City council plan for boundary shake-up has support of MPs

LGR: Option B(ii) 'North and East Unitary' 'South West Unitary'

- By JOE LOCKER

NOTTINGHAM'S three MPs are backing proposed changes to the city's boundaries ahead of the biggest shakeup in local government for 50 years.

All nine councils in Nottinghamshire have been drafting plans for a complete transformation, under the Labour Government's proposals for local government reorganisation as announced in December 2024.

At a Nottingham City Council Executive Board meeting on Tuesday, senior councillors agreed to submit a proposal to create two new unitary councils; one covering the rural north and east, and another for more urban areas in the south and west.

This model would mean the urban centres of Rushcliffe, Gedling and Broxtowe would fall under a new authority along with the city. It is known as “option B(ii)”

Councillor Neghat Khan (Lab), the leader of the city council, said the proposal has the support of the city's three Labour MPs - Alex Norris, Nadia Whittome and Lilian Greenwood.

"The official city population is 328,000, yet the built-up area houses more than 750,000 people," Councillor Khan said. "Over 51 per cent of Nottingham's workforce lives outside the city boundary, they commute into the city, rely on our services, use our infrastructure and contribute to our success, yet have no say in how those services are run.

"We need boundaries that strengthen democratic accountability, support efficient services, and free us from outdated constraints on planning and service delivery."