Those living in Arnold and close to Nottingham’s current boundaries say they have concerns “local voices may be drowned out” after it was confirmed the city would expand to form a new, much larger council.
Arnold will soon merge with the city under what is the biggest shake-up of Nottinghamshire’s boundaries in five decades.
All nine current councils in Nottinghamshire will cease to exist under the Labour Government’s proposals for local government reorganisation.
As confirmed on Thursday (July 16), the current two-tier system will be dropped in favour of two completely new unitary authorities.
One will cover the city and parts of Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe, and another will cover Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, as well as the remaining parts of the three boroughs bordering the city.
The journey to arrive at a decision has been a contentious one, with council leaders and politicians arguing the case for different options.
The city’s leader, Cllr Neghat Khan (Lab), had been calling for a boundary review, citing that over 51 per cent of Nottingham’s workforce lives outside the city boundary – and as such relies on its services and uses its infrastructure.
Yet, she said, they have no say in how those services are run.
She had also been arguing, as have many other politicians for many years, that the city is under-bounded, meaning it struggles to bring in enough council tax to pay for all of these well-used services.
It is this boundary review option, proposed by the city council, that has been chosen by the Government.
The Labour Government and the city council say the aim of the shake-up is to end duplication and inefficiencies by creating a single set of politicians, as well as officers across planning teams and finance departments.
The new authority can deliver real benefits for residents if implemented properly, they added in a statement.
In Arnold, residents have fears about the move – but said the people are typically pessimistic in any case when it comes to change.
Arnold is similarly covered by two councils: Labour-led Gedling Borough Council as well as Nottinghamshire County Council.
Jordan Roach, a teacher, who was shopping on the high street with his daughter, Anya, who is three, said: “Finances are a challenge. What does this mean for council tax and local resources?
“That I have apprehension about. There might be efficiencies internally, the council might be more efficient, but what does it mean for us?
“Sometimes we are so pessimistic about change. So you never know.
“I think overall the councils here are good. I do feel it is inevitable local representation could reduce. The voice of the local community could be drowned out a little bit. That I think is the biggest thing.”
Vanessa Astill, who has lived in the area for 45 years, worked as a secretary for an estate agent before retiring so she could volunteer in her local area.
“The council is quite good at doing things in our borough,” she said.
“So are we not going to see the money spent here? We do not want it to go down hill. You go to the city and it is so scruffy.”
Labour MP for Gedling, Michael Payne, said: “The decision to split my home community of Gedling borough in half and to force communities in Gedling into an expanded Nottingham city council area against their will is bad for my constituents and bad policymaking. This is a decision I cannot and will not support.”
Elections for the new authorities will be held in May 2027, but the councils will only operate as shadow authorities for the first year.
A gradual transfer of power from the current councils to the new ones will take place, with the new authorities becoming operational in 2028.
