Timeline for unitary developments
| Date | Papers |
|---|---|
| October 2006 | Publication of government white paper 'Strong and Prosperous Communities' |
| January 2007 | Submission of Norwich City Council’s business case for a unitary Norwich |
| February 2007 | Submission of Norwich City Council’s supplementary bid information |
| March 2007 | Submission of Norwich City Council’s further bid information |
| June 2007 | Submission of Norwich City Council’s refined bid proposals |
| June 2007 | Publication of details of government consultation |
| July 2007 | Norwich City Council’s core bid is rejected, but Boundary Committee review of Norwich and Norfolk is to be commissioned |
| October 2007 | Boundary Committee starts informal work across Norfolk |
| November 2007 | Submission of Norwich City Council’s conceptual outline business case for unitary government across Norwich and Norfolk |
| December 2007 | Minister announces that the boundary review of Norfolk will be extended to include the whole of Suffolk |
| February 2008 | Government formally commissions Boundary Commission to review Norfolk and Suffolk |
| 3 March-11 April 2008 | Stage 1 of boundary review: Submission of Norwich City Council's enhanced conceptual outline business case Boundary Committee provides briefing on financial requirements (8 April) |
| 14 April-4 July 2008 | Stage 2 of boundary review:
|
| 7 July-26 September 2008 | Stage 3 of boundary review: |
| 29 September-19 December 2008 | Stage 4 of boundary review:
|
| December 2008 | Boundary Committee announce that their 31 December 2008 deadline has been replaced by a new deadline of 13 February 2009 |
| 23 December 2008 | Norwich City Council writes to the Boundary Committee setting out initial reasons why the independent financial assessment is flawed |
| October 2006 | Publication of government white paper 'Strong and Prosperous Communities' |
| January 2007 | Submission of Norwich City Council’s business case for a unitary Norwich |
| February 2007 | Submission of Norwich City Council’s supplementary bid information |
| March 2007 | Submission of Norwich City Council’s further bid information |
| June 2007 | Submission of Norwich City Council’s refined bid proposals |
| June 2007 | Publication of details of government consultation |
| July 2007 | Norwich City Council’s core bid is rejected, but Boundary Committee review of Norwich and Norfolk is to be commissioned |
| October 2007 | Boundary Committee starts informal work across Norfolk |
| November 2007 | Submission of Norwich City Council’s conceptual outline business case for unitary government across Norwich and Norfolk |
| December 2007 | Minister announces that the boundary review of Norfolk will be extended to include the whole of Suffolk |
| February 2008 | Government formally commissions Boundary Commission to review Norfolk and Suffolk |
| 3 March-11 April 2008 | Stage 1 of boundary review: Submission of Norwich City Council's enhanced conceptual outline business case Boundary Committee provides briefing on financial requirements (8 April) |
| 14 April-4 July 2008 | Stage 2 of boundary review:
|
| 7 July-26 September 2008 | Stage 3 of boundary review: |
| 29 September-19 December 2008 | Stage 4 of boundary review:
|
| December 2008 | Boundary Committee announce that their 31 December 2008 deadline has been replaced by a new deadline of 13 February 2009 |
| 23 December 2008 | Norwich City Council writes to the Boundary Committee setting out initial reasons why the independent financial assessment is flawed |
| 9 January | Norwich City Council writes to the Boundary Committee setting out an alternative financial model, which meets the "affordability" criterion |
| 9 February 2009 | Boundary Committee announce that their deadline of 13 February 2009 has been replaced with another deadline of 15 July 2009 and invite Norwich City Council to submit new financial workbooks |
| 19 March 2009 | Boundary Committee announce new draft proposals for consultation |
| 14 May 2009 | Response to boundary committee |
| 15 July | Boundary Committee to announce final advice and recommendations to the Secretary of State |
| September - December 2009 | Awaiting Boundary Committee appeal outcome |
| December 2009 | Appeal Court decision ruling announced. Boundary Committee submit final recommendations to the Secretary of State |
| December - January 2010 | Six week consultation period on the Boundary Committee’s final recommendations, during which time the Secretary of State invites representations on the proposals |
| January 2010 | Secretary of State to decide to implement the original Norwich bid (with or without modification), or implement the Boundary Committee alternative proposal (with or without modification), or take no action . |
| February 2010 | Local government minister Rosie Winterton announces the government’s intention to make Norwich a unitary authority on its existing boundary after considering recommendations made by the Boundary Committee for England.
An implementation order was laid before Parliament the same day, which if approved, would create a unitary council for the city providing all key services, including children’s services and adult social care. |
| March 2010 | As part of the parliamentary process the Merits Committee considers the implementation orders, and Norwich City Council submits its response to this committee. To read this submission, click here.
Debates and votes to be held in both houses of parliament on the implementation order to determine if approval is to be given. |
| April 2010 | If the implementation order has been approved by parliament an Implementation Executive would be established to take all the key decision on the design and implementation of the new council. Detailed implementation work for the new council would formally get underway. |
| May 2010-May 2011 | Implementation work of new council on-going. |
| April 2011 | Start date for new unitary council (vesting day), which formally takes over responsibility for all local government services in Norwich. |
| May 2011 | All out elections for the new Norwich unitary council will be held based on the current 13 wards returning three members each. |


