As you may be aware, Norfolk has been given the opportunity to take up a Level Three County Deal by the Government. A County Deal, or devolution, would give Norfolk much greater control over our own destiny:
- It will provide local control over how economic policy is implemented and the flexibility to prioritise what is right for the county and its business community.
- It will deliver £600m of funding over 30 years – £20 million per year, with priorities decided with local businesses.
- It will facilitate long term funding without the need for costly and resource intensive bidding to Government – an area when Norfolk typically does not perform very strongly. In addition, it does not preclude Norfolk’s local authorities from accessing other additional funding opportunities
- It would open the door to more powers and funding as Devolution Deals evolve, as Greater Manchester and the West Midlands have proved. This is likely to benefit local businesses further in the future.
The devolution deal provides additional funding and powers which will support local economic growth, and contribute to a healthy economic environment for businesses to operate within:
- Having control of adult education enables us to focus on providing the skills we know that Norfolk needs, in order to attract highly skilled, well-paid jobs – such as those arising from the net zero carbon agenda.
- Supporting the consolidation of a transport budget and Local Transport Plan to invest in local transport planning to better meet our local needs and priorities.
- Delivering a Brownfield fund £7m funding to deliver 455-583 new homes.
If the County Deal is not signed, Norfolk risks falling further behind. We can’t afford to miss out, when neighbours such as Cambridgeshire and potentially Suffolk are embracing devolution. To gain a County Deal, Norfolk must agree to a directly elected leader. The next step in the Norfolk’s County Deal journey is a vote by the Norfolk County Councillors in early December – their approval is not a foregone conclusion and we are calling on the Norfolk business community to take action now in support of a County Deal. Norfolk Chambers, together with the Institute of Directors and the Federation of Small Businesses, are asking business leaders who are supportive of the County Deal, to urgently contact their local county councillor and stress to them the importance of voting in favour of the Deal. For ease of reference, we have provided below some wording for you to add to your letterhead and email to your county councillor. All that we ask, is that you copy us in, so we know we have your support. Norfolk Chambers: [email protected] FSB: [email protected] IOD: [email protected] To find out who is your local councillor, please follow this link. Wording for letter to your local councillor: Norfolk CC Business Support Letter – County Deal Thank you in advance for your show of support for a Norfolk County Deal. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. To view the open letter please click Open Letter to Norfolk County Councillors – 27 Nov 23
