The Recommendation
This petition recommends the creation of a Town Council for West Bridgford in the Borough of Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire to
- better match policies and resources with the needs of the whole community.
- enhance a sense of place, supporting our local environment, communities and local distinctiveness.
- increase community empowerment, engagement and cohesion.
Area and Location
West Bridgford is located in the north and central part of Rushcliffe Borough, a mile and a half from Nottingham City Centre. It is the largest settlement in Rushcliffe, with a population of around 40,000 which is one-third of the total population of the Borough.
The boundaries of the recommended Town Council match the unparished part of the Borough shown on the map below, and for the most part are defined as follows:
- on the North by the River Trent
- to the West by the NET tram route
- to the South and East by the A52 Ring Road (anti-clockwise) up to the Grantham Canal. It then follows the Canal north-westwards up to and across the A6011 Radcliffe Road where it continues northwards on the edge of the built up area to meet the River Trent.
Why we need your support for the Recommendation
- West Bridgford is the only unparished part of the Borough. Decisions on local West Bridgford matters are largely made by all Borough Councillors not just those from West Bridgford. On the other hand outside West Bridgford, every town and parish in Rushcliffe has its own local Council to make local decisions. Examples of services and activities that a Town Council might manage are listed below.
- Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is likely to replace Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) by a much larger Unitary Council. West Bridgford residents are concerned that in the future they will have even less of a say on local matters, even less democratic accountability and fewer Council representatives.
- The Leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council acknowledges that LGR may have a negative impact on the West Bridgford community and shares our concerns about the democratic deficit that LGR will create in areas that are not already parished.
- West Bridgford has a long history of running its own local affairs. Between 1895 and 1974 West Bridgford Urban District Council provided a large range of local services until it was abolished as part of a previous reorganisation and replaced by RBC. A West Bridgford Local Area Forum was established in the 1990s comprising local Borough and County Councillors and representatives of local Community Groups including local businesses and organisations such as police, bus operators and health sector. The Forum has very limited influence on policies such as planning and transport, no decision making powers and no funding.
- An independent survey of West Bridgford residents in February and March 2026 was sponsored by the Forum and concluded that there was “exceptionally high” engagement and “overwhelming” support for creating a Town Council.
- Many other towns around in England including our neighbours Grantham and Loughborough have either recently created a Town Council or are in the process of doing so with support from their Borough/District Council.
What could a West Bridgford Town Council do?
Below is a list of some services and activities which a well established Town Council might be involved with. These vary from essential to aspirational and the potential for new ones will grow as a result of LGR. Efficiency and effectiveness will depend on a good working relationship, built on trust, with the Principal Council. This will be strongly dependent on sound financial management.
• Provide and maintain Parks, Playgrounds, Playing fields and other green spaces.
• Provide and maintain litter and dog bins, public toilets, community buildings and seating and war memorials.
• Provide organisational support to local community groups and charities including those which represent the most vulnerable and/or those with special needs.
• Build up expertise in bidding for funds, providing local community grants and managing community projects.
• Work with other authorities, the police, bus operators and sports clubs to keep West Bridgford clean, safe and moving.
• Work with local businesses to improve regeneration and economic growth in the Town Centre and other local centres.
• Partner with local organisations to host a wide variety of events for residents.
• Make recommendations on local planning applications and on big issues such as the development of the City Ground (Nottingham Forest), Central Avenue improvement and the future of County Hall as a voice of the residents of West Bridgford. Also potentially prepare a Neighbourhood Plan establish locally relevant planning policies.
• Promote and support renewable energy, sustainable transport and recycling initiatives making West Bridgford a more environmentally sustainable Town.
• Provide information to residents and visitors via all appropriate meansincluding a well run, up to date website.
Addressing financial and other concerns
Will Council Tax increase significantly in West Bridgford under a Town Council?
Any increase or decrease would be small relative to the total Council Tax bill. The West Bridgford Band D Council Taxpayer in 2026/27 total bill is made up as follows
Nottinghamshire County Council….£1,970.13
Nottinghamshire Police……………..... £311.10
Nottinghamshire Fire………………..….. £102.21
Rushcliffe Borough Council……..… £161.77
West Bridgford Special Reserve…........67.40
Total £2,612.61
Currently West Bridgford Council Tax payers are charged a “special expenses” by Rushcliffe Borough Council to provide local services such as parks, playgrounds and events; all other Rushcliffe residents pay a “precept” charged by their own Town or Parish Council to provide similar services.
For this financial year (2026/27) a Band D West Bridgford household has a Council Tax bill of £2612.61 of which “special expenses” are £67.40 or 2.6% of the total bill (see table above). The Town and Parish Councils set their own charges which average this year around £112.50 but individual Councils vary considerably from year to year depending on what services they decide to provide.
It is not possible to confirm that establishing a Town Council would be cost neutral and there is a risk that there would be some cost increases. Firstly, there would be a range of additional one-off costs such as setting up new contracts, securing suitable premises, establishing new financial and operating systems, including the transfer of staff. Secondly, there would be ongoing costs including insurance for transferred assets, maintaining contractual obligations and funding any initial capital expenditure.
There are many other uncertainties that will affect budget setting going forward once the Town Council is established, for instance a West Bridgford Town Council may be able to raise income through grant applications and by other means.
However, for illustrative purposes only, the table below indicates the effect of a range of percentage increases from the current £67.40 “special expense” on the total Council tax bill.
Special Expense Total Council Tax Bill %Increase in total CT Bill
Current £67.40 £2,612.61 0%
25% increase to £84.25 £2,629.46 0.6%
50% increase to £101.1 £2,646.31 1.3%
75% increase to £117.95 £2,663.16 1.9%
This demonstrates that a very significant increase in the ‘special expense’ has only a small increase in the overall Council tax bill.
Will a Town Council just mean more bureaucracy?
Prior to Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) there may have been an argument that a West Bridgford Town Council was creating a third tier of local governance which would need to be balanced against a democratic deficit in the area and lack of fairness compared with the remainder of Borough.
However, the outcome of LGR will almost certainly mean that West Bridgford will be part of a new Unitary Authority with a population 4 to 5 times larger than Rushcliffe where the absence of a Town Council will leave the residents of West Bridgford with little direct influence over their local affairs. It is worth noting that LGR wll result in two tiers of local governance as now in West Bridgford, but the lower tier (town council) being more local and less costly than a current borough council.
What will happen next?
Step 1: Collect the signatures of at least 7.5% of the electors in West Bridgford (around 2,500 people) on a petition recommending its creation. Submit the petition to the Principal Council for the area which will either be Rushcliffe Borough Council or, in the event of a major delay, the new Unitary Council.
Step 2: That council will undertake a Community Governance Review if it deems the petition to be valid and feels there are no other factors barring it doing so. The Review will include two Area wide consultations. Firstly to confirm that there is sufficient support for the petition recommendation and secondly to confirm support for the Council’s response to it. Local electors, and local bodies such as schools, the health sector, local businesses and voluntary organisations will be consulted each time. This step should be completed within 12 months but might get delayed as a result of LGR.
Step 3: If the Principal Council decides to accept the recommendations, it will publicise the Order to create a Town Council which may not take effect until the next scheduled parish council elections.