Norfolk County Council is supporting the creation of a new Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) covering both Norfolk and Suffolk, with the Leader confirming the administration has pledged its backing for the proposal.

Speaking at the September full council meeting, the Leader acknowledged the administration held reservations about adding new layers of government, but said the financial case was compelling. The MCCA would unlock significant new funding that could be directed towards infrastructure projects across the county.

Negotiations between Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council and the Government are currently under way. Cllr Dan Roper pressed the Cabinet Member for Devolution for assurance that group leaders would be kept informed of progress, to ensure the council presented a united front during talks.

The Cabinet Member confirmed that assurance, and said a full communications programme was being planned to keep both local councillors and Norfolk residents informed about the MCCA as discussions develop.

The proposal comes after the Government withdrew its plans for Local Government Reorganisation in Norfolk — a process that cost the county around £1.2 million before it was abandoned. The Leader said the MCCA represented a different kind of change: one the council was choosing to pursue rather than having imposed upon it.

No timetable for establishing the MCCA has been confirmed, and the outcome of negotiations with the Government remains uncertain.