Agenda item

That Cabinet:

a)       endorse the submission of a Final Proposal for a new unitary structure of Local Government for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, as attached as Appendix Ato the report, based on two new authorities, the first based on the existing boundaries of Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Gedling, Mansfield and Newark & Sherwood and the second based on the existing boundaries of Broxtowe, Nottingham City and Rushcliffe;

b)       notes the reference within the Final Proposal to the potential for future changes to council size and electoral arrangements as part of the first Electoral Review, and requests the Leader to write formally to the Secretary of State as part of our submission expressing our Council’s support to consolidate all of the Newark constituency within the proposed Sherwood Forest unitary Council;

c)       expresses support for continued collaborative working with other local authorities across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire on the implementation proposals for any new authorities;

d)       notes the additional workload and risks associated with reorganisation and commits to ensure;

e)       appropriate governance, communication, financial and management arrangements are put in place to mitigate potential impacts during the transition period; and

f)        delegates authority to the Chief Executive to make any minor amendments to Final Proposal if necessary, prior to submission.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive which sought to endorse the submission of the Final Proposal for the Council’s preferred option for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Each Council was only allowed to express support for one option in its submission which was due to be sent to government by 28 November 2025. The report advised of the current indications of how each Council were proposing to respond, with Nottinghamshire County Council and Rushcliffe supporting Option 1b; Nottingham considering a model on based on an expanded City known as Option 1bii; Bassetlaw, Gedling, Mansfield and Newark & Sherwood supporting Option 1e; Ashfield not determining a preference; and Broxtowe expressing no desire to be part of any reorganisation though had expressed a marginal preference for Option 1e.

Since the Council and Cabinet meetings held on 15 July 2025, work had continued on Option 1e and a submission had been developed by officers from across the four Councils of Bassetlaw, Gedling, Mansfield and Newark & Sherwood with input from Ashfield and Broxtowe on an advisory basis. The proposed Option 1e submission which was attached as an appendix to the report, had taken into account the government feedback on the Interim Plan and the Executive Summary highlighted why this option was considered to present the best option to meet the government’s criteria and provide a future platform for the delivery of housing and economic growth ambitions in conjunction with EMCCA.

AGREED     (with 6 votes for and 1 against) that Cabinet:

a)           endorse the submission of a Final Proposal for a new unitary structure of Local Government for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, as attached as Appendix Ato the report, based on two new authorities, the first based on the existing boundaries of Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Gedling, Mansfield and Newark & Sherwood and the second based on the existing boundaries of Broxtowe, Nottingham City and Rushcliffe;

b)          notes the reference within the Final Proposal to the potential for future changes to council size and electoral arrangements as part of the first Electoral Review, and requests the Leader to write formally to the Secretary of State as part of our submission expressing our Council’s support to consolidate all of the Newark constituency within the proposed Sherwood Forest unitary Council;

c)           expresses support for continued collaborative working with other local authorities across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire on the implementation proposals for any new authorities;

d)          notes the additional workload and risks associated with reorganisation and commits to ensure; appropriate governance, communication, financial and management arrangements are put in place to mitigate potential impacts during the transition period; and

e)           delegates authority to the Chief Executive to make any minor amendments to Final Proposal, if necessary, prior to submission.

Reasons for Decision:

To ensure that the Council meets the requirements of the statutory invitation from government to submit a final proposal for local government reorganisation by 28 November 2025.

The proposed Option 1e is the best for Local Government Reorganisation in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. It is also noted that from the public engagement of those respondents expressing a view on the future structure, it is Option 1e that makes most sense to them.

The proposal takes into account the Government’s criteria for submissions, namely:

1)        Sensible single tier of local government.

2)       ‘Right sized’ and financially viable local government.

3)       High quality, sustainable services.

4)       Meets local needs.

5)       Supports devolution arrangements.

6)       Local engagement and empowerment.

Options Considered:

The Council could decide notto respond to the Secretary of State’s invitation; however, a new structure will be implemented irrespective of this. Notwithstanding concerns about some aspects of reorganisation, the Council has determined that the responsible thing to do is to participate fully in the process. This includes making its position known on a preferred option that reflects the criteria given for reorganisation.

Councils could have developed proposals in isolation rather than collectively across the whole area of Nottinghamshire. This would have risked options being developed which meet the needs of part of the area but not the whole, and which have less alignment with the criteria set out by MHCLG in the statutory invitation. The proposed options for Local Government Reorganisation outlined in this report and detailed in Appendix A have been developed through a structured and detailed work programme overseen by Leaders/Mayors with support from Chief Executives, other statutory officers, a wide range of other officers and technical advice and analysis from advisors PwC, Peopletoo and CIPFA. Although support for differing options has emerged, this work has continued.