Agenda item

The Committee considered the report presented jointly by the Chief Executive and the Transformation & Service Improvement Officer which sought to provide Members with an update on the Government’s requirement for local government reorganisation (LGR), including the work being undertaken to development Option 1e as a final proposal for submission in November 2025.

In presenting the report, the position of each of the Nottinghamshire councils and their preferred options was clarified.  Paragraph 2 of the report set out the work being undertaken to develop the Business Case and of the collaborative work with the other Councils in developing the case for Option 1e.  Members were advised that immediately following submission of the Business Case on 28 November, transitional work would commence whilst the Government were appraising the submissions.  In relation to public engagement, Members were advised that there had been 10,462 responses to the survey and approximately 120 staff had attended the LGR drop-in sessions.  It was also noted that following the submission of the Business Case, the Government would issue a consultation. 

In considering the report, a Member stated that the public engagement survey should have included a question as to whether they supported the LGR, noting that the reorganisation would lose all local decision making.  In response, the Chief Executive advised that LGR was a statutory decision.  In relation to local decision making, he commented that neighbourhood committees and forums could be included in the final submission. 

In response to how Members could input their views on LGR into the submission, the Chief Executive suggested that an additional meeting of the Committee be convened.  Also, in response to whether Full Council would debate LGR further, the Chief Executive clarified that final approval of the Business Case was an executive decision and would be taken by Cabinet. 

In considering the report and the ongoing work to develop the Business Case, a Member queried as to whether more should be done to better understand the financial implications of LGR.  The Chief Executive advised that until the final decision of the Government was known the development of the Business Case was based on assumptions.  He acknowledged that there had been a degree of financial modelling undertaken but that it remained a fluid situation. 

In response to queries raised the Chief Executive advised that all the partner authorities were aware of Newark & Sherwood’s preference for the whole of the Newark constituency to be within the new unitary authority.  He added that the Local Government Association provided LGR webinars which included local authorities who had already gone through the process. 

Referring to how Members might contribute to the ongoing work streams, the Chief Executive suggested that these be shared and discussed in a workshop setting, with Members requesting that they be involved in the development of the final proposal.

AGREED     (unanimously) that the Governance, General Purposes & LGR Committee noted the progress update in line with their role to:

a)           oversee the plans for, and impact of, local government reorganisation within Nottingham and Nottinghamshire;

b)          liaise with and advise the Council’s Cabinet, Audit & Accounts Committee, Policy & Performance Improvement Committee and other committees to ensure all Members are kept informed and provide opportunity for them to input their views on LGR; and

c)           that informal meetings of the Governance, General Purposes & LGR Committee be convened to provide Members with the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing LGR work streams.