East of England
Norwich, where the plan and the placing authority differ
Norwich City Council is the local planning authority for the city. Children’s services for Norfolk, including Norwich, sit with Norfolk County Council. A provider can be in correspondence with both and think they are one organisation. They are not.
Ofsted counted 330 children’s homes in the East of England at 31 March 2025. Norwich is one city inside that region. Broadland, South Norfolk and Great Yarmouth are different planning authorities.
Fiveways is based in Birmingham. This page is about the work in Norwich, not a local branch.
Planning applications in this area are decided by Norwich City Council.
- The useful first split is: who decides the use of the building, and who is responsible for the children. This page is here because Norwich makes that split obvious.
- CQC questions arise when the service is supported living with personal care, including for young adults, rather than a children’s home.
- We travel from Birmingham when the visit adds something the papers cannot. There is no East of England office.
The work that usually belongs here
Questions that come up here
Does Norfolk County Council grant planning permission in Norwich?
No. Planning applications in the city go to Norwich City Council. The county council is still the children’s services authority. Keep the two letters in two piles.
Will you write a page for every Norfolk town?
No. Another town would be a different planning authority and would need its own facts. We would rather have one honest Norwich page than a set of copies.
Nearby, and not the same
- London — The smallest regional count. Not the simplest plan.
- Milton Keynes — Its own council. Its own grid of streets.
- Birmingham — Visits are arranged at the service.