Nottinghamshire County Council has today (Thursday) issued a letter seeking clarification from the Secretary of State in relation to the Pre-Action Protocol for a Judicial Review into the recent decision on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
The Secretary of State announced his preferred option on 16 July 2026, with two, single-tier unitary councils replacing the nine existing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire councils*
The council’s decision to issue a pre-action letter is a procedural step (within the judicial review process) designed to seek more information and provide an opportunity for the issues raised to be addressed before any further legal proceedings are considered.
This follows concerns regarding the lawfulness of the decision-making process and the basis upon which the decision was reached by the Secretary of State.
The council has previously written to the Secretary of State requesting more information about the rationale for their decision, with relevant documentary evidence, but this request was refused.
Councillor Mick Barton, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has also written to all eight chief executives of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire councils to make them aware of this action. He said:
“This is not a step our council has taken lightly.
“Transparency regarding the decision-making process is essential given the significance of the proposals and the implications for residents and communities across Nottinghamshire and Nottingham.
“This is why we have taken this action to seek clarification of the reasoning, evidence and rationale behind the Secretary of State’s decision, so we have a clear understanding of how the decision was reached.
“Once we have received this information and evidence, we will be able to consider our position.”
The council has emphasised that it is committed to maintaining positive and constructive relationships with all parties involved in the LGR process locally and nationally.
It also remains committed to the implementation of the LRG programme, of which the county council’s chief executive Adrian Smith, is the senior responsible officer and team leader of the implementation team.
- *The Greater Nottingham Council would cover the existing Nottingham city area, along with 15 wards from Broxtowe, 15 wards from Gedling and 17 wards from Rushcliffe.
- Nottinghamshire Council would cover Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Mansfield and Newark and Sherwood, together with five wards from Broxtowe, four wards from Gedling and seven wards from Rushcliffe.
- A Structural Changes Order – the secondary legislation needed to establish the two councils, replacing the existing city, county, district and borough councils – is being drawn up by ministers.
