland and North Norfolk already working together now on a host of issues. They would each also have their own hospital. The final point, which is most important for me, is that the three-unitary approach would better maintain effective local engagement with the community due to their smaller sizes. For all too long West Norfolk has had key decisions made by Norwich, and all too often we have been forgotten, left behind and made to feel we are not good enough and like we don’t deserve the new infrastructure, schools or health provision we so desperately need.

We have a strong identity as the Royal heartland of Norfolk and a gateway to the county. We have a strong manufacturing and agricultural base. We are proud of our strong heritage and civic traditions. We must not lose this with a single mega council based in Norwich. This would not be best for residents.

Now is the time for West Norfolk to rise from the shadows of an overbearing sibling in Norwich. Whilst we will, however, remain close family, we can grow independently and develop further our own distinctive identity. I encourage you to reach out to your local councillors. Tell them to support the three unitary option, as recommend in the independent report. We cannot miss out on this opportunity, our best days are ahead.