Norfolk County Council leader Kay Mason Billig has warned that experience from previous local government reorganisations elsewhere in England suggests the full transition could take between five and ten years — far beyond the April 2028 Vesting Day target set by the Government.

Speaking at Wednesday's Strategic and Corporate Select Committee, she acknowledged that some existing contracts would almost certainly roll over into the new unitary authorities, and stressed that the transition must be "safe and legal from day one".

Committee members raised concern that too much critical work was being compressed into the period between the shadow authority elections in May 2027 and Vesting Day in April 2028 — less than twelve months. One member said it was "unclear how achievable this timescale was".

Officers also confirmed that a Section 24 direction is expected to take effect when shadow authorities are established in May 2027. This legal mechanism would require Norfolk County Council and district councils to seek consent from the incoming shadow authorities before making financial commitments or disposing of assets above a certain value threshold.

The committee heard that this would not affect day-to-day service delivery, but could have implications for major infrastructure decisions. Members had earlier raised concerns about large projects such as the West Winch Bypass and West Lynn Ferry, though officers gave assurance that no government direction would outright prohibit spending before that point.

A government-appointed Sector Advisor — described as an independent critical friend — has already visited Norfolk more than once to support implementation teams, officers confirmed.

The committee agreed that an independent report on consultant spending should be included in a follow-up Local Government Reorganisation update planned for its July 2026 meeting, alongside further detail on warding arrangements and service continuity.