Nottinghamshire County Council

History

Elected county councils were created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over many administrative functions that had previously been performed by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions. The borough of Nottingham had been a county corporate since 1449 with its own quarter sessions, and Nottingham's independence from the surrounding county was maintained by making it a county borough. The county council was elected by and provided services to the remainder of the county outside the borough of Nottingham. The county council's area was termed the administrative county.

The first elections to the county council were held on 15 January 1889, with 51 councillors being elected. There were also 17 aldermen chosen by the councillors to serve on the council as well. The council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1889, on which day it held its first official meeting at the Shire Hall in Nottingham, the courthouse (built 1770) which served as the meeting place for the quarter sessions. Henry Strutt, Lord Belper, a Liberal Unionist peer, was the first chairman of the council.

Nottinghamshire was reconstituted in 1974 as a non-metropolitan county by the Local Government Act 1972; the first elections to the reformed council were held in 1973. Whilst previously the City of Nottingham was an independent county borough and therefore not included in the administrative county, the redefined non-metropolitan county included Nottingham for the first time as a non-metropolitan district. The lower tier of local government was reorganised as part of the same reforms. Prior to 1974 it had comprised numerous boroughs, urban districts and rural districts. They were replaced within eight non-metropolitan districts (including Nottingham). In 1998, Nottingham regained its independence from the county council when the city council was made a unitary authority.

In 2024 a combined authority was established covering Nottinghamshire, Nottingham, Derby and Derbyshire, called the East Midlands Combined County Authority. The combined authority is chaired by the directly elected Mayor of the East Midlands and oversees the delivery of certain strategic functions across the area.

Governance

Nottinghamshire County Council provides county-level services such as education, transport, social care, libraries, trading standards and waste management. District-level services are provided by the area's seven district councils:

• Ashfield
• Bassetlaw
• Broxtowe
• Gedling
• Mansfield
• Newark and Sherwood
• Rushcliffe

Much of the county is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.

Political control

The council has been under Reform UK majority control since 2025.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1974 have been:

Composition

Following the 2025 election, one newly elected Reform UK councillor resigned less than a week later. A by-election to fill the vacant seat took place on 3 July 2025 with a Conservative victory. Currently, the council's composition is:

The next elections are due in 2029.

Premises

County Hall

When the county council was first created it met at the Shire Hall on High Pavement in Nottingham, a courthouse built in 1770 which had been the meeting place of the quarter sessions which preceded the county council.

The council moved to County Hall in 1954; construction had begun in 1939 but had been paused due to the Second World War. When construction began the site was within the boundaries of Nottingham. Boundary changes in April 1952 adjusted the boundary between Nottingham and West Bridgford in this area to follow the centre of the River Trent, transferring the County Hall site and other areas on the south bank of the Trent from Nottingham to West Bridgford.

Oak House

The County Council new-build headquarters called Oak House on the A611 Annesley Road in the parish of Linby on the northern outskirts of Hucknall held the first meeting of councillors in March 2025.

Even before Oak House's opening there were reports highlighting size concerns, with then-leader Sam Smith citing uncertainty over future government reforms.

Trent Bridge House

Trent Bridge House, located in Trent Bridge, contains administrative and services to support local council. The council plans to move more council services to the building as part of its departure from County Hall. The estimated costs for Essential works to support this move are £500,000. The office is also occupied by Via East Midlands since 2016. It is also occupied by Start Service

Offices

Nottinghamshire County Council operates a number of administrative and service buildings across the county. These facilities support local government functions and provide services to residents in various districts.

Mansfield

• County House, located on Chesterfield Road South, Mansfield (NG19 7BH), serves as a key administrative centre in the district.

• Meadow House, situated in Littleworth, Mansfield (NG18 2TB), provides additional local services.

• MyPlace @ Westfield Folkhouse, situated on Westfield Ln, Mansfield (NG18 1TL), provides Youth Services, an Inspire College and additional offices for council staff.

Newark and Sherwood

• Newark Touchdown, on Bailey Road, Newark (NG24 4EP), offers council services to the Newark area.

• Sherwood Energy Village, located on Darwin Drive, New Ollerton (NG22 9GS), is part of a sustainable development initiative in the Sherwood area.

Ashfield

• Lawn View House, at 40 Station Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield (NG17 5GA), functions as a local service hub.

• Piazza Building, based in Sherwood Business Park, Little Oaks Drive, Annesley (NG15 0DR), houses council offices and service teams.

Gedling

• Sir John Robinson Way, in Arnold, Nottingham (NG5 6DA), accommodates council operations for the Gedling district.

• Oak House, located at 1 Michaelmas Way, Linby (NG15 8LG), provides additional support services.

Rushcliffe

• County Hall, on Loughborough Road, West Bridgford (NG2 7QP), is the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Council.

• Trent Bridge House, situated on Fox Road, West Bridgford (NG2 6BJ), hosts various council departments and services.

Social care

The council is a pioneer in the use of technology-based care to keep disabled adults in their own homes. The Technology Enabled Care service was started in 2007. It now uses home sensors to help detect falls, incontinence and unusual patterns in daily habits. It supported 4,600 people in 2024. The system automatically alerts staff at a 24-hour monitoring service. It reduced the costs of services by more than £2.75 million in 2024.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2017 the council has comprised 66 councillors representing 56 electoral divisions, with each division electing one or two councillors. Elections are held every four years.

Electoral divisions

Nottinghamshire is divided into 56 divisions for electoral purposes. Current boundaries have been in place since 2017 following a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Each Councillor is allocated a locality budget, described as their "Councillors' Divisional Fund".

References

References

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2. {{cite legislation UK. (1888)
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34. (2025-05-08). "Reform councillor resigns less than a week after election".
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44. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8x1489rn2o County Hall could be needed by council after move] [[BBC News]], 10 February 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025
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