The Greater Norwich Council is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Norfolk, England, UK. It was formed in 2020 after strong political differences between the now defunct Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council, the Council was created from Norwich City Council and parts of South Norfolk and Broadland District Councils.
The council is completely surrounded by non-metropolitan Norfolk County, (that part of the county is under control of Norfolk County Council). The Principal settlement in the council area is the city of Norwich itself, which makes up a majority of its area and population
History[]
The district was created on on June 19th, 2020 after several political disagreements between Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council & Wymondham Town Council. This caused many young people to protest in Norwich city centre and caused a lot of Norwich City Council workers to go on strike for the entire month of May 2020.
The issue was taken to the British Government who, in June 2020 decided in order to stop the aggression between the two governing bodies, it would be ideal to make the two completely independent of each other, and on the 19th of that month, the unitary council was created by merging the Norwich City Council with areas such as Wymondham, Costessey, Wroxham, Brundall & Sprowston, amongst others. Several of the merged areas already served as satellite towns & villages to Norwich before the merger.
Norwich was the county town of Norfolk, when the council was created Great Yarmouth became the new county town and HQ for Norfolk County Council
Local government[]
The council has been under Labour control since its formation, who hold most of the seats in the Council. The Green Party is currently the main opposition group.
The Council is famous for being one of the only areas in the United Kingdom with no Conservative seats.
Education[]
Further education in the council area is provided by Norwich Skills Academy- this came into creation when the council found the former Easton & Otley and City College Norwich colleges to be inadequate for adult learning, and had them both closed in 2025, the Norwich Skills Academy was created using the former campuses of both colleges. Easton & Otley's other campus, near Ipswich, was made into a separate educational body by Suffolk County Council.
For Higher education, the popular University of East Anglia's campus are in Norwich. Norwich University of the Arts is also located in Norwich.
Demographics[]
The Council's estimate of the population of the Borough in 2042 was 753,000. By 2066, the population of the borough is projected to be 1,006,000.
Settlements[]
Norwich urban area[]
- City of Norwich itself
- Catton
- Porkthrope
- Earlham
- Costessey
- Colney
- Cringleford
- Eaton
- Trowse
- Lakenham
- Drayton
- Saint Faith (Formally Horsham Saint Faith until renamed in 2021)
- Arminghall
- Spixworth
- Sprowston
- Thorpe St Andrew
Rest of the council area*[]
- Wymondham
- Hethersett
- Wroxham
- Brundall
- Rackheath
- Easton
- Bawburgh
- Taverham
- Horsford
- Felthorpe
- Crestwick
- Salhouse
- Plumstead
- Postwick
- Rockland St Mary
- Suringham
- Bramerton
- Caistor St Edmund
- Stoke Holy Cross
- Mulbarton
*not all individual hamlets and villages included on this list.
Proposals[]
The Norfolk market town of Attleborough has made clear intentions on joining Greater Norwich Council by 2060, there has been discussions but distance is a concern (16 miles between Norwich city centre and Attleborough), however there is a border between Attleborough Town Council and Greater Norwich Council at Wymondham.