Broxtowe Council leader says ‘no delays’ to cementing LGR position after 12,000 households share their views

The ongoing local government reorganisation plans were discussed in the authority’s cabinet meeting on September 30.

The Labour Government announced its plans to shake-up English councils back in December 2024 when it released its English Devolution White Paper.

The plans aim to reorganise two-tier areas – including Nottinghamshire – where responsibilities are currently split between county and district/borough councils to create new, larger, single-tier, unitary authorities.

All nine Nottinghamshire councils discussed three core reorganisation options in March 2025.

These have since been whittled down to two, but this does not stop authorities from submitting alternative options by the government’s November 28 deadline.

One option combines Nottingham, Broxtowe and Gedling – the option currently backed by Nottinghamshire Council – and the other combines Nottingham, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe.

A secondary unitary containing the remainder of the county is featured in both options.

An alternative option exploring a city boundary expansion into parts of boroughs – not the whole boroughs – is also currently being assessed.

A county-wide survey—including for Nottingham city residents—was launched on August 4 and ran for six weeks to gather residents’ views on which reorganisation option they preferred. Broxtowe council decided to run its own independent survey just for its residents concurrently.

Speaking at the meeting, Zulfiqar Darr, interim chief executive at the council, said the county-wide survey had around 11,483 household responses but Broxtowe’s independent one alone ‘will hit around the 12,000 responses mark’.

Mr Darr said this was ‘probably the biggest survey response in Broxtowe history’.

The results are currently being analysed.

Given the borough’s large volume of responses, council leader Coun Milan Radulovic (Brox All) told the local democracy reporting service there will be ‘no delays’ to the authority hitting the government’s November submission deadline.

He said: “None whatsoeve, the Government is quite clear – that’s the date submissions will be made by most authorities.

“Those consultation responses are now being looked through and will be provided in detail to the council.

"The full council will discuss them on the November 26, they will be recommended to the cabinet on November 27 and submitted to the Government on November 28.”

Speaking during the meeting, Coun Radulovic said: “The position is this in Broxtowe – we will not be taking any reorganisation position until the result in Broxtowe’s consultation has been put forward to members and debated properly in this council chamber.

“There will be nobody acting under instruction or influence to do anything other than what they believe to be in the best interest of the residents and taking into account the views of the consultation.”

Also speaking in the meeting, Coun Steve Carr (Ind), noted how the Reform-led Nottinghamshire Council cemented its reorganisation position ‘12 days before the county-wide consultation had finished’, calling it a ‘slap in the face’ of Nottinghamshire residents.

Coun Philip Owen (Con) called the wider plans ‘local government disorganisation’ and a ‘complete and utter shambles’ and called for the Government’s plans to be abandoned at this stage to be thought out ‘more clearly’.