The Norfolk Records Committee voted unanimously at its April 24 meeting to formally lobby leading officers at Norfolk County Council and all district councils to preserve a single, countywide archive service when three new unitary authorities replace the existing council structure in April 2028.

The motion, proposed by Cllr Ben Price of Norwich City Council and seconded by Cllr Kathryn Cross of South Norfolk District Council, also called for adequate funding to be secured for the work involved in the transition.

The move follows the government's March 2026 'minded to' decision to create East Norfolk Council, West Norfolk Council, and Greater Norwich City Council, all due to come into existence on 1 April 2028.

Committee members warned that if each new authority chose to run its own record office, the consequences could be severe. The Norfolk Record Office currently holds archives accumulated over centuries under a joint arrangement between Norfolk County Council and district councils, and members argued that dividing the collection would be a major undertaking on a tight timeline and budget.

One member noted that Norfolk currently benefits from comprehensive countywide heritage services, including the Norfolk Record Office and Norfolk Museums Service, and that disaggregating either would carry significant costs. Another pointed out that the NRO has a strong national reputation that would be undermined by a breakup.

County Archivist Gary Tuson confirmed that scenario planning is already underway, covering both a continued single service and the possibility that one or more of the new authorities might choose to establish their own record office. He added that the NRO's risk register currently marks local government reorganisation as red.

The committee also requested that a report setting out the full range of post-reorganisation options for the NRO be brought to its July 2026 meeting.

Members noted that the business case for the three new unitary authorities already contains provision for countywide museums and archive services — a point the Vice Chair, Cllr Robert Kybird, said strengthened the argument for keeping the NRO intact. District council members on the committee were also encouraged to advocate for a single service at their own Full Council meetings.