Those living close to Nottingham’s current boundaries say they have concerns “local voices may be drowned out” after it was confirmed the city would expand to form a new, much larger council.
Towns on the border of Nottingham, such as West Bridgford, Arnold and Beeston, will soon merge with the city under what is the biggest shake-up of Nottinghamshire’s boundaries in five decades.
All nine current councils in Nottinghamshire will cease to exist under the Labour Government’s proposals for local government reorganisation.
As confirmed on Thursday (July 16), the current two-tier system will be dropped in favour of two completely new unitary authorities.
One will cover the city and parts of Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe, and another will cover Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, as well as the remaining parts of the three boroughs bordering the city.
The journey to arrive at a decision has been a contentious one, with council leaders and politicians arguing the case for different options.
The city’s leader, Cllr Neghat Khan (Lab), had been calling for a boundary review, citing that over 51 per cent of Nottingham’s workforce lives outside the city boundary – and as such relies on its services and uses its infrastructure.
Yet, she said, they have no say in how those services are run.
She had also been arguing, as have many other politicians for many years, that the city is under-bounded, meaning it struggles to bring in enough council tax to pay for all of these well-used services.
It is this boundary review option, proposed by the city council, that has been chosen by the Government.
In Beeston, some services are delivered by Reform-led Nottinghamshire County Council, while the rest are delivered by the Broxtowe Alliance-led Broxtowe Borough Council.
Rob Turner, 44, and Lindsey Okon-Turner, 41, live in Toton.
Mr Turner said he felt cutting costs for the city council was a good idea, and acknowledged their improved financial situation after declaring what was effectively bankruptcy in November 2023.
“The city has been tidied up, and the aim is to address anti-social behaviour, like e-scooters, so that’s a positive thing if that expands,” he said.
“At the moment there are development plans behind our house in Toton, so to have a borough council is easier to coordinate with.
“The council here in Beeston has done a good job of renovating the town centre. Beeston has one of the only high streets that is so vibrant and busy, the borough council has done a great job.
“A concern of mine would be the new council would dilute that local focus. There is evidence of that in the city, like in St Ann’s where it has not got the funding it deserves.
“An impact of dilution could be the costs: Could we get a Workplace Parking Levy here, like in the city? That could add costs for businesses.”
Gabby, who lives in Chilwell, said: “I’m happy with our councils, our separate ones, because I know what the city is doing.
“I try to follow. I’m not updated on a daily basis, but I’m trying to follow what’s happening. I think all the areas need to have their own little council, because if it gets bigger the smallest areas get less and less, because they concentrate on the most important parts.”
The Labour Government and the city council say the aim of the shake-up is to end duplication and inefficiencies by creating a single set of politicians, as well as officers across planning teams and finance departments.
Asked about this, Gabby added: “It depends what their plan is, and how many people they are happy to give the jobs to to do. It could work out really well, but they need to put the effort in to make sure it works.”
Christina Chester, 25, who was born in South Africa but moved to the UK, and to Beeston most recently, said she understood specific arguments by city politicians regarding non-city taxpayers using its infrastructure, like the buses and the tram network. She said it would make sense for them to contribute to their maintenance and upkeep.
She added: “I know local people are not happy about it.
“I’m of a similar opinion. I think it does make sense to tell anyone outside of Nottingham that you are from the city, rather than Beeston. But Beeston and the city are different and it is a local identity.”
Broxtowe Borough Council leader Milan Radulovic said the decision was a “disgrace but not a surprise”.
Broxtowe’s Labour councillors said it was not the option they had supported, and added they will remain focused on the issues that matter to residents.
The new authority can deliver real benefits for residents if implemented properly, they added in a statement.
Over in Arnold, residents have similar fears – but said the people are typically pessimistic in any case when it comes to change.
Arnold is similarly covered by two councils: Labour-led Gedling Borough Council as well as Nottinghamshire County Council.
Jordan Roach, a teacher, who was shopping on the high street with his daughter, Anya, who is three, said: “Finances are a challenge. What does this mean for council tax and local resources?
“That I have apprehension about. There might be efficiencies internally, the council might be more efficient, but what does it mean for us?
“Sometimes we are so pessimistic about change. So you never know.
“I think overall the councils here are good. I do feel it is inevitable local representation could reduce. The voice of the local community could be drowned out a little bit. That I think is the biggest thing.”
Vanessa Astill, who has lived in the area for 45 years, worked as a secretary for an estate agent before retiring so she could volunteer in her local area.
“The council is quite good at doing things in our borough,” she said.
“So are we not going to see the money spent here? We do not want it to go down hill. You go to the city and it is so scruffy.”
Labour MP for Gedling, Michael Payne, said: “The decision to split my home community of Gedling borough in half and to force communities in Gedling into an expanded Nottingham city council area against their will is bad for my constituents and bad policymaking. This is a decision I cannot and will not support.”
Elections for the new authorities will be held in May 2027, but the councils will only operate as shadow authorities for the first year.
A gradual transfer of power from the current councils to the new ones will take place, with the new authorities becoming operational in 2028.
By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter