Proposals

What changes are being proposed?

Interim submission of three options
In March 2025, all council’s agreed on three options that would be submitted to government. This was Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s ‘interim submission’ and the three options (each given its own unique reference) were:

1b.    A new unitary authority combining Nottingham City, Broxtowe, and Gedling, with a second new unitary authority for the rest of Nottinghamshire. 
1e.    A new unitary authority combining Nottingham City, Broxtowe, and Rushcliffe, with a second new unitary authority for the rest of Nottinghamshire. 
2.    Nottingham City remains a unitary authority, with a new single unitary authority for the rest of Nottinghamshire.

How the interim submission was developed
To support the nine councils in recommending informed and data-led options, a detailed options analysis exercise was complete. You can read the full Options Appraisal document online here, or you read a summary of the Options Appraisal document online here.  

Government feedback on the interim submission
The government has already provided initial feedback on interim plans to all councils around the UK undergoing LGR. A summary of that feedback is available here.

As a result, option 2 has been removed from further consideration for several reasons, including not matching the required population size as outlined by government in their LGR criteria. 

Three options submitted to Government on 28 November

The two options referenced above, 1b and 1e, have been developed into full proposals. 

Option 1b 

This option is supported by Nottinghamshire County Council and Rushcliffe Borough Council. This proposal recommends the creation of two new unitary councils:

  • Nottingham Council – including Broxtowe, Gedling, and Nottingham City.
  • Nottinghamshire Council – including Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, and Rushcliffe.

A copy of their joint proposal is available here.

Option 1e

This option is supported by Bassetlaw District Council, Gedling Borough Council, Mansfield District Council, and Newark and Sherwood District Council. This north-south proposal recommends the creation of two new unitary councils: 

  • Sherwood Forest (North Nottinghamshire) – comprising Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Gedling, Mansfield, and Newark and Sherwood.
  • Nottingham and South Nottinghamshire (South Nottinghamshire) – comprising Broxtowe, Nottingham City, and Rushcliffe. 

A copy of their joint proposal is available here.

Option Bii

In the interim submission feedback, the Government indicated to councils that it would consider boundary reviews as part of final submissions where appropriate.

Nottingham City Council chose to pursue this option, and a further Options Appraisal exercise was completed to provide a like-for-like comparison of the potential benefits and risks. You can read the full Options Appraisal for Nottingham City Council’s boundary review online. This 1biii recommends the creation of two new unitary councils: 

  • Southwest - Parts of Broxtowe, Gedling, and Rushcliffe combined with Nottingham City.
  • North and East - Parts of Broxtowe, Gedling, and Rushcliffe combined with Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Mansfield, and Newark and Sherwood. 

A copy of this proposal is available here.

3 illustrated maps outlining option 1b, 1e and the boundary review for LGR

Additional option information 
Each council will need to decide on its own preferred option. 

All three proposals were submitted as part of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire's submission to government by the final submission deadline of 28 November 2025.

The government will then review the proposals before making a final decision on the LGR option for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – as well as other council areas across England – in the Summer of 2026, and it will base its decision on its LGR criteria.