Ashfield leader to fight new plans to axe district councils and create Nottinghamshire 'super council'

Plans to create a ‘super council’ were shelved in 2018, but the impact of the pandemic on local government finances has reignited the debate, and the county council policy committee will examine proposals on Wednesday.

Leader Kay Cutts said: “The current system of local government in Nottinghamshire is out-dated, cumbersome, wasteful and costly.

"We have a unique opportunity now to build a new way of delivering modern, integrated public services that works for every resident.”

However, Ashfield leader Jason Zadrozny, also a county councillor, said: “The campaign to save Ashfield District starts now. B rave council staff took a risk every day during the pandemic. They were heroes. How are they rewarded?

"The Conservatives are after their jobs in an arrogant power grab. These ruthless Conservative plans are an attack on staff who put their lives at risk. It is an insult.”

A recent report by the County Councils Network says scrapping 213 smaller councils in England could save almost £3billion over five years and give communities a single unified voice.

However, it would mean 1.2million county residents were governed from West Bridgford, raising fears that individual communities would be overlooked.

Coun Zadrozny said: “This new council would represent more people than the whole of Cyprus. It would be bigger than Malta, Luxembourg and The Seychelles put together.

“It makes a mockery of ‘local’ government. One of the biggest complaints I hear as leader is about the lack of fair funding from the county. The Conservatives are concentrating on reorganisation rather than recovery.”

In response, county deputy leader Reg Adair said: “Yet again Councillor Zadrozny is using melodramatic statements and publicity stunts to mislead people.

“His real motive is to protect his own very lucrative position and those of the Ashfield Independents, whose allowances are the highest of any county district.”

He added: “If we carry on as we are, most non-statutory council services will disappear, along with the jobs of those who deliver them.”