One council for whole of Norfolk is ‘only sensible option’, county council leader Kay Mason Billig claims
Replacing Norfolk’s eight councils with one would save £36.2million per year and deliver the biggest benefits to residents, a new report claims.
Having one council to cover the full county would “cut costs, join up services for residents and ensure strong financial foundations”, according to the draft options appraisal report from Norfolk County 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.
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 services. It is proposing that its preferred option is one unitary council, covering the whole area.
However, borough and district councils in the area - including West Norfolk Council - have previously said that three councils covering different areas would be better.
County council leader Cllr Kay Mason Billig said: “We have studied the data and listened to the public and that has led me to a clear conclusion.
“One council for Norfolk is the only sensible option, which is supported by facts and most importantly, by residents – it’s the most cost effective, it protects and improves the key services people rely on and it keeps our county together.”
The findings will no doubt fuel debate moving forward, with West Norfolk residents wondering whether or not an authority covering the whole county would be able to effectively represent them.
An increased focus on Norwich will also be a worry for people elsewhere in Norfolk.
Cllr Andrew Jamieson, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance at the county council, said: “One council for Norfolk makes the most of your council tax in these hard pressed times, with more spent on services and less on bureaucracy.
“Having more than one council creates a real risk that at least one of them would be financially unviable from the start.
“We’ve seen elsewhere the real harm that is done to residents and services, when councils are underfunded and go bust. This report is a real warning that we must not sleepwalk into that.”
In a consultation, Norfolk residents were asked to select their top priorities from the Government’s criteria for local government reorganisation:
• The top priority (67.2% of respondents) was to ensure council taxpayers got value for money from efficient services.
• The second priority (53.3%) was improving local services.
• The third priority (42.6%) was ensuring that services are not unnecessarily fragmented/split up.
The county council’s report argues that the key benefits of one council for Norfolk are:
• A single council would mean consistent services, delivered across the whole of Norfolk, with equal levels of council tax, service quality and services available, wherever you live.
• It would save £36.2million per year, by cutting duplication, reducing the number of chief officers and councillors and having economies of scale when purchasing services. Start-up costs would be repaid in a year.
• It avoids the risks and costs of splitting up complex, county-wide services like adult social services, children’s services and highways – which would incur extra costs of between £20.4million and £33.6million per year, if there were two or three unitary councils.
• It recognises the role of greater Norwich as an economic centre of activity for the whole county and highlights the importance of not creating an artificial boundary around it, which would stifle growth.
The report’s conclusion says: “We have an opportunity to create a new council for Norfolk which can:
“Be a powerful advocate for Norfolk – speaking up and influencing as one voice for local communities, creating more impact, both with any Norfolk/Suffolk mayor and with the Government, businesses and investors.
“Be accountable – our residents would know that one council was responsible for all of the services, removing confusion. There would be one set of locally elected councillors, with one set of elections.
“Be efficient – removing duplication and bureaucracy and joining up services to deliver better value for money.
“Enable devolution – through a single, clear and concise set of strategic priorities for Norfolk and simplifying decision-making.
“Avoid the use of untested models for delivering critical services to children, families, older people and some of the most vulnerable of our residents.”
The county council’s strategic and corporate select committee will consider the report when it meets at 10am on Wednesday, June 18.
The council’s cabinet will then meet at 2pm on Monday, June 23 to consider the report and the committee’s comments, before selecting a preferred option.
Once a preferred option is selected, there will be further engagement. The preferred option will be developed into a detailed proposal, to be submitted to the Government by September 26.
Ministers will take the final decision on what council structure to adopt.
West Norfolk Council has been approached for comment.
