Two further councils launch reorganisation judicial review proceedings

The councils join at least three other local authorities to have issued proceedings against LGR decisions in their regions, including Hampshire County Council, Essex County Council and Portsmouth City Council.

The Government confirmed its decision to split Norfolk into three unitary authorities in March. It announced plans for three new unitary councils in Suffolk at the same time.

Both Norfolk and Suffolk county councils supported the creation of a single unitary in their respective counties.

Norfolk has since confirmed that it has issued judicial proceedings against the Government's decision.

Announcing the move last week (25 June), a council spokesperson said: "This development follows formal correspondence sent earlier in June by the county council's deputy leader, Robin Hunter-Clarke, to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed.

"In that letter, he set out the opposition to the Government's proposals and signalled the authority's intention to pursue legal action."

Suffolk’s cabinet meanwhile voted to issue proceedings on today (29 June). The decision comes after the council said it had received correspondence from the Government showing that Reed had rejected civil service advice.

Suffolk said the Government’s response to its pre-action protocol letter revealed that Reed backed a three-unitary option, despite civil servants recommending a single-unitary approach.

Commenting on the news at the time, Cllr Michael Hadwen, leader of Suffolk County Council, said: "I have been clear from day one that I have no wish to see my county divided, and I will fight tooth and nail to avoid this from happening.

"It has taken the threat of legal action for the government to finally reveal some of its reasoning on why it took the decision it did on LGR – and the correspondence does not make for convincing reading.

"Not only is the Secretary of State trying to force Suffolk into a chaotic reorganisation – he is doing so with a blatant disregard for the advice of his civil servants.”

Norfolk’s incoming Reform UK leader, David Bick, announced plans to challenge the decision immediately after winning the local elections in May.

Cllr Bick told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that his party "could not stand idly by and watch the government dismember our county".

"Every time a council is confronted with something it opposes on the grounds that it won't work, if you've got a government that doesn't listen - and on this they haven't, up to now - you don't have any alternative but to take legal action," he added.

Adam Carey