Agenda item

The Council considered the report of the Chief Executive, which provided an update on the Government’s requirement for Local Government Reorganisation, including the work undertaken to determine which option to develop as a final proposal for submission to the Government in November 2025.

At the Extraordinary Meeting held on 19 March 2025, the Council agreed to endorse the Interim Plan for submission to the Government. Feedback on the Interim Plan reiterated encouragement for areas to work together to submit a single proposal, whilst acknowledging the opportunity for individual Councils to submit their own proposals. One key theme that emerged more prominently was the need to demonstrate how new unitary structures would enable neighbourhood empowerment, with local areas being invited to come forward with proposals to create local area committees or other local engagement and decision-making forums.

The interim plan contained three options for unitary structures in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – 1b as Nottingham City conurbation to include Broxtowe and Gedling, and the rest of Nottinghamshire; 1e as Nottingham City conurbation to include Broxtowe and Rushcliffe, and the rest of Nottinghamshire; and 2 as Nottingham City to remain the same and the rest of Nottinghamshire. The option appraisal work undertaken by PWC had concluded that option 2 demonstrated the weakest alignment with the Government’s criteria and it was therefore anticipated that this option would be rejected by all Nottinghamshire Councils.

The PWC independent appraisal concluded that options 1b and 1e both met the Government’s criteria and the differences between each were marginal. The report gave an officer steer as to a recommended option having regard to the options appraisal. The focus was on the operational, service delivery implications in relation to options 1b and 1e. The differences in geography and land area covered by the two options were also an area of consideration.

As part of the recommendation to progress the development of option 1e as the Council’s preferred option, there was a further recommendation to register, as part of the Council’s submission to amend the boundary so the whole of the Newark Parliamentary Constituency would form part of the ‘north Notts’ unitary authority. The rationale for this being that this would strengthen community identity and provide for more “sensible” geography with the whole of the Newark Parliamentary Constituency being covered by a single unitary authority. 

Councillor P Peacock proposed, and Councillor R Cozens seconded the report recommendations.

In accordance with Rule No. 4.6.1, Councillor J Kellas moved and Councillor T Wendels seconded an amendment to the report recommendations as follows:

The Full Council endorses the following recommendations to Cabinet for formal approval:

a)       to consider the options appraisal and summary document provided by PwC UK (Appendices 1 and 2 to the report);

b)       to recommend to Cabinet the development of Option 1B as this Council’s preferred option for submission as a final proposal to Government by 28 November 2025;

c)       to ensure the involvement of Town and Parish Councils and other local community and business organisations in the development of the final proposal;

d)       to request regular updates to and from the Governance, General Purposes & Local Government Reorganisation Committee to ensure all members are kept informed and have an opportunity to input their views; and

e)       to delegate the creation of a budget to the Leader of the Council through a Portfolio Holder decision in consultation with the Chair of the Governance, General Purposes & Local Government Reorganisation Committee.

The amendment, on being put to the vote, was lost with 14 votes for, 19 against and 2 Abstentions. In accordance with Rule No. 5.4 a recorded vote was taken as follows:

Following the vote on the amendment and during the debate on the substantive motion, there was a suggestion that a further amendment was proposed effectively deferring any decision on a preferred option until further work, such as an environmental impact assessment on options 1b and 1e had been undertaken.

(Meeting adjourned at 7.41pm to consider the impact of deferral and recommenced at 7.49pm).

Following advice that further work around the environmental impact could be undertaken during the work on putting together any final proposal, the Council debated the substantive motion.

AGREED     (with 19 votes for, 14 votes against and 2 abstentions) that Full Council endorses the following recommendations to Cabinet for formal approval:

a)           to consider the options appraisal and summary document provided by PWC UK (Appendices 1 and 2to the report);

b)          to recommend to Cabinet the development of Option 1e as this Council’s preferred option for submission as a final proposal to Government by 28 November 2025;

c)           to register as part of the submission, a request for consideration of including the whole of the Newark Parliamentary Constituency within the boundary of the proposed 1e unitary authority, to strengthen community identity and provide for more “sensible” geography;

d)          to ensure the involvement of Town and Parish Councils and other local community and business organisations in the development of the final proposal;

e)           to request regular updates to and from the Governance, General Purposes & Local Government Reorganisation Committee to ensure all members are kept informed and have an opportunity to input their views; and

f)            to delegate the creation of a budget to the Leader of the Council through a Portfolio Holder decision in consultation with the Chair of the Governance, General Purposes & Local Government Reorganisation Committee.

In accordance with Rule No. 5.4, a recorded vote was taken as follows:

(The Chair left the meeting following the vote on this item. The Vice-Chair took the Chair for the remainder of the meeting).