Parts of Gedling including Arnold and Carlton will join a new Nottingham council
Gedling’s Labour MP Michael Payne (Image: Michael Payne )
Gedling’s Labour MP has accused his own government of “bad policymaking” over a decision to split the area in half and lump areas like Arnold in with Nottingham.
The government confirmed on Thursday (July 16) that it was backing Nottingham City Council’s proposal for the biggest shake-up of boundaries in the city and county for 50 years.
The plans were approved under the government’s local government reorganisation (LGR) programme to simplify local government and save money by abolishing smaller councils and replacing them with new ones covering bigger areas.
It will mean all of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s nine councils being abolished in favour of just two new ones to cover the entire city and county.
Debate has been taking place on where the boundaries of these new authorities should fall and the government has now confirmed it will go with the city council’s plan.
That means Nottingham will expand to cover certain areas of Gedling, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe – effectively splitting all three areas in half.
In the House of Commons on Thursday, the 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.”
Juliet Campbell, the Labour MP for Broxtowe, also said that splitting areas in half would create “additional difficulties.”
Bassetlaw’s Labour MP, Jo White, added: “A city solution is sacrificing my communities – who are an hour away from Nottingham – and will not solve the problems that left-behind communities have experienced for far too long.”
Responding to the concerns, the housing and local government secretary Steve Reed said: “The decision we have taken on Nottingham and Nottinghamshire is because it offers the strongest economic geography and it allows economic growth to happen at pace.
“That will benefit everyone living in Nottinghamshire.” Mr Reed also claimed the city council’s plan represented the most “financially stable” option.
The other options put forward to government would have seen the city expand to cover the entirety of Broxtowe and Rushcliffe or the entirety of Broxtowe and Gedling – avoiding the need for existing areas to be split up.
Robert Jenrick in Bingham’s market place(Image: Robert Jenrick )
Robert Jenrick, the Reform UK MP for Newark, previously spoke out against the option to include the whole of Rushcliffe in a new city authority – a plan that would have affected the town of Bingham and some villages forming part of his constituency.
Mr Jenrick said: “I am relieved my campaign to save Bingham and the Rushcliffe villages I represent from the hands of the bankrupt Labour City Council has been successful.” Nottingham City Council is no longer ‘bankrupt’ – referencing its issuing of a Section 114 notice in 2023 – and insists it has turned a corner financially.
Mr Jenrick added: “I’m so grateful to the thousands of residents who signed our petition, and worked with me in this fight. I’m only sorry that the parts of Rushcliffe I don’t represent have not been so lucky.
“They will now become part of the city council and almost certainly facing higher council tax.” All the areas joining Nottingham will do so as part of a new Greater Nottingham authority, rather than the existing city council – which will be abolished.
Newark’s MP continued: “As we look to fresh elections next year, we have to stop Labour from destroying the county with higher taxes and incompetence by ensuring Reform control the new Nottinghamshire Council. It will be a straight shoot out between Reform and Labour.”
Elections will be held in May 2027 for the new councils, which will operate as ‘shadow authorities’ for the first 12 months.
During this time, existing councillors will continue in their current roles before handing power over to the new authorities – which will become operational in April 2028.
Steve Reed added in the House of Commons on Thursday that LGR was about replacing an “inefficient” system to boost devolution to local areas, which he said required “strong local councils delivering good public services.