Plans to create a new authority that would have seen Gedling Borough Council abolished have been shelved, it was announced today.
The decision (December 11) was been taken two days ahead of a key vote which was due to take place on Thursday.
Either a single authority, or two large councils, would have been set up if the plans had gone ahead, with the current councils disbanded.
Supporters of the ‘super council’ said it would have helped save £27 million a year – savings which will now have to found from other areas of the county council’s already-squeezed budget.
The leader, Conservative Councillor Kay Cutts said the ‘super council’ plans were not being permanently scrapped, and hoped they would be revisited after local council elections in May next year.
Opposition leaders said Thursday’s vote was scrapped because the leader thought she was going to lose.
Cllr Cutts denied that claim, and said she wanted “more time to work with the stakeholders” on other areas of cooperation.
The leader of the Ashfield Independents, Councillor Jason Zadrozny, said the scheme was a watse of public money, and called for Councillor 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.
“Thousands of residents got in touch opposing these plans yet Kay Cutts ploughed ahead with this regardless.
“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.”
“I will be asking whoever is next leader of the County Council for an assurance that these proposals are scrapped forever.”
Asked whether the decision to pull the vote – which was due to be held on Thursday – was because she thought she might lose, Councillor 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.
“We had the first, I felt, productive meeting on Wednesday last week (with the district and borough councils). Up until then it had been very much ‘we don’t want you to do this’, but this was a very productive meeting.
“There was a real willingness to help us find a way through this and a coming together, in fact to quote one district chief executive ‘things will never be the same again’. And they won’t.
“We still have to find £64 million in savings. It hasn’t gone away and there aren’t any easy solutions.”
What a waste of my money and public time. If this stupid idea wasn’t suggested in the first place then the money wasted on this could have contributed to what is needed to fund social care etc. Whoever thought this up in the first place needs sacking. Lets all hope that there are no more stupid time and money wasting ideas in the pipeline.
I was behind this idea as they would probably build on less green space than GBC. We can now probably expect houses, casinos and retail parks from Netherfield to Arnold with not a field in site. #RIPcountrysideunderGBC
Probably build on less green space? What led you to that conclusion? Gedling BC is merely responding to targets laid down nationally by a Tory Government (same administration at County Hall).
It makes me furious that yet again savings have to be found,when the council are the biggest wasters of our money. With all the new houses being built,they are getting loads more council tax in. Look at what is being built in Gedling,mapperley,etc.The top boss had a pay rise again. Other staff haven’t this year. Already £250.000 spent on this waste of time,that not many want.while they sit on a pile of valuable art and buildings? Paid for by us ?