Nottingham boundary to expand under council shake-up

The boundary of Nottingham city is to expand as part of a huge shake-up of local government, it has been confirmed.

Parts of the surrounding boroughs of Broxtowe, Gedling, and Rushcliffe are set to be merged with the city, with a new "Greater Nottingham Council" created to manage all the area's council services.

A second unitary authority, called "Nottinghamshire Council", is also set to be established, comprising the current districts of Ashfield, Mansfield, Bassetlaw, and Newark and Sherwood, along with the remaining parts of the above three boroughs.

The BBC understands shadow elections for the new councils will be held in May 2027 before powers are formally transferred the following year.

All nine of the city and county's existing councils will then be abolished.

This model, referred to as Option Bii, was Nottingham City Council's preferred option.

An online postcode checker shows which areas will be in which new council.

The government argues it will streamline services and create "simple one stop shops for residents."

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed MP said: "This government is serious about creating new councils fit for the future, improving services for residents whilst delivering increased value for their council tax.

"These new authorities mean real change for communities across the country, empowering local people by making it more straightforward to find out about local services, and giving those who know their areas best a stronger voice for change."

Nottingham City Council leader Neghat Khan said: "This is a significant endorsement of the vision we have championed throughout this process and reflects the strength of the case we have made for communities across the area.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape local government around the way people actually live their lives and to build a stronger future for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

"It gives us the best opportunity grow, improves services and deliver the best for our residents in the years to come."

Speaking in the House of Commons, however, Labour MP for Gedling Michael Payne said: "The decision to split my home community of Gedling borough in half, and to force communities in Gedling into an expanded new Nottingham city council area against their will, is bad for my constituents and bad policy making.

"I have to tell the minister, this is a decision I cannot and will not support.

"Will he tell me what on earth makes sense about creating two councils for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, where official figures show that from day one, one of them is £147m better off than the other?"

In response, Reed said: "We really have to take decisions that will tackle the wider economic divides that are pulling this country apart."

The Reform UK MP for Newark, Robert Jenrick, said he was glad areas he represents such as Bingham will not merge with Nottingham.

"I'm only sorry that the parts of Rushcliffe I don't represent have not been so lucky," he said.

"As we look to fresh elections next year, we have to stop Labour from destroying the county with higher taxes and incompetence, by ensuring Reform control the new Nottinghamshire council.

"It will be a straight shoot out between Reform and Labour."

Concerns have previously been raised by some residents in areas which are set to merge with the city, following the city council's financial problems.

The Labour-run authority effectively declared itself bankrupt in November 2023, but argues it now has its "house in order" and recently announced it had underspent by £20m in the last financial year.

No other authority in Nottinghamshire had backed boundary changes and last year, council leaders clashed over the best way forward.

The other options considered were known as 1b and 1e.

Option 1b was a new unitary authority combining Nottingham, Broxtowe, and Gedling, with a second new unitary authority for the rest of Nottinghamshire.

Option 1e would have involved a new unitary authority combining Nottingham, Broxtowe, and Rushcliffe, with a second new unitary authority for the rest of Nottinghamshire.

The Reform UK leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Mick Barton, said he was "bitterly disappointed".

"It's an awful decision and they've made it political. We'll see what detail comes through over the next few days and then we'll see what decision we're going to make," he said.

"We'll look at it legally and see what we can do in that way, but I don't want to say too much until we get all the detail and see what it looks like."

Sam Smith, leader of the Conservative group on Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "This Labour government has gone against its own criteria, wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers' money on consultations and plans for a process that was clearly pre-determined.

"The district boundary threshold was ditched without a second thought. The disaggregation of services alone will cost a fortune that should have been spent on front-line care, not bureaucracy."

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