Norfolk County Council has agreed to form a politically proportionate working group to review its constitution — the rulebook that governs how the council operates — with members warning that strong governance is especially critical as the county faces radical restructuring.

The Strategic and Corporate Select Committee voted on 15 July 2026 to establish the group after officers presented an annual review of the constitution. Members said the document must be kept in the best possible shape while local government reorganisation is under way.

The working group will be open to representatives from all political groups with more than one councillor at Norfolk County Council. Members also agreed that substitutes from the same political group can attend in place of an absent member, and that substitutes do not have to be drawn from the existing select committee.

The Monitoring Officer, Kat Hulatt, offered to advise the group on which parts of the constitution reflect legal requirements and which go beyond what statute demands — an important distinction as the council prepares for major structural change.

Members also want the group to look at governance rules around council-owned companies. This follows a broader concern raised at the meeting about the future of council assets and arm's-length organisations as reorganisation approaches.

One member flagged that motions already submitted to Full Council touched on constitutional matters, and Hulatt confirmed those motions would be kept under review in light of the working group's creation.

The review is expected to be discussed further at a work programming session that took place immediately after the 15 July meeting.