Greens welcome County Council doubts over Unitary Norfolk plans

Today, the Conservative Group and Cabinet on Norfolk County Council voted in favour of a motion which said the existing two tier structure was adequate and that (if unitary government were introduced) a single county option (without Lowestoft) to be preferable (1). The issue was then discussed again by Cabinet and Cabinet endorsed the motion passed by council.

The Green Party welcomed these doubts about a Unitary Norfolk from the Cabinet. Greens have consistently opposed plans for a whole-County Unitary, arguing that any new local government structure must provide better accountability and better ability to deliver local services, strategic planning and community engagement. Councillor Andrew Boswell spoke on this at the County Council meeting this morning, saying: ‘We need more empowerment for people, a stronger voice for people on the local issues that affect their families and children, and more say in how their local services are delivered’.

Councillor Boswell adds: ‘If the County Council, as main proponent of a Unitary Norfolk, prefers status quo, it cannot then be enthusiastic to make the case for it. Then prospects of a Unitary Norfolk actually coming about must be diminishing fast. The Boundary Committee has to recommend an option which has widespread stakeholder support, and this surely cannot include the whole County Unitary if the Council expected to lead on it doesn’t support it as the overall best solution! If Unitary Norfolk does go ahead, then it will be one of the largest councils in the country – with a population a similar size to that of Birmingham City Council but covering 20 times the geographical area. It would mean no local accountability over local services in different parts of Norfolk.’

Councillor Adrian Ramsay, Deputy Leader of the Green Party nationally and Leader of the Opposition at City Hall, said: ’The Green Party has consistently supported a Greater Norwich unitary covering the whole of the urban area. Urban Norwich has different needs to rural Norfolk and Norwich should have one council covering all local government services in its area. I agree that the argument for unitary status elsewhere in the county is less strong and I think the best solution would be to keep a two-tier system outside Norwich. Whatever happens now, hopefully the worst possible scenario of one council covering the whole county is now dead in the water after the County Council have made it clear its not its overall preferred solution.’