Scrutiny considers county deal consultation results

The public's views on Norfolk's proposed devolution deal with the Government will be considered by the county council's scrutiny committee.

On 18 May, the committee will consider a detailed report on the public consultation that took place between 6 February and 20 March. It received more than 1,200 responses.

Former county council leader Councillor Andrew Proctor signed an in-principle devolution deal with the Government in December 2022. If approved, it would give Norfolk more control over funding and decisions on skills, jobs, housing and transport, which are currently decided in Westminster.

Chair of scrutiny, Councillor Steve Morphew, said: "Getting Norfolk's fair share of funding and the ability to make more key decisions locally is something that most people would want to see.

"The key question is whether the devolution deal that's currently on the table really is the best one. That's why we need to look, in detail, at what the public told us during the recent consultation and see if they have raised any issues that the council needs to explore further with the Government."

The consultation asked for views on the seven areas of the deal:

• Targeting funding and resources to Norfolk's own priorities
• Giving Norfolk a stronger business voice
• Investing in the skills we know we need
• Opening-up housing and employment
• Investing in local transport planning and consolidate transport budgets
• Having a Council Leader who is directly elected by the public, with the first election in May 2024
• Raising our profile nationally, enabling our voice to be heard by Government and help shape future policies
• The same meeting will also consider a report on the safety valve - Government funding for special educational needs services in Norfolk

The scrutiny committee will consider both reports, when it meets at 10am on Thursday, 18 May. Read the papers and watch the meeting, live or afterwards.