Nottingham City Council yesterday (10 November) voted to endorse the option of a new Council, covering the current City Council and large areas of Rushcliffe, including West Bridgford, Radcliffe-on-Trent and East Leake.
Cllr Neil Clarke MBE, the Leader of the ruling Conservative Group on Rushcliffe Borough Council has promised that his group will keep fighting any option that puts Rushcliffe residents into new Council that includes the current Nottingham City Council Area.
Cllr Clarke said:
‘The proposal put forward by the Labour Administration of the City Council is a land grab, it appears to us to simply want to take areas with a high tax base and where there is room to build more houses and would carve up Rushcliffe for no good reason. What do areas such as Bunny and Costock, Colston Bassett and Zouch, have in common with the City?’
Nearly 15,000 people have signed a petition, led by Rushcliffe Conservatives, against any part of Rushcliffe joining a new expanded City Council area, following the Government’s decision to pursue Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Cllr Clarke says this demonstrates the strength of feeling amongst residents.
He added: ‘During the recent County Council elections, it was the number one issue raised, even above potholes! The overwhelming majority of people told our Councillors and supporters that they do not want to be part of a new City Council, they value having Rushcliffe Borough Council with the lowest Council Tax in Nottinghamshire, being debt free, superb highly valued services and millions of pounds of investment going into services.’
There is no clarity at this stage on what Nottingham City Council policies may have to stay in place for a new authority, but the Workplace Parking Levy, the higher Council Tax rates, higher car parking charges and extra costs for landlords have all been raised as issues.
Cllr Clarke has said his Conservative Group will be continuing to propose the option to keep all of Rushcliffe away from a council made up with the current City Council, at their full Council meeting on November 20th.
He said: ‘If you do not have a Conservative Councillor then I urge you to write to your local Councillor and ask them to support our stance to the Government that we do not want to join with Nottingham City Council in a new Authority.’
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