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Norfolk and Suffolk sign up to fast-track fresh government devolution deal




Councillors have backed a bid to join a fast-track programme to secure devolution, which could see Norfolk given new powers and funding.

On Thursday, the county council agreed to apply to part of the devolution priority programme.

It follows the Government’s announcement in December that it plans to scrap district and borough councils and replace them with unitary authorities.

Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council.
Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council.

County council leader Kay Mason Billig said that, while the Government was pushing councils to take a decision with “indecent haste” and to apply to postpone elections, the alternative was to be at the back of the queue for powers and funding.

She added that Norfolk was well-placed to develop a devolution deal alongside Suffolk.

On shaping local government in Norfolk, she welcomed the chance to work closely with district councils to look at its future.

She said: “Ministers have said they will write to all Norfolk councils later this month to set out their plans for local government reform.

“I am keen to engage with our district councils and MPs, so that we can continue to deliver efficient, value for money, and accountable services to our residents.”

If ministers agree to Norfolk joining the priority programme, proposals would be developed for a mayoral combined authority, covering Norfolk and Suffolk.

This would include powers and funding for strategic planning, housing, transport and skills. Elections for a Norfolk and Suffolk mayor could then take place in May 2026.

In Suffolk, although the county council also agreed to join the programme, the debate focused mainly on whether or not the authority should ask the Government to delay May’s elections to allow for work to move at pace.

Matthew Hicks, the council’s leader, said voting against the proposals would “see Suffolk left behind”.

“Change is long overdue,” he said. “The structure that made sense 50 years ago does not make so much sense today. It’s about putting our county on the best possible footing for the next 50 years.

“This debate is absolutely about seizing the opportunity to transform Suffolk and deliver the best possible outcomes for our communities.”

Whitehall will have the final decision on whether to allow the elections to be moved.



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