'Disgraceful' plans to 'force' council options are slammed by Tories

THEY SAY BETTER ALTERNATIVES ARE 'GATHERING DUST'

- By LAUREN MONAGHAN

PLANS to restructure Nottingham-shire councils are “gathering dust” with authorities being “forced” down two routes, a councillor has argued.

In December 2024 the Labour Government's English Devolution White Paper announced plans to reorganise areas made up of two-tier authorities - including Nottinghamshire - where duties are split between county and district councils.

Existing boundaries will be redrawn to create new, larger, single-tier, unitary authorities.

Nottinghamshire’s nine councils discussed three core reorganisation options in March to form an interim submission to the Government.

In June 2025 the Government provided feedback to councils on the plans, which saw the original 500,000-resident target for new unitaries and boundary change stipulations “watered down”.

The options for reorganisation in Nottinghamshire has since been reduced to two core options, though this does not mean councils cannot submit alternative options for council reshaping by the Government's November deadline.