LGR: Public backs north-south split for new councils Nottingham and Nottinghamshire

But this is likely to cause even more confusion and controversy as it now means the surveyed public, Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council all favour different options.

From April 1, 2028, two new councils are set to replace the existing nine councils across Nottinghamshire to save money and improve public services.

The controversial proposals, known as Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), has seen councils debating two options.

The first, known as 1b, was to create a new unitary authority combining Nottingham, Broxtowe and Gedling, with a second new unitary authority of Mansfield, Ashfield, Newark & Sherwood, Bassetlaw and Rushcliffe.

The other, known as 1e, was to create a new unitary authority combining Nottingham City, Broxtowe, and Rushcliffe, with a second new unitary authority for the rest of Nottinghamshire – Mansfield, Ashfield, Newark & Sherwood, Bassetlaw and Gedling.

Last month, the Reform-led county council said it’s preferred choice, following a debate and vote, was option 1b.

This was countered by city council leader Coun Neghat Khan (Lab), who suggested a better option would be to expand the city’s boundaries to take in parts, rather than all, of surrounding boroughs, raising fears in areas like Hucknall that they would become part of the city – something residents are firmly against.

Now, the results have been published of an independently-run survey carried out over a period of six-weeks and supported by four focus groups, which reveal that the public prefers option 1e with around a third of all respondents viewing the north-south arrangement as the best available solution, saying the split better reflected the way local communities live, work, and connect across the city and county.

One respondent said “On the face of it this seems like a more logical and fair option, a more natural split between the north and the south of the county.”

Andy Abrahams, Executive Mayor of Mansfield, said: “It is encouraging to see that option 1e has attracted more support than option 1b, with around a third of respondents recognising it as the stronger choice.

"People have told us they value the clearer north-south split and the geographic logic it offers, a more natural and fair division of the county that helps keep communities together, respecting shared culture and history.

“A successful new unitary authority must be built on sensible geography, with strong transport and digital links, while also being large enough to deliver an effective highways network and achieve efficiencies in the way services are run.

"When you look at the two options side by side, option 1e – bringing together Mansfield, Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Newark & Sherwood, and Gedling – is clearly the closest fit.

"These five communities share similar challenges and opportunities, and we have already demonstrated how well we can work together, with our council’s openly debating the pros and cons before giving their democratic backing to 1e as the preferred option.

“This momentum gives us a strong foundation as we move forward into the business case submission on November 28, ensuring that the voices of our residents remain at the heart of shaping a stronger future for our place.”