Find out about plans for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Central government confirmed its plans for the future of local government in Nottinghamshire on 16 July 2026.
The government confirmed its decision in a letter to Chief Executives: Local government reorganisation: implementation letter to Nottinghamshire and Nottingham chief executives - GOV.UK. It has been decided, as part of the LGR process, to implement the proposal brought forward by Nottingham City Council which will replace the nine existing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire councils and create two, single-tier unitary councils.
This would create two new councils;
- One covering the current local government areas of Nottingham City and parts of Broxtowe, Gedling, and Rushcliffe.
- And one covering the current local government areas of Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, and parts of Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe.
An Address Checker | LGR is available to help residents identify which unitary authority their address would fall within when they are established in 2028.
In the short term, there will be no change to existing services. All services currently delivered by the nine affected councils will continue as normal.
LGR proposals* were submitted to central government in November 2025. A government-led statutory consultation took place between February and March 2026. This was followed by visits to Nottinghamshire by officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government ahead of the decision. The results of the statutory consultation are available on the government website: Nottinghamshire and Nottingham: Summary and analysis of consultation responses
What happens now?
Work will now begin on the transition towards the creation of the two new unitary councils. Elections for these new unitary councils will take place in May 2027. This will create two shadow authorities ahead of the new councils being formally established in April 2028. These elections will replace local elections.
Any final decision on the future options must receive parliamentary approval before they can be implemented.
You can find out more about Local Government Reorganisation in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire on our shared website - Future Nottinghamshire | LGR
FAQs
The government believes that devolution over a large area, at the same time as LGR, can boost the economy and deliver better public services.
They think that simpler local government structures will:
- Make it easier for residents to know who delivers their services
- Make it easier for residents to know who deals with local issues
- Result in better services for the local community
Devolution is about transferring powers and funding from government to local areas. This gives them powers and funding that they don't currently have.
LGR aims to simplify and reduce the number of councils across the country. It will create larger unitary councils, which could mean:
- A more streamlined and effective system
- Better value for money.
Devolution and LGR are national government policies, so the decision to do LGR has already been taken.
The Government will consult on LGR proposals, which means local people can have a say.
We expect this to take place in 2026.
All nine councils in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are part of this process:
- Ashfield District Council
- Bassetlaw District Council
- Broxtowe Borough Council
- Gedling Borough Council
- Mansfield District Council
- Newark and Sherwood District Council
- Nottinghamshire County Council
- Nottingham City Council
- Rushcliffe Borough Council
Initial proposals for LGR in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire were submitted to government on 21 March 2025.
Final proposals are submitted to government for consideration and decision by 28 November 2025.
The government anticipate that it will launch a consultation in the new year.
Following this, decisions on which proposal to implement could be announced in the summer.
New elections to unitary authorities could be held on 6 May 2027.
The new authorities could then go live on 1 April 2028. This, of course, is subject to change. The government have more information about its timeline on its website.
More FAQs are available on our shared lgrnotts website: FAQs | LGR
Local Government Reorganisation Privacy Notice
Nottingham City Council is participating in the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Local Government Reorganisation Programme. To support the planning and implementation of Local Government Reorganisation, participating councils may need to process and share personal information.
This may include information required for programme planning, decision-making, service continuity, workforce transition, organisational design, and the establishment of future unitary councils. Information will only be processed and shared where it is necessary, lawful, and proportionate for Local Government Reorganisation purposes.
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