Elections for the new mayor, to head up a combined authority with representatives from other councils, are due to take place next May.

It is part of a devolution deal that will see the government transfer powers from Whitehall to the regions, with the mayor having control over a multi-million-pound investment fund.

How much would be in that fund is not yet clear, but council leaders hope it will be at least £20m a year for Norfolk and £16m for Suffolk, as mooted in a previous, scrapped, devolution deal.

But councils across the two counties have been putting together a list of investment projects the mayor might want to spend the fund on.

Council leaders are not revealing the schemes........

© Norwich Evening News