What do the parties say ahead of local elections?

With Norfolk County Council due to be scrapped in two years' time, voters will go to the polls for the authority on Thursday for what should be the last time.

Along with seven district councils it is going to be replaced by unitary authorities as part of plans for local government reorganisation (LGR).

But this week's elections were not originally due to take place.

Already postponed last year, the government had planned to delay them again to allow time for the reorganisation – until a legal challenge was made by Reform UK.

Some 84 seats are up for grabs, with five parties contesting almost every one.

Their leaders spoke to BBC Radio Norfolk while campaigning, so what did they have to say?

Led by Kay Mason Billig, the Tories have been in charge of the council since 2017.

Mason Billig stood by her party's record in office, pointing to projects such as the Long Stratton bypass and recently opened libraries in King's Lynn and Great Yarmouth.

She also insisted the controversial Norwich Western Link road – which has already cost £56m – "should be being built right now" but "is still on the table".

Mason Billig said £1m from the government would help to find alternative routes, although the Department for Transport said it had yet to release the funding.

Ahead of the changes to local government, Brian Watkins said these elections were taking place at "a defining time".

He claimed that Reform, which has questioned the need for LGR, might attempt to "scupper" devolution plans, which in turn would cost Norfolk tens of millions of pounds in government funding.

Describing his party's local manifesto as "bold and ambitious", Watkins said the Lib Dems wanted half-price bus fares for under-25s, community hubs in major towns and to use artificial intelligence to speed up pothole repairs.

"It's really very much about fixing Norfolk's foundations," he said.

Steve Morphew said he had been in favour of postponing elections to allow for a smooth transition in the shake-up of local authorities.

Warning the results could be "messy", he said there was a need for "sensible people in the room who are going to get a grip on keeping the services safely running".

The Labour group's policies included proposals to help communities take over pubs, better co-ordination of roadworks and cancelling the planned sale of 20 care homes.

Morphew admitted Labour's results could be hit by the government's current poll ratings, and he urged voters to focus on local issues.

Catherine Rowett took aim at "industrial scale" solar farms planned by foreign-owned companies seeking large profits, arguing they should be locally owned.

With some of the UK's biggest solar sites planned for Norfolk, it is a major issue, although ultimately the government has final say on planning permission.

"The basic thing is that these shocking schemes are [proposed by] foreign investors looking to make a profit out of our ridiculous energy prices," said Rowett.

She said the Greens wanted free bus travel for under-25s, reduced speed limits on single-track rural roads and investment in children's centres for young families.

David Bick said his party was making no promises on what it would do in power as it needed to review the council's "huge level of debt", which is about £885m.

While almost all of that is borrowed from the government — which typically offers low interest rates — it meant the authority was "paying £2.5m a month in interest payments" said Bick.

While Reform is not offering a manifesto for Norfolk, he insisted it had good quality candidates.

"We've got teachers, child psychologists, businessmen, farmers, people from the finance world. So we've got a very wide range of talents in our group," he said.

Great Yarmouth First is contesting nine seats, the Communist Party is contesting two and a number of Independent candidates are also standing.

A full list of candidates and where you can vote can be found here.

Elections are also taking place for Norwich City Council and there is a by-election for one seat on Great Yarmouth Borough Council in Caister South ward.

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