Norfolk leaders hope to 'salvage' scrapped devolution deal

But senior Conservatives said they are not prepared to "get into bed with Suffolk" over a revised deal.

Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council (Image: Norfolk County Council)

At an often tetchy County Hall meeting, leader Kay Mason Billig came under fire for her "aggressive tone" over how she intends to conduct talks with local government minister Jim McMahon.

Mrs Mason Billig said the Labour government had "crushed" the Norfolk deal, which would have included an investment fund of £20m a year for 30 years, control of the £12m budget for adult education, and £7m to kickstart housing on brownfield sites.

The new government pulled the plug on the deal, which would have featured a directly-elected county council leader, saying it preferred a mayoral model separate from the council.

Norfolk County Council's Martineau Lane headquarters

But Mrs Mason Billig said: "This government has dismissed us as if we were nobodies.

"They see us as unimportant and as a consequence they do not want to invest in us."

Mrs Mason Billig said, after long being "ghosted" in attempts to speak to ministers, she would now be meeting Mr McMahon in October.

Jim McMahon (Image: UK Parliament) She said: "I will listen to the minister's concerns and try to understand why he refused us this.

"I will do what I can to persuade him to salvage whatever I can from the deal.

"But I will caution him that Norfolk people will not forgive this government if they do not invest in their future and give us devolution."

South West Norfolk MP Terry Jermy (Image: Roger Harris)

Terry Jermy, Labour county councillor, and South West Norfolk MP criticised Mrs Mason Billig's "aggressive tone", while Labour group leader Steve Morphew said such an approach would "get nowhere".

There have been suggestions the government might look more kindly on a joint deal with Suffolk, but Liberal Democrat county councillor and North Norfolk MP Steffan Aquarone said that would be "disastrous".

Steffan Aquarone (Image: Alex Broadway)

Conservative county councillor Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, agreed: "We shouldn't get into bed with Suffolk. They don't want to get into bed with us, so they have told us."

Carl Smith (Image: Newsquest)

A previous Norfolk/Suffolk deal - with a single mayor - collapsed in 2016.