Draft Proposals for Unitary Local Government in Norfolk and Suffolk
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Draft proposals Draft proposals for unitary local government in Norfolk and Suffolk July 2008 Translations and other formats For information on obtaining this publication in another language or in a large-print or Braille version, please contact the Boundary Committee: Tel: 020 7271 0500 Email: [email protected] © The Boundary Committee 2008 The mapping in this report is reproduced from OS mapping by the Electoral Commission with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office, © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence Number: GD 03114G Contents What is the Boundary Committee for England? Summary 1 1 Introduction 3 2 The Committee’s approach 5 Engagement with stakeholders 5 General considerations: the context of modern local government 6 Specific considerations: how we have approached the review 9 Broad cross-section of support 15 Leadership 15 Deliver the empowerment of citizens and communities 17 Value-for-money services 18 Affordability 21 3 Concepts submitted to the Committee 23 Norfolk 23 Suffolk 29 4 Great Yarmouth and Waveney 35 5 Draft proposal for Norfolk 39 Other patterns 44 6 Draft proposal for Suffolk 51 Other pattern 60 7 What happens next? 63 Appendices Appendix A – Other considerations 65 Appendix B – Mapping 67 What is the Boundary Committee for England? The Boundary Committee for England is a committee of the Electoral Commission, an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. The Committee’s main role is to conduct electoral reviews of local authorities in England with the aim of ensuring the number of electors represented by each councillor is approximately the same. Other duties include reviewing local authority boundaries and advising the Government on local authority bids for unitary status. Members of the Committee are: Max Caller CBE (Chair) Jane Earl Robin Gray Professor Ron Johnston Joan Jones CBE Dr Peter Knight CBE DL Professor Colin Mellors Director: Archie Gall Summary On 6 February 2008 we were requested to advise the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on alternative unitary structures of local government in Norfolk and Suffolk. This request for advice followed bids for unitary status from Norwich City Council and Ipswich Borough Council. On 7 July 2008 we published our draft proposals, on which comments are invited. Our draft proposal for Norfolk is: • a Norfolk unitary authority comprising the existing county of Norfolk and the Lowestoft area of Suffolk Our draft proposal for Suffolk is: • an Ipswich & Felixstowe unitary authority and a Suffolk unitary authority comprising the rest of the county apart from the Lowestoft area Our proposal for Norfolk is set out in detail in chapter 5 of the report and for Suffolk in chapter 6. Maps illustrating our draft proposals are set out in Appendix B of the report. Our approach to this review, and the general and specific considerations we have had regard to in conducting our work, are set out in chapter 2 of the report. What happens next? There will now be a period of 12 weeks, during which we welcome views on our draft proposals. All representations should be sent to reach us by 26 September 2008. We have not finalised our proposals for unitary patterns of local government in Norfolk and Suffolk. In the light of representations received, we will review our draft proposals and consider whether they should be altered. It is therefore important that all interested parties let us have their views and evidence, whether or not they agree with our draft proposals. We have also included in the report other patterns of unitary local government that we considered had merit, which people may wish to bear in mind when considering the draft proposals. In Norfolk we considered: • a Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft unitary authority and a Norfolk unitary authority comprising the rest of the county 1 • a Norwich unitary authority on expanded boundaries and a Norfolk unitary authority comprising the rest of the county and the Lowestoft area of Suffolk In Suffolk we considered: • a Suffolk unitary authority comprising the existing county apart from the Lowestoft area We welcome views and evidence from all those who have previously written to us and those we have not yet heard from. The Committee places great importance on ensuring openness and transparency in the way we deal with all representations. Accordingly, representations received will be made available for public inspection at our offices in Trevelyan House. Submissions will also be available on our website, www.boundarycommittee.org.uk If you make comments during this period of the review, and do not want all or any part of your response or name made public, please state this clearly in the response. Any such request should explain why confidentiality is necessary, but all information in responses may be subject to publication or disclosure as required by law. After 26 September 2008 we will consider all the representations we have received and start to formulate our final advice, which we have been asked to submit to the Secretary of State by 31 December 2008. You can express your views by using our online form at www.boundarycommittee.org.uk, or by writing directly to: Review Manager (Norfolk and Suffolk Reviews) The Boundary Committee for England Trevelyan House Great Peter Street London SW1P 2HW Tel: 020 7271 0512 Fax: 020 7271 0505 Email: [email protected] Once we have provided our advice there will then be a further period of four weeks during which representations may be made directly to the Secretary of State. She may then accept, reject or modify any proposal that we make. She may also ask us for more information. It will be for the Secretary of State to decide if and when any new unitary authorities are to be created. 2 Introduction 1.1 In October 2006, following the publication of the Local Government White Paper,1 the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government issued an invitation to two-tier principal local authorities (district and county councils) in England to submit to her proposals for a change to unitary or single-tier status.2 Local authorities bidding for unitary status were asked to submit business cases that addressed the five criteria set out in the invitation document. 1.2 Proposals were received for the creation of 26 new unitary authorities and included a bid from Ipswich Borough Council (Ipswich) and Norwich City Council (Norwich) for unitary status on their existing boundaries. In July 2007 the Secretary of State announced that in her judgement there was not a reasonable likelihood of Norwich’s proposal, based on the city’s current boundaries, if implemented, achieving all the outcomes specified by the five criteria. In December 2007 the Secretary of State made a similar announcement in relation to Ipswich’s bid. 1.3 We have been asked by the Secretary of State under section 4 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 to provide advice3 on whether there could be alternative proposals for a single-tier of local government for each of Ipswich and Norwich, and the whole or part of the surrounding Suffolk and Norfolk county areas respectively, that would have the capacity, if implemented, to meet the five criteria set out by the Secretary of State in her October 2006 invitation. 1.4 In relation to Suffolk, we are also asked to consider whether there is an alternative unitary proposal that might involve all or part of the district of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. Similarly, in relation to Norfolk, we are asked whether there is an alternative unitary pattern that might involve all or part of Waveney District in Suffolk. 1.5 If having identified that there are alternative unitary proposals that would deliver the outcomes specified by the five criteria, the Secretary of State has asked us to identify which would better deliver the outcomes specified by the criteria. 1.6 There are a number of other, more general, considerations to which we are required to have regard in our work. These are set out in Appendix A. 1.7 The review is in four stages (Table 1). Stage One began on 3 March 2008, when we wrote to all the local authorities in Norfolk and Suffolk, inviting them to submit to us broad concepts for unitary structures for the county. The 1 Strong and Prosperous Communities (Cm 6939-1, October 2006) 2 Invitation to Councils (Communities and Local Government, October 2006) 3 Request to the Boundary Committee to advise (Communities and Local Government, 6 February 2008) – www.boundarycommittee.org.uk 3 term ‘concepts’ is discussed in more detail in the following chapter of this report. The closing date for the receipt of concepts was 11 April 2008. Table 1: The stages of the review Stage Dates Description One 3 March – 11 April Commencement of review and submission of concepts for unitary patterns of local government Two 14 April – 4 July The Committee considers concepts, seeks further information and prepares draft proposals Three 7 July – 26 The Committee publishes draft proposals September report and invites representations on them Four 29 September – 31 The Committee considers representations, December reaches conclusions and submits advice to the Secretary of State 1.8 Once we have submitted our advice at the end of the review there will be a further four-week period, during which time representations on the advice we have provided can be made direct to the Secretary of State. In the light of any such representations, the Secretary of State may accept, reject or modify our final proposals, or ask us for further information about them and then take a decision.