Partnership Working

Greater Norwich is overseen by two separate voluntary partnership boards. The Greater Norwich Development Partnership (GNDP) directs the development of the Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP). Whilst the Greater Norwich Growth Board (GNGB) monitors and drives forward the delivery of infrastructure which is required to support the growth that is agreed in the local plan.

The GNGB is a partnership unlike any other in the UK, made up of Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council, South Norfolk District Council, and Broadland District Council. It was established after the partners signed a City Deal with Government in 2013. We have chosen to work together to accelerate the delivery of infrastructure within the wider Greater Norwich area, because we understand the benefits that can be achieved by looking beyond individual administrative boundaries.

The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership withdrew from the GNGB in 2023, after the government decided to withdraw core funding for Local Enterprise Partnerships and transfer their functions to local and combined authorities.

Since the establishment of the GNGB in 2014, our partnership working practices have been considered an exemplary model of working, particularly the pooling arrangements of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) within the Infrastructure Investment Fund (IIF). The Planning Advisory Service has cited the partnership as “pursuing ambitious growth agendas under strong strategic leadership through cross boundary collaboration”. The GNGB won the partnership working category at the 2020 National Planning Awards, an accolade which celebrates this unique working arrangement.

Since 2014 the partnership has allocated approximately £39m of IIF funding, and £54.5m of CIL supported borrowing which has helped lever in at least an additional £294m of match funding to deliver infrastructure projects across the Greater Norwich area.

The Leaders of the four councils sit on the Growth Board which meets four times a year. We also coordinate a range of cross authority working groups.

GNGB Joint Working Agreement Signed 26 September 2014   Size: 50 KB – Date: 15/01/2016

  GNGB Infrastructure Investment Fund Governance   Size: 55 KB – Date: 15/01/2016