Together, for our Future summary

We are the fifth largest shire county in England, with a population of nearly 900,000; forecast to grow to more than a million by 2036. Alongside our growing population, we have a buoyant job market and high levels of employment. We're one of the largest county economies with more than 37,000 businesses, 348,000 jobs worth £18 billion - and a net contributor to the UK economy.

Growing populations and economies mean our County's city, towns and villages are increasing in size to create new communities for the future. There are plans to build more than 80,000 homes over the next 20 years, and Norfolk is fortunate to have enough space to accommodate both new housing and commercial growth.

We are all proud of our unique environment, identity, heritage and assets. And we all share that same ambition to see Norfolk succeed. We see it as our responsibility to create a plan that matches our collective ambition to ensure our communities grow, thrive and prosper for the future. There are challenges ahead, not just for the County Council, but for all of us. More than ever, we need to work better together for the greater good. We need vision and leadership to strive to improve, otherwise we risk falling behind the rest of the country.

Norfolk's success in the future is predicated on our infrastructure needs while protecting our special environment. We need to build an inclusive society, with engaged citizens, so we are ready to be tomorrow's economy.

We need to act today to create a successful county for now and the future.

Andrew Proctor

Executive Leader of Norfolk County Council