Nottingham City Council leader Cllr Neghat Khan has voiced support for creating a new authority which would see Gedling, Broxtowe or Rushcliffe join Nottingham.
Following discussions at a Full Council meeting yesterday, Khan revealed the city would favour a ‘Nottingham + 2 model’ – based on data so far – and recommitted to working collaboratively with the eight other councils during the process.
Cllr Khan said: “Nottingham is a significantly under-bounded local authority, covering a population of 328,000 at the centre of a built-up area of well over 750,000 (and a wider county population of 1.17 million).
“We are responsible for delivering the services expected in a Core City, but many of the people who work in the city, and use Council services currently live in the suburbs, meaning they can’t vote in city elections, and pay council tax elsewhere. We need to address that imbalance.
“And that doesn’t mean suddenly increasing council tax in new areas, like some politicians are suggesting.”
Cllr Khan acknowledged the recent challenges faced by the city but condemned scaremongering by political groups.
“Nottingham has been on a journey over the last year, but we’ve made huge strides in getting our house in order – and that has been recognised by our Commissioners, and by Government.
In February, the Government wrote to local authorities formally inviting them to submit proposals to create new structures of unitary authorities – which is a single tier of local government responsible for all local services in an area. The aim is to create more efficient and effective local government, potentially leading to streamlined services and cost savings for residents.
In Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, the nine existing local authorities would be abolished, to create new unitary councils with a higher population of residents.
All nine councils are holding Full Council meetings this week, between 17 and 20 March to discuss an interim submission to Government (due on March 21)
“While this process has been understandably emotive, Nottingham has remained silent on preferred options, as our approach has been to take an objective view of the data, with a genuine interest in what is best for the people, and the delivery of services.
“Backed by interim findings from PwC, at this point we believe that the most sustainable model would be two new unitaries; likely meaning a new authority that combines Nottingham City Council with any two of Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe.
“Subject to Government feedback, we are also open to other city + 2 models, that have not yet been fully explored.
“I remain committed to working with my Leader counterparts, especially during the next phase, which will require a more detailed analysis of individual options, to ensure that LGR delivers the best outcomes for local communities.”
What are the current three options for new councils?
- A new unitary authority combining Nottingham, Broxtowe, and Gedling, with a second new unitary authority for the rest of Nottinghamshire.
- A new unitary authority combining Nottingham, Broxtowe, and Rushcliffe, with a second new unitary authority for the rest of Nottinghamshire.
- Nottingham city remains a unitary authority, with a new single unitary authority for the rest of Nottinghamshire.
The Government has given all councils a deadline of March 21 to submit interim plans, with a November 28 deadline to submit final, much more detailed, proposals.
