Five takeaways from council leader hot seat

The leader of Norfolk County Council, Kay Mason Billig, has been answering listeners questions on BBC Radio Norfolk

The leader of Norfolk County Council has been answering your questions in the BBC Radio Norfolk hot seat this morning.

Kay Mason Billig has run the Conservative-led authority since May 2023.

She spent an hour discussing key issues for the county today.

These are the five key takeaways from what she had to say.

1. Conservative hopes in Norfolk

Before the general election earlier this month, there were eight Conservative MPs in Norfolk and just one Labour.

Now, there are only three Conservative MPs, one Green, four Labour, one Liberal Democrat and one from Reform UK.

With the county council elections less than a year away, Ms Mason Billig said they would be different to the general election.

"On the doorstep, most people were looking at national politics and there were big, big issues that worried them - cost of living, immigration, things like that," she said.

"A lot of people were saying that, locally, they may vote differently because they appreciate that the county council and the district councils provide local services."

2. Speaking of Norfolk’s new MPs…

Ms Mason Billig said she had already invited all of the county’s MPs to a meeting at county hall later this month.

With big issues such as the rebuild of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn and the future of the Norwich Western Link road, the council leader said she wanted to work together to get the best for Norfolk.

"I always reached out to our MPs of whatever political colour to see what they can do for us as a county council, what they can do for local residents," she said.

3. SEND provision

Specialist support for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is a big issue here in Norfolk.

Last year, the county council spent £890,000 defending SEND tribunals.

These were mostly from parents who appealed against the council's decision to decline extra support for their children with special educational needs or disabilities.

That had risen from £747,600 the year before.

Ms Mason Billig said the council needed to defend its position.

"We would rather children did not have an educational health and care plan (EHCP) and a lot of children don't need them," she said.

"But parents seem to view them as a way to get extra help.

"And if the extra help was there anyway, then they wouldn't need that."

4. The Western Link

Plans to build a 3.9 mile (6.3km) road to the west of Norwich have been a controversial subject in Norfolk for some time.

The proposed £274m Western Link would connect the Broadland Northway with the A47 at Easton.

The previous Conservative government had agreed to pay 83% of the total cost of the project.

Ms Mason Billig says she has written to the new administration, asking them to consider funding 100% of the final cost.

5. Devolution

In December last year, the county council voted to back a devolution deal to give more people greater control over local issues.

It would mean the authority would have more of a say over building, transport and skills training, as well as £20m extra per year for local projects.

In Wednesday's King’s Speech, plans were announced to roll out "greater devolution" of decision-making to metro mayors and combined authorities in England.

Ms Mason Billig said she had already written to the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, asking if she could give them greater confidence to move towards the deal, which would include having a directly-elected leader.

"She's a very busy lady, but hopefully we'll hear soon," she said. "Then we can make that change and move forward positively."