Citizen September 2025 - text version - Special focus on new local councils across Norfolk

Biggest shake-up in 50 years of local government coming to our city and county

Across the country, the way councils are structured and deliver services to you is being overhauled. Norfolk is in the first wave of this change.

Norwich, along with the seven other district councils in Norfolk and the county council, has been asked by the Government to propose new council models as part of its programme of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

Under its LGR plans, the Government has said that all services should be delivered by a single council called a Unitary Authority. Currently, we at Norwich City Council deliver services such as planning, housing, environmental health, and community support. Other services such as adult and children’s services, education, and transport and infrastructure are delivered by Norfolk County Council.

There are three options proposed:

• Three new unitary councils - a new Greater Norwich Council, a unitary for the east and one for the west.
• Two unitary councils
• One unitary council covering the whole county.

At Norwich City Council we believe you will be best served by creating three brand new bigger local councils. We are working with our partner councils – Breckland, Broadland, Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, and North Norfolk – to make the case for three new councils to serve Norfolk.

Communities thrive when the right size council serves its local area and the new councils which are created need to be large enough to be effective, but not too big that they’re unable to respond to local needs. It really matters because it is your council, and your local councillor, who stands up for you and your community and provides the services that matter most to you.

Having three councils serving Norfolk recognises Norwich’s status as a major regional city and ensures that other areas – including North Norfolk, the Broads, Brecks and Fens, and the many market towns across the county, retain their identities and characteristics.

Our proposal is built around three principles:

• People – strengthening local democracy and giving communities a stronger voice
• Place – celebrating the identity and strengths of each area
• Progress – delivering sustainable, future-ready services

Having sought your view via public engagement in July and August, our final proposal will be submitted to government on 26 September.

The power of three

Our vision is bold. It does not conform to conventional boundaries but “does different” and puts decisions in the hands of those who know Norfolk best: its leaders, its businesses, its communities, and its people.

It is built on three core principles:

People and accountability

Three unitary authorities will ensure decision-making remains close to home– with decisions taken by people who understand your community. This model strengthens local democracy, increases transparency, and gives Norfolk a stronger voice at both regional and national levels.

Place  

Norfolk is not one-size-fits- all. Our new model celebrates the unique identity, strengths, and heritage of each area– ensuring services are tailored to what matters most locally.

Progress and futureproofing   

We’re building a resilient future for Norfolk–one that delivers sustainable, scalable services that adapt to changing needs and protect public resources.

Cllr Stonard on the case for a new Greater Norwich

“Norwich is ambitious, unique, and strong, and a new council for Greater Norwich will ensure we capitalise on these attributes.

“I am confident in our comprehensive vision for a three-unitary model for the county. I believe it will deliver significant benefits for the people of Norwich, including improved public services, enhanced local economic growth and stronger democratic representation.

Greater Norwich is unique within Norfolk – it has its own distinct challenges, opportunities and sense of place, making it unique within the county and very different to its surrounding rural communities. It is the jewel in the crown of the county’s economy and when Norwich succeeds, Norfolk as a whole succeeds. A unitary Norwich, based on a wider urban area, will allow us to realise our growth potential, apply better approaches to addressing health inequalities and work towards tackling longer-term underperformance in education and skills.

Next steps

Our proposal to create three new councils; Greater Norwich, East Norfolk, and West Norfolk, will be submitted to Government on 26 September.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will then take some months to consider all options put forward and come to a final decision on how many councils there should be in the county. During this time the Government will conduct a full public consultation so everyone can have a say on what should happen.

A final decision on the way forward is expected early next year.

Following this, elections to the new authorities will be held in May 2027 and the new councils will begin to operate in shadow form. The current district and county councils will stop operating and the new councils begin to deliver services on 1 April 2028.

Survey results

A huge thank you to everyone who gave their view as to what they want the future of local government in Norfolk to look like.

Along with our partner councils, we ran our engagement with you between June and August. This included workshops, pop-up stalls, and a publicity campaign asking people to fill in our survey.

In total almost 5,000 people across Norfolk took the time to tell us what they think. Thank you! The feedback you gave will form part of our submission to Government.

Devolution - more power to our region

At the same time as local councils in Norfolk are being overhauled, Norfolk will also get a new mayor.

As part of the Government’s devolution plans, which will see more power shift away from Westminster, there will be elections next year to appoint a new mayor for Norfolk and Suffolk.

The mayor will head up the newly created Norfolk and Suffolk Combined County Authority (CCA). The CCA will have significant powers over local priorities like transport, housing, and economic development. The mayor will also represent the region on national bodies, ensuring your voice is heard at the highest levels of government.

Elections for the new mayor are currently set to take place in May 2026.