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Fresh battle lines have been drawn over local government reorganisation after the Boundary Committee published plans for the future of Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk.

The committee has published plans which could lead to the creation of a county-wide unitary in Norfolk, two single tier authorities in Suffolk and one council in Devon. But the plans have already attracted controversy, as some councils have pledged to fight the plans to the bitter end.

The committee has recommended a single unitary for the whole of Norfolk and Lowestoft, while in Suffolk two councils are proposed – one covering Ipswich and Felixstowe and the other covering the rest of the county, excluding Lowestoft.

In Devon, the committee said their preferred option was a single unitary covering the whole of the county, excluding Plymouth and Torbay.

A consultation has now started on the Boundary Committee's plans and final recommendations will be presented to the Government before the end of the year. Waveney DC condemned plans to move Lowestoft across the border to Norfolk.

‘The people of Lowestoft do not want to be part of Norfolk and I'm pretty sure Norfolk are perfectly happy as they are.' said Waveney DC leader Mark Bee.

‘The battle has just begun,' said Cllr Pete Edwards, chair of Exeter City Council's local government review committee. ‘If the proposal for a single Devon council is adopted, 800 years of traditional self-governance for one of England's leading cities could be swept away.'

Norwich City Council leader Steve Morphew said: ‘The argument is far from over. We now need to go back to making the arguments for a unitary council for greater Norwich, and to persuade the Boundary Committee to change its mind.'
The consultation period runs until 26 September.