“Out of touch”, “very distant”, and “a great big pit of nothing”. Is that the future for Norfolk if it is covered by a single council?

Richard Stokoe, a councillor from Marazion in Cornwall, has issued a stark warning about the potential impact that imposing one large unitary authority in our county could have.

Cornwall has gone through exactly that scenario after local government reorganisation, and the Government is set to make a decision soon on the fate of Norfolk.

Cllr Stokoe has told of residents feeling cut off, an authority caring more about “its own patch”, and the transfer of powers taking an age.

Could Norfolk face similar problems?

WHAT IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION?

The Government wants to have fewer councils, known as unitary authorities, which run all services in their area, meaning existing county and district councils will be abolished.

Norfolk County Council has voted for one authority to cover the whole county and provide all services.

Its leader, Cllr Kay Mason Billig, has argued that a single authority is “best value for money” for residents.

However, six district councils have submitted a proposal for three new unitary authorities to cover Norfolk instead.

Last week, councils in West Norfolk, Breckland, North Norfolk, Great Yarmouth, Norwich City and Broadland sent their vision to the Government.

Their ‘Future Norfolk’ business plan would see the county carved up into Greater Norwich, East Norfolk and West Norfolk councils.

This has received support from West Norfolk MPs James Wild and Terry Jermy.

A NORFOLK AND CORNWALL COMPARISON

Despite being 385 miles apart, West Norfolk and Marazion in Cornwall share some similarities.

Norfolk and Cornwall are both large counties with pockets of rural communities in towns and villages, spread across a large area.

In 2009, Cornwall went through a similar local government reorganisation process under a different Labour government. Ever since, it has been run solely by Cornwall Council.

Cllr Stokoe, a Marazion resident and town councillor, says that some residents in the county face a two-hour journey to the Truro New County Hall if they want to attend a council meeting in person.

This is not too dissimilar to someone living in Lynn having to drive to Norwich.

Cornwall once had six district councils, and 212 parishes make up the area. There are seven Norfolk district councils and 540 parishes.

THE IMPACT OF ONE UNITARY AUTHORITY

Cllr Stokoe says that town councils in his area are now facing more responsibility, but claims the funding allocated to them is not adequate.

“I was a big fan of the unitary system at first,” Cllr Stokoe said.

“I really thought it was the best way to be because it felt like districts were just another layer of bureaucracy that would waste administration and time.

“But now, you have 212 parishes trying to report to a unitary authority. It is just too much noise for Cornwall Council. It turns out that they do not really have much idea of what is going on in small pockets of the area.”

Would the workload be too much for a single Norfolk council?

Three years ago, Community Area Partnerships (CAPs) were introduced to Cornwall.

“The funny thing is, the boundaries of these community area partnerships are on the same lines as where the districts were drawn up,” Cllr Stokoe said.

“There is a real feeling of disconnect between a local area and the unitary council. I do not think this was the case when we had district councils because councillors were embedded in local communities.

“Staff worked in local areas, they boosted the economy, and residents could go to the offices during the day and share their gripes. But they cannot do that now.”

The transfer of assets between town councils and the unitary authority was described by Cllr Stokoe as “eye-opening”.

He told how the seemingly simple task of handing a block of public toilets over to Marazion Town Council took around 15 years to do.

“So much money was spent on trying to work out who’s responsible for what,” he said.

“In areas that are much more rural and more spread out, it just all feels very distant. It feels like talking to Westminster to get something done.”

This will likely be a similar issue in Norfolk.

If the Government does opt for a single unitary option, the council is extremely likely to be based in Norwich. Cllr Stokoe’s worries could be relevant – will West Norfolk end up being cut off?

“We, as a town council, are having to pick up more stuff. Cornwall Council is not seen as part of the solution to any problems by residents in the area. But we don’t have as much money,” he added.

‘NOT PERFECT – BUT THEY CONNECT TO MORE PEOPLE’

A loss of intimacy between councillors and residents was another issue raised by Cllr Stokoe.

He added: “I’m not saying district councils are perfect by any means. But they connect more to people in the area, they understand problems and put them right.

”They don’t get it correct all the time, but there is a greater responsiveness and understanding of what is going on in the area.

“Councils will cut back on funding on smaller things like children’s play areas and things that matter to people – libraries, potholes and park benches.

“Funding is going to go into a great big pit of nothing.”

“If councillors are based in Norwich, they are not going to really care about somewhere like Lynn because they are going to care about their patch. I can’t find anything anywhere that demonstrates that devolution actually improves things.”

Cllr Stokoe has advised that, should a single unitary authority be the outcome, joining a town or parish council is a good way for concerned residents to get their views across.

“I think in Norfolk, what is going to happen is town and parish councils are going to be expected to do more and more,” he said.

“The lovely stuff that brings the community together – planters or the benches or the parks or all of those sorts of things – it’s going to be down to local areas to do it for themselves.

“Good luck to Norfolk if it does become unitary.”

WHAT DO OUR COUNCILS SAY?

Norfolk County Council is arguing that a single council would supposedly save £39.8million per year and deliver “the biggest benefits”.

Its business case says: “The outcome of our comprehensive options appraisal is clear that the best option for Norfolk is a single unitary council.

“A single unitary council for the whole of Norfolk is the only option that fully meets the Government’s criteria, ensures a robust, forward-looking model for Norfolk’s future, generates the most savings, has the lowest transition costs and will deliver better outcomes for communities.”

Meanwhile, deputy leader Cllr Andrew Jamieson previously told the Lynn News he believes one authority would make politics “even more local”.

In stark contrast, district council leaders on the Future Norfolk group have said: “We stand together as six councils with a clear, evidence-based case, demonstrating that three unitary councils rather than one mega council will best serve the people and places of our large and diverse county, informed by careful analysis, robust financial planning and extensive community engagement.

“Three unitaries will mean local decisions can be made by local representatives who understand their communities, and more responsive services tailored to local needs, strengths and opportunities, while remaining large enough to work efficiently across all council services, supported by a robust eight-year financial business case designed to ensure all three councils are viable and deliver savings.”

Would a single authority result in what Cllr Stokoe describes as “a great pit of nothing”?

This remains to be seen.