Norfolk and Suffolk have been identified by the Government as priority areas for local government reorganisation, a move which saw the local elections scheduled for this May cancelled. Under current proposals, the two areas are heading towards a Mayoral Combined County Authority with a directly-elected Mayor and devolved powers – marking a significant shift in local governance which will provide more power over strategic planning, transport and infrastructure.
At a first glance there appears to be broad alignment on the way forward, with both of the County Councils pushing for the creation of one new unitary authority in each county. However, upon closer inspection there is plenty of work to be done to achieve a consensus approach. Wary of reduced influence, alongside geographical and cultural concerns about losing local identifies, the district councils are pushing back on the Counties’ plans and are favouring a three-unitary split across Norfolk and a two or three-unitary split in Suffolk.
Unsurprisingly, this is playing out along political party lines. With the Conservative-led counties advocating for the single-unitary models and the district authorities, mostly led by Centre Left parties, favouring a more localised approach with two or more unitary councils. The counties argue a single-unitary model would create a more pragmatic road to devolution, combining services and improving efficiency. Conversely, the district councils claim that multiple-unitary models will place greater emphasis on local identity, create more opportunities for economic growth and provide a stronger base for devolution alongside the new Mayoral Combined County Authority.
If reorganisation is to take place via a multi-unitary model, it is likely this would take the form of three unitary councils in Norfolk: East of Norfolk (covering Great Yarmouth, Broadland, South Norfolk and the majority of North Norfolk Councils), Urban Norwich (covering the City’s existing boundaries) and West of Norfolk (covering Breckland, King’s Lynn, West Norfolk and some North Norfolk county divisions).
In Suffolk, the district and borough councils have proposed the creation of either two or three unitary councils. A three-unitary option would likely see a new Greater Ipswich authority alongside unitaries for the east and west whereas a two-unitary option would see one in the east and one in the west with each council having a population of c.390,000.
Looking at the bigger picture in Norfolk, devolution and local government reorganisation provide significant opportunities to address the worsening housing crisis, exacerbated by nutrient neutrality issues in recent years. The proposed Combined County Mayoral Authority, under a new Mayor empowered to develop Spatial Development Strategies, will foster a more centralised approach to Planning. With additional powers to apportion housing targets, override local planning decisions and distribute grant funding, the industry should view this as a real opportunity for Norfolk to deliver on its unmet housing needs and ambitions for affordable housing to drive growth.
At Cratus we will be keeping a watching brief on all things devolution over the coming months. If you’d like to discuss a project in Norfolk or Suffolk, please get in touch with the team.