Mansfield and Ashfield to be part of new unitary county council under Local Government Reorganisation plan

The Labour Government has backed option Bii from the LGR consultation – which was put forward by the Labour-led city council – to create two, single-tier unitary councils.

Nottingham city and parts of Rushcliffe, Gedling and Broxtowe now become part of a new unitary city council

The rest of the county, including Mansfield and Ashfield, will now become part of a new unitary county council.

However, in the short term, there will be no change to existing services and all services currently delivered by the nine affected councils will continue as normal.

Three LGR options for Nottinghamshire were put forward for the Government consultation and decision.

Option 1b was for Broxtowe, Gedling, and Nottingham City councils to form a new unitary city council, while Nottinghamshire, Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Newark & Sherwood, and Rushcliffe councils formed a new unitary county council.

Option 1e was a north-south split proposal with Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Gedling, Mansfield, and Newark & Sherwood in one new unitary council and Broxtowe, Nottingham City and Rushcliffe in the other.

Option Bii – the city council’s option – proposed a city boundary review with one new unitary council comprised of Nottingham City and parts of Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe, while the other new unitary council would see the remaining parts of Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe combined with Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Mansfield, and Newark & Sherwood.

Option 1b was backed by Nottinghamshire and Rushcliffe councils, option 1e by Mansfield, Bassetlaw, Gedling and Newark & Sherwood councils and option Bii by the city council.

Neither Broxtowe nor Ashfield backed any of the options.

A spokesperson for all nine councils said: "The Government has announced its preferred option for LGR.

“All nine councils have worked hard to meet the deadlines set by central Government and to provide submissions that we believe are best for the residents we serve.

“We will continue to work together to ensure services continue and that residents and businesses remain our priority.

“We want to reassure everyone that this will not affect the day-to-day running of your local council, our services will continue and we are working closely with the thousands of staff who are coming on this LGR journey with us.

"The work has only just begun, and we can now start the work of transitioning to be ready by April 2028."

Meanwhile, Coun Sam Smith (Con), opposition leader at Nottinghamshire Council, called the decision a ‘Labour stitch-up’ – and blamed the ruling Reform UK councillors for letting it happen.

He said: “Reform have sold Nottinghamshire residents down the river.

"Despite our repeated warnings in October 2025 and beyond, they ploughed ahead with a proposal that has enabled this Labour stitch-up.

“Large parts of our county are being carved off and absorbed into a city council that has faced serious financial difficulties in the past.

"Residents in Broxtowe, Rushcliffe and Gedling, that Reform promised to protect, are now facing higher council tax and worse services as a direct result.

“This Labour Government has gone against its own criteria, wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on consultations and plans for a process that was clearly predetermined.

"The district boundary threshold was ditched without a second thought.

"The disaggregation of services alone will cost a fortune that should have been spent on frontline care, not bureaucracy.

"We are now calling for a full judicial review and I will be writing to the Coun Mick Barton (Ref), the council leader, demanding support for that review.

“Conservatives will continue to fight this decision every step of the way and stand ready to support affected residents.”

Coun Mick Barton, county council leader, said: “To say I am bitterly disappointed, is an understatement.

"The Conservatives came up with the concept of the LGR and the Labour Government carried the legislation on.

"The local Conservative group and the Conservative party had 10 years to deal with LGR and did absolutely nothing except kick it into the long grass.

"A further example of the Conservative inability to make hard decisions, they are to blame for the mess we find ourselves in now.

"They are killing our communities with this legislation.

"Let me make this clear, if Reform were in Government, we would not continue with LGR.

"When choosing an option, the county council did our due diligence and sought the services of a professional company to help us do so.

"The option we chose endorsed all the governments criteria and guidelines.

"Our option of 1B would have made the county council and city council sustainable and its services deliverable for decades to come.

"The Government’s decision has gone against its own criteria and guidelines.

"The city council was virtually bankrupt six years ago and has been in financial measures until very recently.

"This is Labour looking after Labour, trying to save their own regions, politically.

"This decision has not been made for the benefit of the residents. It has been made to benefit the Labour councillors and the Labour Government.

"I shall be reviewing all the options in the next few days, once I receive the full details.

"But like I have said for months, I will do what is best for the residents.

"If it means going for a judicial review option, that is what I will do.

"We have spent five months working on an option that was evidence led and that fitted all the Governments criteria.

"This has been overturned to fit a rushed Labour model, land and asset grabbing, with a squiggly line.

"This leaves the rest of the county vulnerable.

"The labour Government and labour group members will end up regretting this in next year’s elections in May.”