The Freshwater team was drafted in to help six district councils in Norfolk resist the Government’s proposal to form a county-wide unitary authority as part of the Local Government Review process.

By working with officers and councillors, the team rallied the local MPs and peers, Conservative and Liberal Democrat frontbenchers and special advisers through one-to-one briefings and receptions to form a coalition of support to oppose the measures in-and-out of Parliament.

A combination of subsequent media and political campaigning saw the proposals opposed in both Houses and the eventual inclusion of the pledge to reverse the decision in the Conservative and Liberal-Democrat manifestos. The reversal of the decision was then included in the Coalition Agreement and implemented by the current Government. 

Freshwater ran a similar successful campaign to Keep Somerset Local.