Cabinet members on Norfolk County Council back leader Kay Mason Billig saying one authority would benefit county

Cabinet members on Norfolk County Council have backed its leader by agreeing that one authority would benefit its residents going forward.

Norfolk County Council’s cabinet today selected a single unitary council as its preferred option, which will be developed into a detailed proposal and submitted to the Government in September.

It comes two weeks after the council’s leader, Kay Mason Billig, said that one council for Norfolk is the “only sensible option”.

More recently, she said that the council had gathered and considered evidence and listened to the public’s priorities - value for money, no fragmentation of services and keeping services as local as possible.

She said: “That all adds up to one Norfolk and one council.”

The Government wants to replace existing county and district councils in England with fewer, unitary councils, which deliver all services in their area. It has asked councils to submit options.

However, not all authorities in the area are in agreement. Several councils have hit back following the publication of the report by Norfolk County Council.

A joint statement from district council leaders Alistair Beales (West Norfolk), Sam Chapman-Allen (Breckland), Sue Holland (Broadland), Carl Smith (Yarmouth), Tim Adams (North Norfolk) and Mike Stonard (Norwich City) rejected these arguments.

Norfolk County Council has studied data and evidence on the pros and cons of one, two or three unitary councils and asked the public what mattered to them about local councils and services. It is proposing that its preferred option is one unitary council, covering the whole area.

Having one council would cut costs, join up services for residents and ensure strong financial foundations, according to the draft options appraisal report considered by the cabinet.

The county council's report says that the key benefits of one council for Norfolk would be “consistent services” due to a single council tax, making savings, splitting up services and more.

Now that a preferred option has been selected, there will be further engagement, including a public consultation that was launched recently.

The preferred option will be developed into a detailed proposal to be submitted to the Government by 26 September. Ministers will take the final decision on what council structure to adopt.