Stop blocking devolution, says council leader

County council leader Andrew Proctor said the devolution deal from the government was good for Norfolk

The Tory leader of Norfolk County Council has appealed to his colleagues to stop trying to find ways of blocking devolution.

Andrew Proctor was speaking after four district councils, three of which are Conservative-run, threatened to take legal action over the plans.

Critics have said it places too much power in the hands of one individual.

Mr Proctor told a meeting of the county council "when Norfolk is being offered devolution we should be excited, not finding ways to stop it from happening".

"Devolution is a prize worth fighting for," he said.

Norfolk County Council debated the devolution deal but did not vote on it

South Norfolk, Broadland, Breckland and North Norfolk district councils have sent a "letter before action" to Mr Proctor complaining about the lack of consultation over the devolution deal.

Under the plans for devolution, announced last month, Norfolk would receive an extra £600m from the government over the next 30 years, which it could borrow against to fund major projects, along with extra money for adult education and house-building.

There has been opposition from some politicians, of all parties, to the plan, which includes having a new directly-elected county council leader.

One Conservative district council leader, John Fuller at South Norfolk Council, said the plan "places all the executive powers of the county council and its budgets in the hand of one individual".

Critics have claimed it was a poor deal and wanted the whole council to vote on it at the council meeting.

But the county council, whose cabinet later agreed to have a public consultation on the plans, said now was not the time to hold a vote.

Several Conservative councillors were absent from the meeting and many did not speak in the debate.

Opposition leader, Labour's Steve Morphew, said it was "hard to believe that [Mr Proctor] has come up with a deal that's proved so divisive".

"I want a devolution deal but not any deal," he said.

Some critics favoured having a directly-elected mayor of a new combined authority - similar to what has happened in neighbouring Cambridgeshire.