Member News: County deal to be considered by councillors

Norfolk’s £612.9 million county deal, to bring more powers and funding to Norfolk, will be considered by county councillors next week (January 17^th). Norfolk’s full county council meets at 10am on Tuesday, January 17^th to discuss the in-principle deal that was reached with the Government last month, before the council’s cabinet decides whether to proceed with the deal, later the same day. County council leader Councillor Andrew Proctor, who signed the in-principle deal with the Government last month, said: “Norfolk is well positioned to gain additional powers and money to improve people’s lives, thanks to the County Deal we have agreed in principle with the Government. “The aim is for decisions and funding previously controlled in Westminster to be agreed in Norfolk, for Norfolk. “Striking a deal will help us to boost our economy through more jobs, training, housing and development, to improve our transport network and to support our environment. “Getting to this point shows that the Government sees Norfolk as a can-do county. I’m confident that we can make a success of this and that more powers and funding would follow.” If cabinet decides to proceed, a six week public consultation on the deal will be launched on February 6^th. The report to both meetings says: “Devolution offers a generational opportunity to unlock significant long-term funding and gain greater freedom to decide how best to meet local needs and create new opportunities for the people who live and work in Norfolk. Some decisions and funding previously controlled in Westminster will now be decided by Norfolk, for Norfolk. “If the devolution deal is agreed, it will provide Norfolk with new powers, devolved funding and additional investment of £612.9m over the next 30 years to help us to boost our economy through jobs, training and development, improve our transport network and support our environment.” The report recommends that full council considers the full text of the in-principle deal and note that proceeding with the deal is a decision for cabinet. If cabinet agrees to proceed with the deal, when it meets after full council, public consultation will take place in February and full council will consider the change to an elected council leader, in or around December. For further details on the county deal, including the full text, see www.norfolk.gov.uk/norfolkcountydeal . You can watch the full council meeting, live or afterwards, from 10am on Tuesday, January 17^th onwards at https://norfolkcc.cmis.uk.com/norfolkcc/CalendarofMeetings/tabid/128/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/496/Meeting/2088/Committee/2/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx . You can watch the cabinet meeting, live or afterwards, after full council at https://norfolkcc.cmis.uk.com/norfolkcc/CalendarofMeetings/tabid/128/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/496/Meeting/2089/Committee/169/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx . Background: According to the report, the deal would mean that, from 2024 onwards, the county council could:

• target funding and resources to Norfolk’s own priorities, with a new investment fund of £20m per year for 30 years
• unlock housing and employment sites with an injection of £12.9m capital funding in this Spending Review period and new powers to drive regeneration, housing and development priorities
• invest in the skills we know we need, with devolution of the adult education budget and input into the new Local Skills Improvement Plans
• invest in local transport planning and consolidate transport budgets to direct funding to better meet our local needs and priorities
• strengthen the local business voice to inform local decision making and strategic economic planning through the future integration of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership
• have a council leader who is directly elected by the public, with the first election in May 2024
• raise our influence regionally and nationally, enabling our voice to be better heard by Government to shape future policies and funding decisions for the benefit of our County

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