Members Vote in Favour of Three Council Plan for the Future

Date published: 24th September 2025

At North Norfolk District Council's Full Council meeting tonight (September 24), Members voted to endorse a three-unitary proposal for Local Government Reorganisation in the county. Members voted as follows: 27 in favour, 4 against, and 3 abstentions.

North Norfolk District Council is the fifth local authority to back the 'Future Norfolk' blueprint, with Great Yarmouth members still to vote tomorrow (Thursday 25) at their Full Council meeting.

The Future Norfolk proposal would see the creation of three new bespoke unitary authorities, serving three distinct geographies and communities across our large and diverse county — Greater Norwich, East Norfolk and West Norfolk – plus a new King's Lynn Town Council to ensure Norfolk's biggest town has a strong place-based democratic voice.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Tim Adams, said,

"We are grateful to residents and Parish Councils who helped shape our proposals, and we look forward to presenting the case further during the public consultation carried out by the Government, which is expected over the winter.

"This is the culmination of months of activity between our councils. It has been a genuine collaboration between all of us, gaining the support of most of the County's MPs, Councillors and Councils. The proposals have now also gained support from across the political spectrum, with Liberal Democrat, Conservative, Labour, Independent, Green, and Reform councillors in Norfolk giving their support to the proposal.

"While this authority continues to have reservations about the Government's overall policy to reorganise local services, we believe this proposal creates the best possible arrangement to suit the needs of our residents and businesses for the long-term."

North Norfolk District Council Chief Executive, Steve Blatch, said:

"This is a once-in-a-generation change to the structure and delivery of local government services in Norfolk and members of North Norfolk District Council, in supporting a proposal for three new unitary councils, have given careful thought to how any new councils might be big enough to deliver in terms of scale and financial resilience, but close enough to residents and communities to reflect local needs, priorities and opportunities in the years ahead.

"We now await the Government's response to our proposals. In the meantime, it's Business as Usual - with elected councillors and staff at North Norfolk District Council continuing to deliver for our residents, businesses and communities."

The Government wants new single-tier 'unitary' authorities created in Norfolk to be responsible for all services, replacing the eight existing district, borough, city, and county councils. It is asking current authorities to propose what future services could look like, ahead of a public consultation this autumn.

Three Unitaries will mean that local decisions can be made by local leaders and representatives who understand their communities, and services can be shaped by and tailored to the strengths and needs of each area. Meanwhile, Councils will be large enough to work more efficiently in delivering people's priorities across all council services.

The final submission is supported by an eight-year financial business case, designed to ensure all three councils are viable. It delivers £220m in net efficiencies over eight years and £49m+ in recurring annual net savings from Year 4, achieved through transformation work.

A summary of the proposal can be found at www.futurenorfolk.com