Christopher Fraser, MP for South West Norfolk, has voiced outrage about Government plans to impose change on Norfolk’s local councils.
Christopher Fraser said: “We face an extraordinary situation in that the Government and the Boundary Commission seem to have decided that Norfolk’s existing council set-up will be scrapped and replaced with a number of unitary authorities. The bid by Norwich City Council for unitary status has set a ball rolling and the implications for the county are very disturbing.
“As a national politician, it is not for me to tell local councils or local people how local government in Norfolk should be organised. But I am absolutely committed to the principle that decisions should be taken as near as possible to those who will be affected. This is doubly important when there is cost implication.
“It has been suggested that the bill for reorganisation could be up to £100 million which will, of course, have to be found by hard-pressed council-tax payers already affected by cuts to education, social care and our transport infrastructure because of a shortfall in Government support.
“Local people should be consulted before any decisions are made. If there is support for sweeping reorganisation then I shall give it my backing. But at the moment, it smacks of undemocratic and expensive micromanagement of people’s lives – just the sort of policy that is making this Government so unpopular.”
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