Ashfield District Council, and Bassetlaw District Council, Broxtowe Borough Council, Gedling Borough Council, Mansfield District Council, Newark and Sherwood District Council, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, and Rushcliffe Borough Council discuss unitary authority plans

Plans for changes in our local government were discussed this week, with three options on the table for a unitary authority in Nottinghamshire.

In February, the government wrote to local authorities formally inviting them to submit proposals to create new structures of unitary authorities – a single tier of local government responsible for all local services in an area.

This would see the nine existing local authorities in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire — Ashfield District Council, and Bassetlaw District Council, Broxtowe Borough Council, Gedling Borough Council, Mansfield District Council, Newark and Sherwood District Council, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, and Rushcliffe Borough Council — abolished to create new unitary councils with a higher population of residents.

All nine council leaders in the county met on Wednesday (March 5) to work together on a collective response that ensures the best available options are taken forward for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire residents and businesses.

All nine councils will now hold Full Council meetings between March 17 and 20 — with Newark and Sherwood’s on Wednesday 19th and Nottinghamshire County Council and Rushcliffe’s on Thursday 20th — to discuss an interim submission to the government (due on March 21), that outlines three core options. These are:

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

2. A new unitary authority combining Nottingham, Broxtowe, and Rushcliffe, with a second new unitary authority for the rest of Nottinghamshire.

3. Nottingham city remains a unitary authority, with another single unitary authority created for the rest of Nottinghamshire.

A spokesperson for the leaders said: “This is arguably the biggest shake-up of local government in 50 years. In Nottingham and Nottinghamshire we are absolutely determined to work together to ensure the best outcome for local people.

“Councils will meet to note the submission of a collective interim plan, but it’s important to note that there is no decision being made at this point – this is simply one step in the government’s process.

“We’ve been given an incredibly tight timescale to pull together these initial submissions, and we don't yet have enough data to make a fully informed decision on a single option, but this is a good first step.

“Between now and November we are committed to further exploration of data that will allow us to make informed decisions, that also considers how we engage with local people and businesses – making our submission evidence-based, and the best one for our people.

“It is accepted that some councils may still wish to continue to explore alternative proposals beyond the three core options being tabled, but we are committed to continuing our work together to achieve an interim submission that will meet the government’s deadline – to consider the art of the possible and make the best of this opportunity.”

The government has given all councils a deadline of November 28 to submit final, much more detailed, proposals.