Nottinghamshire County Council and Rushcliffe Borough Council have formally submitted the Greater Nottinghamshire Proposal to the UK Government [PDF], setting out a bold vision for modernising local government and improving services for residents in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

This change to local councils is happening because the Government has asked us to reorganise how local government works in Nottinghamshire. We are following this requirement to make sure our services are better, simpler, and more joined up for everyone in our communities.

Our proposal recommends replacing the current two-tier system with two new unitary councils. Under this plan, one council would bring together Nottingham City, Broxtowe, and Gedling, creating a single authority focused on the urban core and its surrounding communities. The second council would unite the remaining districts of Rushcliffe, Newark and Sherwood, Ashfield, Mansfield and Bassetlaw, ensuring that services are delivered efficiently and reflect the needs of local communities.

A podcast which encourages real and open discussions about mental health and wellbeing has been recognised nationally – just seven months after its launch.

The NottAlone Podcast, which was launched by the NottAlone.org.uk website in May, was shortlisted for the Best Small Team award at the 10th annual Comms2point0 UnAwards – which recognise ‘genuine creativity, innovation and brilliant results’ in public sector communications.

NottAlone is a partnership between Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council and Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board and is co-hosted by founders and educational psychologists Dr. Orlaith Green and Dr. Maddi Popoola

Via East Midlands and Nottinghamshire County Council have launched Christmas on the Road, a festive road safety campaign aimed at keeping all road users safe throughout the winter season. 

This year’s festive campaign follows last year’s successful inaugural launch and showcases Via’s popular Road Safety Advent Calendar - a fun, family-friendly initiative featuring daily safety tips and cheerful illustrations designed to spread awareness about road safety.

As we head into the busiest time of year for travel, the festive season brings with it unique challenges for road users. Darker days, icy roads, increased holiday traffic and the dangers of driving under the influence, are just a few of the concerns that make this time of year especially risky on the roads. The Road Safety Advent Calendar provides essential, easy-to-understand advice to help drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to stay safe during the holiday season.

Archie Matthews is one of eight inspirational young people recognised at a prestigious award ceremony for their outstanding achievements, where he was also crowned Nottinghamshire County Council’s countywide winner. 

Archie, from Broxtowe, was nominated for his extensive volunteering, both at his youth club and with St John Ambulance. Archie is always on hand to represent the youth club, and present it as a welcoming, safe place for other young people – including painting the youth club during half term, dismantling old furniture, setting up game consoles and activities, and always volunteering his help.

Archie is also an active volunteer for the Derbyshire St John Ambulance, training other young people in first aid, and working at local events. He’s a regional representative on the East Midlands St John young persons’ board, and the Lord Lieutenant’s cadet representative for Derbyshire. He even got to meet the Princess Royal whilst representing the service.

Here’s your chance to shape the future of driving in your area and scoop up a great prize while you’re at it. The county council wants to know what you think about electric vehicles (EVs), charging, parking, and everything in between. Whether you’re all about green travel, have questions about EVs, or just want to make your daily commute easier, your opinion counts.

Fill out the quick survey and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win either an awesome EV LEGO®* set or a bumper Christmas hamper from Brooke Farm. It’s open to everyone, no matter how you get around—by car, bike, bus, train or on foot.

The survey is looking for honest thoughts: Are there enough chargers? Is battery life a worry? Does EV range put you off? Or maybe you think EVs are the future, and want to see more on the roads? Each response helps the council develop a clearer understanding of how people travel, the challenges they face and the factors influencing future travel decisions.

A new community woodland in Nottinghamshire, which is home to thousands of trees, has been showcased in a national report.

More than 87,000 trees have been planted at the Thorney Abbey site, near Southwell, through the Defra-funded Trees for Climate programme and delivered via the Greenwood Community Forest initiative, hosted by Nottinghamshire County Council’s conservation team.

The wooded area has been created on 48-hectare land purchased by Greenwood in 2024, with trees planted using contractors, community volunteers and a delegation of agricultural students from Nottingham Trent University’s Brackenhurst Campus.