About devolution
Devolution is when some powers of decision making and funding are transferred to an area (Norfolk in our case) from central government so decisions around how money is invested into the economy can be based on local intelligence and made by people who understand local needs best.
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A motion on devolution, which was presented at full council on 21 January, received cross-party support from all the city council’s political leaders.
This paves the way ahead for the next steps to develop a business case for a brand new council for the Norwich urban area.
The joint motion had the full backing of all the city council’s political leaders – Cllr Mike Stonard, leader of the council (Labour); Cllr Lucy Galvin, Green group leader; Cllr James Wright, Lib Dem group leader and Cllr Karen Davis, Independent group leader.
In a joint statement on behalf of all the city council’s political leaders, they said: “This presents us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to ensure we make a compelling case for getting the best deal for residents within the wider urban Norwich area.
“Devolution offers major opportunities to develop and drive the investment and growth that would come along with a new Unitary Norwich council.
“We want a solution to local government reorganisation that means we can provide better services for local people which are shaped and delivered locally and not by central government.”
Wording from the joint motion sets out some of the reasons and key aspirations for creating a new Unitary Norwich Council on wider boundaries.
The motion resolved “To support the creation of a new unitary authority for the Norwich urban area, which understands and responds to the needs of the residents in the Norwich urban area”.
It went further in its commitment to “ensure the whole system of new unitary authorities is able to realise our ambitions for our communities, reduce inequalities and accelerate growth in our key economic areas”.
There was also a focus on collaborating with other relevant councils and placing a strong emphasis on full and far-reaching engagement and consultation with those affected by devolution in our region.
You can see the full wording of the motion to council here.
Press release issued on 21 January 2025
Updated 28 January 2025
