Plan for two elected mayors in East Anglia is put forward

The mayor would be responsible for transport links between the region's key towns and cities

Plans for two elected mayors - one for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and one for Norfolk and Suffolk - have been backed by council leaders.

In March the government announced plans for one East Anglian mayor but this was rejected by a number of councils.

Now the leaders of local councils and the government have put forward the new proposal, the BBC understands.

But the plan still needs to be approved by all 23 councils in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

An earlier scheme for an elected mayor for East Anglia was rejected by Cambridge City Council

The government has said that if one part of the region chooses to reject the deal but the other accepts it, devolution will go ahead in that area.

The plans are set to be officially announced on Friday.

Under the deal there will be two separate authorities each under a mayors, with both authorities promising to work together on matters of regional importance.

It is thought the mayors will be in charge of housing, transport and other strategic planning issues, although no final decision has been taken.

The mayor could have extra powers and a budget for major transport infrastructure projects

Each mayor is expected to be in charge of a multi-million pound budget.

If approved, councils and government officials will work on the finer details of the scheme over the summer with a final announcement being made in the late Autumn.

Elections for the new mayors are expected to take place next May.