Shake-up may be more expensive than leaving the city council as it is

BUT LOCAL AUTHORITY'S LEADER CALLS FOR LONG-TERM THINKING

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

CREATING a bigger Nottingham authority could cost £28 million and prove more expensive than leaving the city council as it is.

The biggest shakeup to Nottinghamshire's boundaries for the last 50 years is in the works and some form of bigger Nottingham council looks increasingly likely.

Yet the latest financial estimates show the cost of this could be £7 million more expensive than leaving the city council alone, whilst the annual financial benefits of the two options would be roughly the same.

Nottingham City Council has pointed out that the local government reorganisation process (LGR) is about creating more stable authorities for decades to come, rather than just the coming years.

The discussions form part of government plans to radically shake up local government by abolishing the current structure used in Nottinghamshire and many other parts of the country.

The current system means that in Nottinghamshire the city council manages all services in its area and local government in the county is split in two.