Norfolk expresses interest in county deal as others wait

Norfolk CC has submitted an expression of interest in discussing a pilot county devolution deal, LGC has learned.

Meanwhile, Oxfordshire and Lancashire CCs are among the councils who will wait until it is clearer what is on offer from the government before deciding whether to do the same.

Norfolk leader, Andrew Proctor (Con) told LGC that he has informed the government of the council’s interest and requested further detail on the deals, saying he was “keen to explore the opportunities”.

“We want to ensure that Norfolk is best positioned to make the most of the levelling up agenda, to support economic growth across our county and continue to build strong, resilient and healthy communities,” Cllr Proctor added.

He said he has “convened discussions with [Norfolk’s] district councils and other stakeholders to set out together our initial shared ambitions for Norfolk and a county deal.”

“This will give us a firm base to work together with our partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors to help refine our eventual submission,” he said.

Further talks around the deals will be convened between the county, its districts and other potential partners in the upcoming month.

Other councils are waiting for further detail on the deals before considering submitting an expression of interest.

Liz Leffman (Lib Dem), leader of Oxfordshire CC, told LGC that for her council, there would need to be more clarity from government.

“We haven’t made up our minds as to whether we want to put in an expression of interest, but we will be considering it,” she told LGC. “It very much depends upon getting more detail about what’s being offered… because at the moment it isn’t very clear.”

The government has indicated that its plans for county deals exclude any large-scale reorganisation, although a unitary Oxfordshire council was mooted by the county’s former Conservative leadership last year.

If any future reorganisation did take place, Cllr Leffman said that one factor in need of clarification would be how the city of Oxford might fit into any future unitary.

“The city is such a big part of Oxfordshire, and we want to see how the city and the county can work together,” said Cllr Leffman.

Lancashire CC has also decided against submitting an early expression of interest in a county deal, a spokesperson for the council told LGC.

Instead, the county is waiting to hear more clarity about the government’s agenda in the levelling up white paper due later this year.

In an interview with LGC last month, Lancashire chief executive Angie Ridgewell said that there was not much appetite locally to take forward reorganisation proposals such as the introduction of a unitary authority or a combined authority mayor for the region.

The council confirmed that this position has not changed.