The future of the Norfolk Record Office (NRO) as a single service could be at risk if Norfolk is reorganised into multiple new unitary authorities, councillors were warned at the Norfolk Records Committee meeting on 6 February 2026.

The government is expected to announce its 'minded to' decision on local government reorganisation in Norfolk in March 2026. If Norfolk is split into more than one unitary authority, the NRO — which currently operates as a single countywide service — could potentially be disaggregated into two or three separate organisations.

County Archivist Gary Tuson acknowledged there would be a substantial financial impact if this happened, though he said it was difficult to fully assess the risks while so much remained uncertain.

The committee noted that it had previously expressed its preference for the NRO to continue as a single countywide service.

Digital records also a concern

Committee members also raised concerns about digital storage. The NRO currently holds its digital records within Norfolk County Council's IT systems, with backup systems in place. A question was raised about whether there would be sufficient storage for digital records after 2027.

The County Archivist confirmed there are plans to secure additional physical storage space from 2028 onwards. He also agreed to add a specific local government reorganisation risk relating to digital records to the NRO's risk register.

What happens next

Cllr Ben Price, seconded by Cllr Saul Penfold, proposed that a report on local government reorganisation be brought to the committee in April 2026 and that it become a standing agenda item at future meetings. This was agreed unanimously.

The committee also voted unanimously — again proposed by Cllr Ben Price and seconded by Cllr Saul Penfold — to request that NRO budget proposals for 2027-28 be brought to the committee for review before they go to Cabinet for approval. The County Archivist said he would liaise with Finance officers to see whether this was possible.