The government has said Norfolk's eight councils will be scrapped and three new councils - Greater Norwich City Council, East Norfolk Council and West Norfolk Council - created, providing all services across their areas.

Local government secretary Steve Reed accepted a proposal - put forward by Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Broadland, West Norfolk, North Norfolk and Breckland councils - that Greater Norwich will have 63 councillors, East Norfolk 65 and West Norfolk 72.

While the model put forward by those districts, which puts Fakenham and Wells-next-the-Sea in the East Norfolk area, has been accepted, the exact ward boundaries have yet to be established.

And the current councils have been asked to put forward the ward boundaries for the new authorities by May 29.

Norfolk County Council leader Kay Mason Billig (Image: Newsquest)

Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council, which submitted proposals for just one council, spoke about the issue at a meeting of the county council's strategic and corporate select committee on Wednesday (April 22).

She said: "They're asking for us to tell them what numbers we we think we should see in each authority and where those boundaries should be.

"But it's going to be a massive job. There's absolutely no doubt about it.

"It's still not clear where the borders are. I've had people come to me and say, 'well, is this side of the road in west and this side in Norwich?'"

"We don't know that yet. And that's an absolute nightmare, I think, to try and sort that out.

"So, we've got a whole can of worms that we we're going to open here."

Conservative councillor Brian Long said it was "farcical" that Fakenham was in the East Norfolk area and questioned if that could be changed.

But Sarah Rhoden, director of community information and learning at County Hall, told the committee that, given Mr Reed had accepted the broad outline of the proposal, such major changes were "probably unlikely".

The ultimate decision on the wards will rest with the secretary of state.

The new councils will be created in shadow form, with elections, in May next year.

After the councils have been brought into existence on what is known as vesting day on April 1, 2028, the Boundary Commission could then review those wards for the following set of elections to the new authorities in 2032.

© Eastern Daily Press