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Rationale for scoring: 2 unitary authorities

1) To what extent do you agree or disagree that the proposal suggests a council that is based on a sensible geography and economic area?

Still too large and remote from communities

Each proposed council covers vast areas (up to 1,430 square miles) and populations of 400k-530k. This scale risks creating authorities that feel distant from residents, weakening local accountability and responsiveness.

Fails to deliver truly local decision-making

While smaller than a single unitary, these councils still centralise power far from rural and coastal communities. Residents in rural communities will have limited influence compared to urban hubs like Norwich.

Norwich is fundamentally different from the rest of its proposed council

Norwich is a dense urban centre with unique economic drivers including finance, tech, higher education while the surrounding proposed East Norfolk area is dominated by rural and coastal communities with very different priorities. Grouping these together risks diluting focus and creating conflicting agendas.

Geography remains artificial in places

The proposal admits that North Norfolk boundaries may need future refinement. This signals that the model does not fully reflect natural economic or community patterns from the outset.

Economic diversity undermines focus

Each unitary combines very different economies for example Norwich's technology and finance cluster with Great Yarmouth's energy coast which would make it hard to set coherent priorities and deliver tailored growth strategies.

Public engagement priorities not fully met

Residents said they want stronger local identity and decision-making. Two large councils still dilute local voices and risk creating governance that feels remote and bureaucratic

2) To what extent do you agree or disagree that the proposed council will be able to deliver the outcomes they describe in the proposal?

Scale still undermines local responsiveness

Each proposed council is very large (up to 1,430 square miles and 400k-530k population). This size makes it difficult to deliver the "locally tailored, community-led" services promised. Rural and coastal communities will remain remote from decision-making.

Savings depend on optimistic assumptions, not guaranteed efficiencies

The proposal claims £72m savings in 2028/29 rising to £90m in 2029/30, largely from "service optimisation" and "early intervention." These are reliant on cultural change and demand reduction, which are unlikely to be achieved in such an aggressive timescale.

Demand management savings are high-risk

The largest projected savings come from reducing demand in social care and SEND through prevention strategies. Evidence shows these savings take years to materialize and depend on strong local networks which will be harder to build in councils of larger scale.

Public priorities not fully addressed

Residents want stronger local identity and decision-making. Two large councils still centralize power far from communities, making it unlikely that outcomes around "empowered neighbourhoods" will be achieved.

3) To what extent do you agree or disagree that the proposed council is the right size to be efficient, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks?

Councils remain too large and remote

Each proposed authority covers vast areas of up to 1,430 square miles which make it difficult to deliver the local responsiveness and agility needed for efficient decision-making. Rural and coastal communities will still feel disconnected from leadership.

Size does not guarantee efficiency

The proposal assumes bigger councils deliver economies of scale, but efficiency depends on service design and culture, not just footprint. Large, complex organisations often face slower decision-making and higher overheads.

Financial resilience claims are optimistic

Projected savings rely heavily on ambitious demand reduction and early intervention strategies, which take years to materialise and are difficult to achieve consistently. This creates uncertainty about whether the councils can truly withstand financial shocks.

Capacity challenges remain

Councils of this size will need to balance strategic planning with local delivery across very diverse geographies. Managing urban growth areas alongside remote rural communities which risks stretching resources and weakening focus.

Better outcomes require smaller, more locally focused councils

Norfolk's diversity means a more granular structure would provide stronger local leadership and accountability, while still enabling collaboration on strategic issues.

4) To what extent do you agree or disagree that the proposed council will deliver high quality, sustainable public services?

Promises are aspirational, not guaranteed

The proposal relies on an ambitious approach to early intervention and prevention to reduce demand for costly services. While these are sound in theory the timeline for implementation is aggressive and highly likely to be subject to significant slippage, making the outcomes and achievement of savings highly uncertain.

Scale creates delivery challenges

Councils covering up to 1,430 square miles will need to manage very different service needs from dense urban Norwich to remote rural and coastal communities. This diversity and the size of the proposed unitaries makes it harder to deliver local focused service interventions that address Norfolk's many diverse challenges which are driven by its geographic and economic landscape.

Financial pressures threaten sustainability

The model assumes savings will fund service improvements, but those savings depend on optimistic projections. If they fail to materialise, services could face cuts rather than enhancements.

Local accountability diluted

High-quality services depend on strong local engagement. Councils of this large size risk weakening the connection between decision-makers and communities, reducing the ability to tailor services effectively

5) To what extent do you agree or disagree that the proposal has been informed by local views and will meet local needs?

Engagement was broad but not deep

The proposal cites 804 survey responses and 446,000 campaign impressions, but this is a small sample compared to Norfolk's population of over 930,000. It is unclear whether this reflects fully local views or delivers the local accountability people want. The evidence provided does not justify strong confidence this will be achieved.

Local priorities identified, but not fully addressed

Residents highlighted improved services and stronger local decision-making as top priorities. The proposed councils have remained very large which risks leaving rural and coastal communities feeling remote from decision-makers.

Local identity concerns remain

While the proposal claims to preserve identity, grouping Norwich with East Norfolk combines very different communities and priorities. This will dilute local voice and create tensions between urban and rural needs.

Evidence of listening is limited

The proposal references engagement themes but does not clearly show how feedback shaped the final boundaries or governance model. Key concerns such as avoiding remoteness appear unresolved.

6) To what extent do you agree or disagree that establishing the councils in this proposal will support devolution arrangements, for example, the establishment of a strategic authority?

Avoids the "one voice" risk but still lacks strong local representation

Two councils give Norfolk more than one voice in a Mayoral Combined County Authority, reducing the risk of being sidelined. However, each council still represents very large, diverse areas, meaning local priorities could still be lost in regional negotiations.

Partially reflects economic geography

While better than a single council, the proposal still groups very different economies together. Norwich's urban economy and growth pressures sit alongside rural and coastal priorities in one authority, creating competing agendas.

Urban challenges risk being diluted

Norwich's housing, transport, and infrastructure needs are complex and fast-moving. In a council covering both Norwich and Great Yarmouth, these priorities could be diluted by rural and coastal issues, weakening the city's strategic positioning.

Local empowerment remains limited

Devolution is meant to bring decisions closer to communities. Two councils are an improvement on one, but they still centralise decision-making far from many towns and villages, leaving rural communities with limited influence over strategic priorities that impact them significantly.

7) To what extent do you agree or disagree that the proposal enables stronger community engagement and gives the opportunity for neighbourhood empowerment?

Councils remain too large and remote

Each proposed authority covers up to 1,430 square miles, making meaningful engagement difficult. Communities in rural and coastal areas will still feel disconnected from decision-makers.

Promises of neighbourhood empowerment lack substance

The proposal outlines Community Boards and new Town/Parish Councils, but these are not fully defined and risk being tokenistic without real decision-making power or resources.

Urban-rural divide undermines local voice

Norwich's priorities will dominate in the East Norfolk council, leaving smaller towns and villages with limited influence. Similarly, rural West Norfolk communities will struggle to shape decisions in such a large governance footprint.

Engagement mechanisms unclear

The proposal does not explain how residents will influence strategic decisions or how neighbourhood-level input will be embedded in planning and service delivery.