Gedling Council backs merger with Ashfield, Mansfield, Newark and Bassetlaw councils under LGR plans

In December, the Labour Government announced plans to reorganise areas that are made up of two-tier local authorities – including Nottinghamshire – where responsibilities are currently split between county and district councils.

Under the English Devolution White Paper, existing council boundaries will be completely redrawn in favour of new, larger, single-tier, unitary authorities.

While Nottingham City Council currently operates as a unitary authority, it too will be part of the reorganisation in a bid to increase its population base, because it is currently too small under the Government’s guidelines.

The nine councils across the city and county have been working on their preferred options ever since.

Enough councillors at Labour-led Gedling Council agreed to the development of an option for the borough to merge with councils in Newark & Sherwood, Ashfield, Bassetlaw, and Mansfield councils at a meeting on July 8.

If accepted by the Government later this year, a second unitary authority would then be created with Nottingham City, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe.

An independent review was conducted by consultancy firm PwC, which assessed the various options against Government criteria, including what would best improve service delivery and financial sustainability.

However, before the recommendation was passed, a number of opposition councillors argued the case for a referendum.

Coun Russell Whiting (Ind) proposed a motion ‘that cabinet calls upon the secretary of state to make provision for the public to have the final say on any proposals through a Nottinghamshire-wide referendum’.

He said: “This is the most significant piece of local Government reorganisation we are going through in over 50 years, and yet we are rushing through it at breakneck speeds.

He added that a proposed consultation period between August and September ‘is no substitute’.

The Gedling Conservative Group said it too had been calling for a referendum.

Coun Sam Smith, the group’s leader, said councils were being ‘forced’ to make a choice over which boroughs and districts join the city.

He said he had concerns about a potential merger with the city after it declared itself effectively bankrupt in November 2023.

While one option keeps Gedling out of a merger with the city, the other option would mean Rushcliffe – which contributes a significant amount of council tax towards local services – would have to join it instead.

He claimed this would result in ‘less services and higher tax’ for Gedling residents.

Gedling’s Labour councillors ultimately rejected the idea of a referendum.

Coun John Clarke (Lab), Gedling Council leader, said while he had sympathy for calls for a referendum, time and money was not in the authority’s gift.

He said: “It is difficult, this is accelerating at such a pace now that if we don’t make a decision and to get a referendum together is going to take significant amount of time.”

Coun Clarke added the Government is not providing any money towards costs relating to the process, and the costs of a referendum ‘rule it out’.

The motion was lost following a vote.

Responding to concerns relating to other councils creating a new authority with the city, Coun Michael Payne (Lab) argued it is ‘in the best interests here in Gedling to have a thriving city’.

He said many residents work in the city and use the city’s services – including the council-run buses, trams, the hospitals, and the theatre – and called for a “pragmatic approach”.

Once the final business case has been submitted to Government in November, a decision on the secretary of state’s preferred option is then expected in Spring 2026.

Elections for new shadow authorities will take place in May 2027, with new councils becoming operational in April 2028.