Plan highlighting potential benefits of fewer councils sent to Government

A plan which says up to £29m per year could be saved by having fewer councils in Norfolk is being submitted to the Government.

The County Council's interim submission for local government reorganisation was agreed today (17 March 2025) by the council's cabinet. The Government has invited Norfolk's councils to submit proposals by 21 March.

At the moment, Norfolk is what's known as a two-tier area, with eight councils:

• A County Council, which is responsible for key services such as highways and transport, adult social care and children's services
• Seven district councils, which provide services such as bin collections, leisure and housing.

The Government wants to see all eight councils replaced with fewer, unitary councils - which are responsible for all services in their area.

County Council leader Councillor Kay Mason Billig said: "We have an opportunity to create a new council system for the future, which provides effective, joined-up, value for money services and has strong links to all our communities."

The council's interim submission indicates that having one unitary council in Norfolk would save a recurring £29m per year and a total of £120m over five years, repaying its start-up costs within a year.

Having two would save a recurring £9.6m per year and a total of £16.8m over five years, as it would take more than three years to repay start-up costs. Having more than two would cost more money than the current arrangement.

The interim submission highlights a range of potential benefits from having a unitary council system, including:

• Ending confusion - people would know that one council would deliver all services in their area
• Delivering value for money - with fewer sets of senior officers, councillors and council headquarters, freeing up money to invest in services
• Joining up services, to make them more effective - such as bin collection and waste disposal and enabling housing and social care to work more closely together
• Ensuring strong local links, through close working with town and parish councils, or local boards

Read the interim submission in the 17 March 2025 meeting details.  

For updates on local government reorganisation and devolution, see www.norfolk.gov.uk.