Published: Monday, 10th March 2025
An independent report into local government reorganisation, commissioned by the seven district councils in Norfolk, is published today.
Leader of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, Councillor Alistair Beales, said that the interests of local communities must come first in any discussion about the proposals:
“My starting point and my finishing point is what is best for our communities. That must lie at the heart of any debate about local government reorganisation.
“I know questions have been raised over whether reorganisation is a good idea in principle but that is now a redundant point. We have been told by the Government to reorganise so our priority is to get the best deal we can.
“Obviously I have the interests of West Norfolk in my mind, but this is also about how the interests of all of the communities across Norfolk can best be served.
“The people who live and work in this area are its foundation and they must come first.”
The independent report was jointly commissioned by the seven districts to help formulate a proposal to put to the government, in response to its instruction for the districts and county council to be abolished and reorganised into unitary authorities.
The report was produced by the consultants Deloitte, who have developed, maintained and continue to build a specialist, dedicated team to serve local and regional government for more than two decades.
A wealth of evidence was analysed, and a number of options considered.
Key considerations in the formulation of the report included:
- Ensuring that local place identity was preserved
- Access to services
- The best options for service delivery
Deloitte were asked to produce an independent, expert assessment of the solution that would best meet these needs.
Taking everything into account, Deloitte have proposed that three unitaries would provide the best mix of services, access and value for local people.
All the districts will now debate the proposal before submitting a proposal to the Government later this month.
The Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk will debate the proposal at panels on Tuesday 18 March, before the council’s Cabinet and Full Council debate it on 19 March.