Keep Norfolk Local councils continue to oppose reorganisation

The Keep Norfolk Local group of district councils have said the Court of Appeal decision against their Suffolk neighbours is “disappointing”, and they will continue to oppose local government reorganisation.

The Court has handed down its decision on an appeal by the Boundary Committee for England against the High Court ruling on a Judicial Review. It was brought by three Suffolk district councils on proposals for reorganisation.

The Appeal Court found that the particular parts of the process challenged by the Suffolk councils were not flawed, and overturned the judgement made by Mr Justice Foskett in the High Court in July, which quashed the process, putting it on hold in all three counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Devon.

The Boundary Committee went on to say that the judgement would now allow them to proceed to give advice to the Secretary of State on reorganisation in the three counties.

This can only happen when the Secretary of State gives new deadlines, and after that there must be a minimum six weeks of public consultation.

South Norfolk Council Leader John Fuller said:

“Suffolk were right to oppose this, and the High Court agreed with them just a few months ago. It is disappointing that the Court of Appeal has now overturned that Judicial Review judgement.

"We have always said this reorganisation is bad for democracy, the local economy, council taxpayers, local services and our communities. District councils are now investigating shared service arrangements so that they can work more closely together to keep Council Tax under control, improve services and remain democratically accountable to their communities.

”Indeed Norfolk County Council has also made its position clear, passing a resolution to ‘work with borough and district councils in support of a further judicial review once the Secretary of State has received the Boundary Committee’s recommendations.”

Councillor Virginia Gay, Leader of North Norfolk District Council said:

“All the financial and other figures being used by the Boundary Committee as a basis for this process are now three years out of date.

“The group of five Norfolk councils that have been working together for over a year to Keep Norfolk Local will consider in the next few days what further action needs to be taken.”

The KNL councils note that there are now very few Parliamentary sitting days to go before the Christmas Recess. It would be very difficult for the process to be implemented on the tight timetable that is left before a General Election.

The Boundary Committee’s own statement on this latest decision gives the strongest possible clue to where the process might be going. The Committee finishes its statement with the words - we will give advice to the Secretary of State “should he provide us with a new deadline”.

Councillor William Nunn, Leader of Breckland District Council said:

“We will be writing to the Secretary of State to seek early confirmation of his intention. This uncertainty has hung over our county for too long and needs to be brought to a speedy resolution which will allow Norfolk people to have a voice in the way they are governed in the future.”

The Government has also announced that on 31 March 2010, it will shut down the Boundary Committee, as part of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.

The KNL councils hope the new body set to replace it - the Local Government Boundary Commission for England – will put an end these unwanted reorganisations, and leave the existing successful two-tier arrangements in tact.