In a process known as Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), the Government is replacing all eight councils in Norfolk with three ‘unitary councils’, which will deliver all council services from April 2028.
Currently, services in Norfolk are split between the county council and seven borough, city and district councils.
Norfolk councils were asked to submit LGR proposals by 21 March 2025, with full proposals by 26 September 2025. The options put forward for Government consideration were: One unitary council for the whole of Norfolk, two councils or three councils.
Government decision
Following a statutory public consultation of all three options put forward, the Government decided on 25 March 2026 that three unitary councils is its chosen way forward for Norfolk.
Three councils is the Future Norfolk proposal put forward jointly by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, together with five other districts: Breckland Council, Broadland District Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Councils, North Norfolk District Council and Norwich City Council.
Three councils will ensure decisions about local services are taken closer to communities and tailored to local needs. This evidence-based, joint submission was shaped through extensive community engagement, careful independent analysis of all options, and robust financial planning.
This crucial work demonstrated that three unitaries will deliver clearer local accountability, more responsive services and better value for money while remaining large enough to operate efficiently across all council services.
Next steps
Now the Government has made its decision, councils across Norfolk are working together to prepare to integrate services and reorganise into the three new unitary councils, which will happen alongside the delivery of business-as-usual services for communities.
A Structural Change Order (SCO) is expected to be laid before Parliament in autumn 2026 and come into effect early in 2027. The SCO is the legal instrument which will allow reorganisation to proceed.
The SCO will set out arrangements for the transition process and authorise elections to happen to the three shadow councils for each authority in May 2027, with the three new unitary councils going live and taking over responsibility for all services on 1 April 2028. Until that point, the existing county and district councils continue to be responsible for day-to-day services and their councillors will remain in post and make decisions.
Future Norfolk - the future of local government in Norfolk
LGR will see the creation of three new unitary authorities in Norfolk, replacing the existing district, borough, city and county councils.
- Greater Norwich
- East Norfolk
- West Norfolk
The new West Norfolk unitary council will comprise the geographic areas currently served by West Norfolk, Breckland plus a small part of South Norfolk.
Timelines and next steps - summary
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 21 March 2025 | Submission deadline for interim plans for LGR |
| 26 September 2025 | Final date for full business case submission |
| 19 November 2025 - 11 January 2026 | The government held a statutory consultation on local government reorganisation proposals it had received |
| 25 March 2026 | The Minister decided to proceed with three councils |
| Autumn 2026 | Structural Change Order expected to be laid before Parliament |
| Early 2027 | Structural Change Order expected to be passed |
| May 2027 | Elections to the new shadow unitary authorities* |
| 1 April 2028 | Vesting day for new councils |
*Shadow unitary authorities of councillors will be temporarily formed until the new unitary authority is formally established.
Devolution in Norfolk and Suffolk
The Government's devolution process is set to bring new powers and funding to boost jobs, transport, housing and growth in Norfolk and Suffolk. Both counties haves been accepted onto the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme (DPP).
Early in 2025, the Government held a public consultation on proposed devolution in Norfolk and Suffolk, specifically on the proposal to form a Strategic Authority headed by a mayor, covering both counties. The consultation closed on 13 April 2025 and you can read a summary of public responses on the GOV.UK website.
The Government has been continuing to work with the Norfolk and Suffolk county councils to establish the Mayoral Combined County Authority. Following the Government’s decision to proceed with county council elections in May 2026, the overall schedule for reconsent and the establishment of the Combined County Authority was paused until after the county council elections.
Find out more on the Norfolk and Suffolk Combined County Authority website.
Further information
Further information about devolution and local government reorganisation in Norfolk can be found in the links below: