Devolution plans for Norfolk and Suffolk scrapped

Former Local Government Minister Lee Rowley signed devolution papers with Suffolk County Council leader Matthew Hicks in 2022

Plans to give Norfolk and Suffolk greater powers have been scrapped by the new government.

Ministers say the devolution deal agreed with the last government was not ambitious enough and only made provision for a directly elected leader rather than a mayor.

Under the plans, both counties would have received between £16m and £20m a year to spend on infrastructure and other projects

The news has been greeted with fury by council leaders with one calling it a "slap in the face"

Both deals were due to kick in next year, with elections for the new directly elected leader for each authority taking place in May.

But the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has told us "we will not be proceeding with the Single Local Authority mayoral deals proposed in Norfolk and Suffolk"

Increased devolution would have meant more powers for Norfolk County Council

What was in the deal?

The thinking behind devolution was that local leaders know the needs of their communities better than Whitehall.

Under the deals for Norfolk and Suffolk, the two counties would have had a directly elected leader with greater control over building, skills training, adult education and possibly transport.

There would have been extra money for local projects: £20m a year for Norfolk and £16m a year for Suffolk, guaranteed for 30 years.

Those in favour of the plans said, in time, the counties would have been able to take on more powers, while money could be borrowed to fund major infrastructure projects.

But critics had called it a very poor deal compared with other devolution agreements.

Why has the government pulled the deal?

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said “This government strongly believes that mayors should have a unique role, while council leaders must continue to focus on the delivery of the essential services".

“We want to see those two functions kept separate as this benefits the community and its people, which is why we will not be proceeding with the Single Local Authority mayoral deals proposed in Norfolk and Suffolk"

This seems to have been the main concern of the Minister for English Devolution Jim McMahon. He is worried that a directly elected council leader would be too beholden to his or her local party. He believes a directly elected Mayor would be removed from party politics and more independent.

I also understand that in meetings with local MPs he expressed concern that the deals were not ambitious enough. He is also understood to have concerns about how the last Government was planning to fund them .

The Conservatives had always said the funding would come from existing government budgets.

The Government spokesman also stressed that “Devolution is central to the government’s mission to economic growth". It is being made clear that ministers want a devolution deal for the two counties, just not this one.

There would have been £16m a year extra for local projects in Suffolk

"We deserve better than this"

Suffolk County Council leader Matthew Hicks called the decision "a slap in the face for Suffolk"

Both Norfolk and Suffolk County councils are run by the Conservatives so, not surprisingly, they are angry.

Matthew Hicks, the leader of Suffolk County Council called the news "a slap in the face" saying the deal had widespread public support.

“Governments of any colour should be pro devolution because councils know how best to serve local people" he said.

Kay Mason Billig the leader of Norfolk County Council said she was "bitterly dissappointed"

“For a government that is keen on economic growth, this is a short sighted and damaging decision, Norfolk deserves better than this"

Both leaders complained that they had not had a chance to meet ministers to discuss the plans. They called for urgent talks to try to salvage as much of the deal as possible.

The Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk, Steffan Aquarone, who is also a county councillor said “Our fantastic county has felt overlooked by successive governments, and today we are seeing it happen yet again"

"I am concerned that this is trying to pave the way for bundling Norfolk and Suffolk into an ill-fitting shared devolution deal"

But these deals also had their critics who see this as an opportunity to get a better deal for the two counties.

Steve Morphew, the Labour opposition leader on Norfolk County council said "Nobody should be mourning what was always a second rate deal"

"Now we have a real opportunity to negotiate with a government that wants us to be ambitious and fulfil Norfolk’s potential"