A local government review has concluded South Norfolk council should remain the same size.

Officials from the independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England have concluded that some councils across the region should be slimmed down.

But recommendations made public on Tuesday, March 14, propose that the number of councillors who represent South Norfolk should remain the same at 46.

The report follows a period of public consultation on draft proposals which took place last year. The total is broken down into five three-councillor wards, ten two-councillor wards and eleven single-councillor wards across the district.

Prof Colin Mellors, the chair of the electoral commission, said: 'We believe these recommendations deliver electoral fairness for voters as well as reflecting community ties throughout South Norfolk.'

Jon Fuller, the leader of South Norfolk Council, said: 'Although the number of councillors will stay the same, the population of South Norfolk has increased by 25pc since the last review in 2015, so councillors are working 25pc harder.

'There are the same number of councillors but the type of representation is different, there are more councillors close to Norwich, reflecting population changes and also anticipating further growth'

Following the local feedback the commission received on its initial recommendations changes were made to the final proposals. These include combining the proposed Stoke Holy Cross and Mulbarton wards with one another.

This change is a result of responses from the public consultations which suggested that some parishes within the proposed Stoke Holy Cross ward share close community ties to the Mulbarton area and should therefore be within the same ward.

Other changes include name changes to two South Norfolk wards. Dickleburgh and Scole ward becomes Beck Vale, Dickleburgh and Scole ward, whilst the Diss ward is renamed as Diss and Roydon.

The next stage of the process is for the new arrangements to be formally implemented by Parliament.

A legal document known as a draft order will be presented to MPs in the coming months.