Is Wymondham part of Norwich? For most people this will be an easy question. No.

Does Wymondham share some interests with Norwich? Absolutely. People who choose to live in Wymondham do so because they enjoy the feel of a market town, its local history, its strong community, an experience that is overall more intimate and comforting than that in the City. And yes, some also commute to Norwich for work and shopping.

So that leads to perhaps a bigger question: Can Wymondham be well served by a Greater Norwich Council, with everything from street cleaning, economic development, housing, and highways all run from City Hall? I am afraid the answer here is also simple: No.

Then why are we having this conversation? The Labour government has asked all councils to submit plans for new ‘unitary’ authorities, which would take over the functions of both the County Council and District Councils. This would mean a single authority managing highways, social care, housing, bin collections and much more.

Now there is a lot to commend here. Having a single point of contact makes things much simpler for residents. Reducing unnecessary management can bring down costs. Allowing housing, highways, and economic development to be planned together is only common sense and will help us unlock Norfolk’s potential.

But the geography of these new councils needs to be right. That means covering an area that makes economic sense, reflecting commuter patterns and housing markets. It means making sure the Council is large enough that its tax base can support it without rate rises. Crucially, it means having a geography where local identities can be preserved, not swamped.

Norwich City Council, supported by some other districts, are proposing a Greater Norwich Council, which will almost certainly include Wymondham and other settlements to the South of Norwich. I, and my colleagues at South Norfolk District Council, oppose this.

A Greater Norwich Council will always have the urban core at its heart. The majority of the population, and therefore the councillors, will always be drawn from the city. Whenever there is a decision about funding, you will face a situation that would look like 39 councillors from Norwich vs 6 from Wymondham. Whenever there is a decision about where new houses should go, 39 will always beat 6. Picking a street for an extra clean? 39-6.

How will Wymondham’s voice be heard in this arrangement? The truth is it won’t. Annexing these outer towns and villages will serve the new council by providing more revenue, and giving it more land to develop, but it won’t serve the residents who live in them.

You cannot oppose something without having a plan of your own. So, what is South Norfolk proposing? We accept that bigger councils are needed, and even that Norwich and South Norfolk have a lot of common interests. However, we think it needs to go beyond Greater Norwich. So, we are proposing a new East Norfolk Council.

What are the advantages of this? First, it will save more money, helping to keep council tax down. Second, independent analysis by Deloitte indicates this would be the best option for enhancing public services, as it prevents the breakup of the services the county council provides, whilst sticking to a geography that reflects people's commuting patterns, their access to shops, schools and services, and the natural geography of Norfolk.

Finally, by including far more settlements, we will ensure democratic balance in the new Council, ensuring the City can’t ride roughshod over the surrounding areas. Wymondham would be in good company with many other towns and large villages with common interests. In this arrangement, we can make the voices of people in Wymondham, and of Norwich heard equally.