Norfolk's county-wide public services — including Adult Social Care, Children's Services, and Highways — face being split into three separate operations when new unitary authorities take over in April 2028, councillors heard at Wednesday's meeting.

The Leader of Norfolk County Council, Cllr Kay Mason Billig, warned that dividing these services could create a "postcode lottery" for residents, where the quality and availability of care and support depends on which new council area they live in. Currently, county-wide delivery means all Norfolk residents receive services under the same standards.

The committee also raised a practical concern: splitting one management structure into three would require hiring multiple sets of executive directors and senior staff, potentially adding significant cost rather than delivering the savings the reorganisation is meant to achieve.

Councillors unanimously recommended that the implementation teams explore all options to maintain continuity of services, including the possibility of shared service arrangements across the three new authorities. Officers noted that in other parts of England where similar reorganisations have taken place, shadow authorities have pragmatically agreed to keep interim shared services running.

However, any firm decisions on shared services cannot be made until after elections to the shadow authorities in May 2027 — leaving roughly eleven months to make those arrangements work before Vesting Day in April 2028.

All seven of Norfolk's chief executives are currently meeting weekly to manage the transition, an arrangement that has been in place for six months. Officers confirmed that senior leaders from Adult Social Care and Children's Services will be involved in the implementation workstreams.

The committee also flagged concerns about local representation after reorganisation. Places like Norwich and King's Lynn are currently unparished, meaning district and county councillors provide the only layer of local democratic representation. Members sought assurances that this would not be lost under the new structure, with officers pointing to potential requirements for Neighbourhood Area Committees as part of the forthcoming Devolution Statutory Instrument for Norfolk and Suffolk.