Broadland councillors object to Norfolk's devolution deal

The £600m devolution deal on the table for Norfolk has been criticised by various groups at the conservative-led Broadland District Council (BDC).

The authority has been asked to give a response to a consultation on the plan - which would see a directly elected leader for County Hall - with Labour and Liberal Democrat members arguing Broadland should oppose the deal.

Broadland District Council office (Image: Newsquest/James Bass)

The deal offered by the government to Tory-controlled Norfolk County Council would include a £20m a year investment fund for 30 years.

Sue Holland, the leader of the Lib Dems at BDC, said: “It’s not because we are opposed to devolution, on the contrary, I think we’d all welcome it.

"But it's not a deal that brings extra powers and resources to the people of Norfolk and it has the power to cause disconnect between the various layers of government. 

“The sums of money on offer - £20m a year - is derisory, that goes nowhere near to supporting Norfolk’s community or economy, it does little to solve the difficulties that the county council has found itself in as a result of significant government underfunding."

Susan Holland (Image: Supplied)

Fellow Lib Dem, Stuart Beadle, said he found the plans “completely anathema,” complaining that the government has cut County Hall's budgets over the last decade and was returning them "crumbs off the table".

Shaun Vincent, leader of Broadland District Council (Image: Archant)

A vote for Broadland to oppose the deal was rejected, seven votes for, 14 against and one abstention.

Shaun Vincent, the conservative leader of the council, argued a blanket disagreement was not the right approach because it was “this deal or no deal” and instead they should suggest where the deal could be made better.  

Fellow conservative Greg Peck branded the idea that the funding was derisory "ludicrous".