The strength of three

After working closely together and speaking with residents, businesses and partners across the county, the Future Norfolk partnership has been guided by evidence and the views of local people to develop our shared vision of creating three new unitary councils for Norfolk.

These would be big enough to deliver effective services, but close enough to residents and communities to reflect local needs, priorities, ambitions and opportunities in the years ahead, and built to deliver sustainable services now and for the long term.

Future Norfolk includes Breckland Council, Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Broadland District Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, North Norfolk District Council, and Norwich City Council.

We've drawn up our proposals in response to the Government announcing it wants to reduce the number of councils in Norfolk and bring services together, provided by new 'unitary councils' (also known as unitary authorities). These new organisations would replace existing borough, city, district and county councils in what would be the biggest shake-up local service delivery in over 50 years and is known as Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

At the heart of our proposal are three guiding / fundamental principles:

• People — Decisions made closer to communities, focused on peoples' needs, all with clear accountability and a stronger voice for residents and businesses.
• Place — Services shaped by the distinct identities and priorities of our rural, coastal, market town and city communities.
• Progress — An approach that is financially sustainable, adaptable and ready to improve outcomes for local people.