Mansfield mayor supports plans that could see council merge with four others

Councillors at the Labour-run authority met for the extraordinary full council meeting on March 17 to discuss proposals to restructure local council boundaries.

Last December, the Labour Government drove an initiative to restructure local councils in a bid to promote a more efficient delivery of public services.

That includes removing the current two-tier structure of local authorities in Nottinghamshire – which sees services split between lower and upper-tier councils.

Lower-tier authorities – like Mansfield, Ashfield and Bassetlaw – deliver localised services like housing, planning, bin collections and park maintenance.

Upper-tier authorities – which, locally, is Nottinghamshire Council – are much larger and deliver county-wide services like road maintenance, social care and education.

This week, all nine Nottingham and Nottinghamshire councils are discussing three potential options for reorganisation.

Under option one, Nottingham, Broxtowe, and Gedling would be combined as one unitary authority, with the remaining districts and boroughs – Mansfield, Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood and Rushcliffe – also merging.

Option two would mean Nottingham, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe combined, with Gedling replacing Rushcliffe in the make-up of the other boundary to form a unitary council.

Option three, referred to as the ‘county-only option’, would mean Nottingham remains as a singular unitary authority, with the rest of Nottinghamshire forming a second, large super-council.

Mansfield Mayor Andy Abrahams said the council believes the most ‘financially viable model’ for Nottinghamshire would be two unitaries.

This would involve one unitary that combines Nottingham City, Broxtowe, and Rushcliffe.

Meanwhile, another unitary would cover the remaining county including Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Gedling, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood.

The Labour mayor said: “As far as we are concerned and the evidence presented so far from the consultants, we are strongly in favour of what’s being called the ‘Sherwood unitary’, which is effectively the northern unitary.

“That is the five districts – Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood and Gedling.

“And when you look at the map of Nottinghamshire you can see there’s a logical line where those communities on a whole share a similar identity.

“We don’t believe that the other options do that in any way, and the evidence presented so far suggests that is the case.

“Our recommendation is very strongly towards option 1e – the Sherwood unitary.”

Questioning the viability of the other options, Coun Barry Answer (Ref) asked: “We only have one option to vote on, but there are other options.

“We are not even able to consider these.”

Mr Abrahams said: “We are submitting three options, as it says in the recommendation.

“We want to show we are pragmatic and working together.

“The problem with Nottingham City doughnut is that it cannot expand out of that position, it needs a wider geography to be financially viable.”

In his closing remarks, he added: “This is the first milestone, there will be more detailed work and more to discuss in this journey on the way through this journey.

“The system is broken, we need to do something.

"We have the skills, enthusiasm, to make the Sherwood unitary the success.

“I strongly ask that you back this proposal.”

The motion was carried forward with a majority voting in favour, with three against and four abstentions.

A number of options must be submitted to the Government by the end of March and a final decision will be made by November this year.

Changes could then be introduced as early as 2027.

Nottingham City Council also set out its preferred approach to the reforms at a meeting on March 17 – with the Labour-run authority backing at least one of the two options which would see it merge with two other areas.