Labour defectors oppose city council plan to redraw county's boundaries

A NEW opposition group made up of former Labour councillors has rejected Nottingham City Council's "fairer, more coherent, and more sustainable" plan to redraw boundaries.

- By JOE LOCKER

All nine councils in Nottinghamshire have been discussing and drafting plans for a boundary shakeup, under the Labour Government's proposals for local government reorganisation announced in December last year.

Council leaders have been butting heads over the contentious plans for months.

The ruling Labour group at the city council endorsed its own boundary proposal at a full council meeting on Monday.

Leader Councillor Neghat Khan said the current boundaries "do not reflect the real Nottingham".

Tight city boundaries - drawn up in 1997 - have been cited as one of the reasons for the council's financial problems, with around 80% of city homes sitting in the tax brackets that bring in the least amount of money.

Many people who use the city for work and leisure do not live in its boundaries.

"We can't let outdated boundaries or political convenience dictate our future," Councillor Khan said. "From the start, we've said that any proposal must be based on local identity and sensible geography.

"[Our option] creates two balanced councils, one for the north and east and one for the south west, using ward boundaries rather than outdated district lines. It is fairer, more coherent, and more sustainable.

"Crucially, 51% of people who work in Nottingham live outside the current city boundaries. They use our infrastructure but have no say in how it is run. Our proposal includes 71% of the inner-Nottingham travel-to-work area, compared with 65% and 66% in other options."