Borough's residents may get to vote on councils shake-up

AUTHORITY'S LEADER TABLES REFERENDUM ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION

- By LAUREN MONAGHAN Local democracy reporter

THE leader of Broxtowe Borough Council has tabled a borough-wide referendum on the looming reorganisation of Nottinghamshire councils, under which parts of the borough could be absorbed by the city.

The Government's incoming local government reorganisation plans were discussed by the council's cabinet earlier this week.

The Government aims to give back more powers to local areas by creating more “strategic authorities” and combined councils.

In practice it means merging district and borough councils with larger councils, which means all seven of Nottinghamshire’s district and borough councils could disappear by 2027 or 2028.

Nottinghamshire council leaders considered three reorganisation options in March. It was expected all leaders could find agreement on one option by this month, ahead of full-scale plans being submitted to the Government by November.

Option one is for a new unitary authority combining Nottingham, Broxtowe and Gedling with a new unitary authority for the rest of the county, while option two is for Nottingham, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe to combine with a new unitary authority for the rest of Nottinghamshire.

Under option three, Nottingham would remain as a unitary authority and a new “county-only” unitary authority would serve the rest of Nottinghamshire.