Unitary authority plan for Nottinghamshire at an end

Controversial plans to create a unitary authority to run Nottinghamshire have been ditched.

The idea to abolish Nottinghamshire County Council and the seven district or borough councils and replace them with a unitary authority or two authorities was supported by county council leader Kay Cutts.

The city of Nottingham would not have been affected.

The move, which was widely opposed, has today been ditched.

Conservative Mrs Cutts recently warned the county council would go bust without changes

“Everyone knows I believe that the current system of local government is unsustainable," said Mrs Cutts.

"Our outline business case supports my view that there is a better way to plan and deliver services for local people who pay for them out of their taxes.

"However, I accept that my view is not universally supported.

"After meeting with district council leaders and chief executives and after much reflection, I have decided to withdraw the outline business case from Thursday’s county council meeting.

"We had a productive meeting with leaders and chief executives of district councils last week and they are willing to work with us on the delivery of local services but we all need more time to consider and discuss the potential options.

"I have listened to all the voices on my own and opposition benches and decided to pause and take more time to reflect.

"Nonetheless there is no simple solution to the significant financial challenges we face and savings will still have to be made to close the funding gap. We will need to consider radical solutions and not just look at back office functions."

Mrs Cutts said she believed it was in the interest of Nottinghamshire residents to consider options such as:

- Harmonising bin collections for economies of scale

- One organisation providing trading standards and environmental health services across the county

- Housing provision to ensure it meets the needs of a growing elderly and disabled population

- Whether councils could merge.

She said: "Every effort will be made to protect those who rely on council services but all other spending will have to be seriously considered in both the shorter and longer term.

"I know I can rely on colleagues from all sides to help find the way through the current financial situation, which is not of this council’s making, in the interests of the people we were all elected to serve.

"A further update report will be brought to policy committee in due course."

Mrs Cutts said the plans would be revisited after local council elections in May next year.

Opposition leaders said the vote was scrapped because the leader thought she was going to lose.

The leader of the Ashfield Independents, Jason Zadrozny, said the scheme was a waste of public money, and called for Mrs Cutts to resign.

He said: “I am not surprised at all by this announcement but concerned nearly £250,000 of public money has been spent on a needless process.

“I am today taking the regrettable step of calling for her resignation as leader of Nottinghamshire County Council.

“We all have a duty to protect the public purse. Councillor Cutts has failed to do this and now should admit liability and do the honourable thing and step aside.

“At a time when council finances are in such a perilous state ­— she decides to spend hundreds of thousands on a botched scheme.

“Councillor Cutts knew she would lose the vote and I am afraid she has lost the confidence of members from all parties.

“The only reason she has pulled this is to protect her job at the eleventh hour – just like Theresa May did on Brexit.”

Labour leader Alan Rhodes said: “This has just been badly handled from the start. She didn’t listen to anybody about these plans ­— it was just her way or the highway.

“She’s been dismissive and offensive about district councils, and now she expects them to get round a table and talk about a way forward. I think those relationships will take a long time to mend.

Asked whether the decision to pull the vote ­— which was due to be held on Thursday ­— was because she thought she might lose, Mrs Cutts said: “Not at all. This is an opportunity to keep talking to people.

"This is a long process ­— I’ve always said it’s a long process ­— and it gives us the opportunity to keep talking to people."