STATUTORY CONSULTATION ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT – NORFOLK
The Government are proposing major alterations to local government locally including the change to a single tier of councils to replace the current County and District/Borough system and there is a statutory consultation open till midnight on January 11th 2026 which anybody can complete. The document seeks views on the proposals that the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has received following the Secretary of State’s invitation to councils in Norfolk and Suffolk to submit proposals for unitary local government for their areas.
The three proposals for Norfolk were made by the following councils on 26 September 2025.and cover the whole of the county, there are similar proposals for Suffolk.
Norfolk County Council proposed one unitary council across the whole of the area of Norfolk comprising the current district areas of:
- Breckland, Broadland, Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, North Norfolk, Norwich, and South Norfolk
South Norfolk District Council proposed 2 unitary councils across the whole of the area of Norfolk comprising the current district areas of:
- East Norfolk: Broadland, Great Yarmouth, Norwich, and South Norfolk
- West Norfolk: Breckland, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk and North Norfolk.
The remining six local councils including Great Yarmouth Borough Council all agreed on and proposed 3 unitary councils across the whole of the area of Norfolk. This includes a request to split existing district council areas between the proposed new councils. These would comprise the district areas of:
- West: Breckland and King’s Lynn and West Norfolk and 9 parishes from South Norfolk.
- Norwich: Norwich plus 19 parishes from Broadland and 16 parishes from South Norfolk.
- East: Broadland less 19 parishes, Great Yarmouth, North Norfolk, and South Norfolk less 25 parishes.
THE LINK TO THE CONSULTATION IS – https://consult.communities.gov.uk/local-government-reorganisation/norfolk-suffolk/
There will be no changes to Parish Councils.
Also in the proposals are plans for area wide Mayors in our case, one covering the whole of Norfolk and Suffolk, for which it has been announced in early December that the initial elections, originally planned for May 2026 have been delayed till May 2028 to gave more time for plans to be put fully into place. It is now expected that Country Council elections for Norfolk, postponed in May 2025 will take place in May 2026.
Local Elections
WHAT DO LOCAL COUNCILS DO?
Your local council has an overall responsibility for the wellbeing of your local community. Their work falls into three main
categories:
• Delivery of services
• Improve quality of life for residents
• Give communities a democratic voice
BECOMING A LOCAL COUNCILLOR
As a local councillor you can become a voice for your community
and make a real change. Councillors are community leaders and
represent the interests of the communities they serve.
Local councillors have three main responsibilities:
• Decision-making
• Monitoring
• Getting involved locally
GETTING ELECTED
To stand for election to a local council you must:
• Be a UK or Commonwealth citizen; or be a citizen of the
Republic of Ireland; or be a citizen of another Member State
of the European Union
• Be at least 18 years old
• Be an elector of the local council; or in the past 12 months
occupied land or other premises in the area the local council
serves (as owner or tenant); or work in the area local council
serves (as your principal or only place of work); or live within
three miles of the local council boundary.
www.nalc.gov.uk/elections
The way you vote at your polling station is changing….
From May 2023 new UK government legislation contained within the
Elections Act 2022 means all voters voting in person at the polling
station will need to provide photographic identification before being
issued with your ballot paper.
If you do not have one of the accepted forms of identification you may
apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photoid-voter-authority-certificate
Postal Votes
You DO NOT need to provide photographic ID if you have a POSTAL VOTE.
For more information and if you wish to apply for a postal vote please visit
Please act now to:
ENSURE YOU EITHER HAVE ONE OF THE ACCEPTED FORMS OF
PHOTOGRAPHIC ID LISTED OVERLEAF
OR
YOU COMPLETE AN APPLICATION FOR A FREE VOTER AUTHORITY
CERTIFICATE BEFORE THE DEADLINE OF 5PM ON TUESDAY 25TH APRIL 2023
OR
YOU APPLY FOR A POSTAL VOTE BEFORE THE DEADLINE OF 5PM
ON TUESDAY 18TH APRIL 2023
The accepted forms of photographic identification are:
• a passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man,
a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state, or a Commonwealth country
• a driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man,
or an EEA state
• a biometric immigration document
• an identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram
(a PASS card)
• a Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
• a Blue Badge
• a national identity card issued by an EEA state
• an Older Person’s Bus Pass
• a Disabled Person’s Bus Pass
• an Oyster 60+ Card
• a Freedom Pass
• a Scottish National Entitlement Card issued in Scotland
• a 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
• a Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
• a Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• a Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in
Northern Ireland
• a War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• a 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• a Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• an Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
EXPIRED DOCUMENTS ARE SUITABLE PROVIDING
THE PHOTOGRAPH IS A TRUE LIKENESS