South Norfolk investigates 'four councils for Norfolk' reorganisation option

South Norfolk Council is researching the option to reorganise local government in Norfolk into four unitary councils, which would provide all services to the public.

The agreement to do this came at a packed special council meeting attended by over 100 representatives of district, town and parish councils last night (8 November).

The special summit meeting was called by Council Leader John Fuller to give town and parish council leaders the opportunity to offer their views, and see a presentation from Chief Executive Geoff Rivers setting out the current position.

Over 40 district councillors and around 60 town and parish council leaders responded to his invitation and he thanked everyone for their response.

The Boundary Committee for England, which met South Norfolk Council leaders last week, has set all Norfolk councils a tight deadline for submitting ideas. These must be with the Committee in just 19 days from now.

This timetable was criticised at the meeting by parish and town council leaders who said they were being asked to make decisions in less than three weeks that would affect the people of Norfolk for generations.

South Norfolk Council has subsequently agreed to ask the Boundary Committee for an extension of that deadline.

It was agreed at the meeting that the decision to research the four-council unitary option did not mean the council was formally backing it at this stage. This was an "initial preference".

The decision to research this initial preference is part of a wider agreement by all districts to share out the research into options, so as to manage the work more effectively should the Boundary Committee refuse to move the timetable back.

The final recommendation over which option South Norfolk Council will support will be made by a cross-party Local Government Reorganisation Member Working Group within the council.

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