Court threat hangs over Exeter and Norwich unitary plan

The government’s decision to hand unitary status to Exeter and Norwich looks almost certain to end up in the courts after opponents described the move as “complete madness” and vowed “to fight it all the way”.

The Department for Communities and Local Government gave the go-ahead to Exeter and Devon, arguing that it “would make each a far more potent economic force than the current two-tier local government, and will make sure these two key regional cities are ready to seize the opportunities opening up as the recovery begins to promote growth, reduce unemployment, and rebuild local economies”.

The government also said there was widespread support for some form of unitary in Suffolk, but no single proposal had emerged as the best option. The government is therefore asking the county’s councils and MPs to reach a consensus on the type of unitary solution they want through a county-wide constitutional convention.

Local government minister Rosie Winterton said: “Our highest priority is to have the best and most efficient local services for the people of Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk and for those areas to have the strong local leadership they need. We have considered the Boundary Committee advice, the views of local councils, MPs and local people and made individual decisions according to the unique circumstances in each area.”

The proposal to give Exeter and Norwich unitary status on their existing boundaries must be voted on in Parliament before it becomes law. If approval is given, transitional arrangements would be put in place to allow the two cities to provide all local government services from 1 April 2011. Local government in Devon and Norfolk outside both cities will be left as it is.

The announcement was welcomed by senior councillors at Exeter and Norwich.

Councillor Pete Edwards, chair of Exeter’s local government review committee, said it was “fantastic”, adding that “it’s taken a long haul to get here but this is just what the city has always asked for. Exeter is different from the rest of Devon and for all of Devon to flourish and succeed, the city needs this change.”

The leader of Norwich City Council, Steve Morphew, claimed that Norwich “is an urban engine of prosperity and needs the gears and drivers to achieve its potential”. He added: “A unitary Norwich on its existing boundary would benefit both the city and county and could deliver more efficiently and effectively, and with a lot less waste, than the current two-tier set-up.”

However, both county councils in Devon and Norfolk reacted angrily to the announcement.

Devon County Council leader John Hart said the change was “complete madness and we will fight it all the way”. He claimed that local government minister Rosie Winterton had agreed with former ministers and the Boundary Committee in admitting a unitary Exeter was unaffordable.

“Most sensible people can see that wasting more time and money on reorganising local government in the current economic climate would be very foolish,” Hart added.

David White, chief executive of Norfolk County Council, also suggested that the government’s decisions flew in the face of the minister’s own concerns about affordability. “A unitary Norwich would be too small to progress big strategic projects, and a weak voice in the region and nationally,” he said.

He also warned: “There is a considerable way to go before the Secretary of State’s announcement could become a reality. In the light of today’s decision, we will certainly seek leave to challenge this decision in the courts and, given the strength of opposition and the timetable involved, I am convinced this is by no means certain to happen.”

Legal action was also backed by the five councils in the Keep Norfolk Local campaign – King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council, Breckland Council, Broadland District Council, North Norfolk District Council and South Norfolk Council – in the event that parliamentary lobbying failed to persuade the government to change its mind.

In a statement the group said: “Simply put, we believe the proposals are not right for Norfolk. We consider that the decision demonstrates a real ignorance about the vital economic relationship between the city and the rest of the county – creating this imbalance will tear the heart out of the county, as well as creating needless upheaval in local service provision.”