Borough of Gedling

For the village, see Gedling.

Gedling is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. The council is based in Arnold. The borough also includes Carlton along with villages and rural areas to the north-east of Nottingham. The main built-up part of the borough around Arnold and Carlton forms part of the Nottingham Urban Area.

Borough of Gedling
Non-metropolitan district and borough
Gedling
Arnold, the largest settlement and the administrative centre of the district
Coat of arms
Shown within Nottinghamshire
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East Midlands
Administrative county	Nottinghamshire
Administrative headquarters	Arnold
Government
• Type	Gedling Borough Council
• MPs:	Michael Payne, Michelle Welsh
Area
• Total	50 sq mi (120 km2)
• Rank	179th
Population  (2022)
• Total	117,730
• Rank	Ranked 205th
• Density	2,500/sq mi (980/km2)
Ethnicity (2021) [1]
• Ethnic groups	List 89.5% White 3.9% Asian 3.5% Mixed 2.3% Black 0.8% other
Religion (2021) [1]
• Religion	List 50.4% no religion 44.9% Christianity 2.5% other 2.2% Islam
Time zone	UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code	37UE (ONS) E07000173 (GSS)

The neighbouring districts are Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood, Rushcliffe and Nottingham.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the whole area of two former districts and part of a third, which were all abolished at the same time:^[2]

• Arnold Urban District
• Basford Rural District (part, being the parishes of Bestwood Park, Burton Joyce, Calverton, Lambley, Linby, Newstead, Papplewick, Stoke Bardolph and Woodborough)
• Carlton Urban District

The new district was named after the old village of Gedling.^[3][4] The civil parish of Gedling had been abolished in 1935 and absorbed into the Carlton Urban District.^[5]

The new Gedling district was granted borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.^[6]

Governance

Gedling Borough Council
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan district
Leadership
Mayor	Kyle Robinson-Payne, Labour since 21 May 2025[7]
Leader	John Clarke, Labour since 18 May 2011
Chief Executive	Mike Hill since July 2020[8]
Structure
Seats	41 councillors
Political groups	Administration (26)   Labour (26) Other parties (15)   Conservative (10)   Liberal Democrat (4)   Independent (1)
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
Last election	4 May 2023
Next election	6 May 2027
Meeting place
Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 6LU
Website
www.gedling.gov.uk

Gedling Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Nottinghamshire County Council. Parts of the borough are also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.^[9]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2011.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:^[10][11]

Party in control		Years
	Conservative	1974–1995
	Labour	1995–1999
	Conservative	1999–2003
	No overall control	2003–2007
	Conservative	2007–2011
	Labour	2011–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Gedling. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2002 have been:

Councillor	Party		From	To
Roland Spencer[12][13]		Conservative	Jun 2002	May 2003
Ivan Gollop[14]		Labour	2003	2004
Roland Spencer[14]		Conservative	2004	2005
Ivan Gollop[15][16]		Labour	11 May 2005	May 2006
Roland Spencer[17][18]		Conservative	10 May 2006	May 2011
John Clarke[19]		Labour	18 May 2011

Composition

Following the 2023 election,^[20] and by-elections and changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:^[21][22]

Party		Councillors
	Labour	26
	Conservative	10
	Liberal Democrats	4
	Independent	1
Total		39

The next election is due in 2027.^[22]

Premises

The council is based at the Civic Centre in Arnot Hill Park. The building was purpose-built for the council in 1985 at a cost of £2.2 million. It was formally opened by Princess Anne on 1 November 1985.^[23]

Elections

See also: Gedling Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 41 councillors representing 19 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.^[24]

Wards

The wards are:^[24][25]

• Bestwood St Albans
• Calverton
• Carlton
• Carlton Hill
• Cavendish
• Colwick
• Coppice
• Daybrook
• Dumbles
• Ernehale
• Gedling
• Netherfield
• Newstead Abbey
• Phoenix
• Plains
• Porchester
• Redhill
• Trent Valley
• Woodthorpe

Parliamentary

The borough is covered by two parliamentary constituencies. The more urban southern part of the borough adjoining Nottingham is in the Gedling constituency, which until 1983 was known as Carlton. The more rural northern part of the borough, including Calverton and Ravenshead, forms part of the Sherwood constituency.^[26]

Parishes

Map of the Borough of Gedling

There are twelve civil parishes in the borough. The former Arnold Urban District and most of the former Carlton Urban District comprise an unparished area. The parish of Stoke Bardolph has a parish meeting rather than a parish council due to its small population.^[27][26]

• Bestwood Village
• Burton Joyce
• Calverton
• Colwick
• Lambley
• Linby
• Newstead
• Papplewick
• Ravenshead
• St Albans
• Stoke Bardolph
• Woodborough

Culture

The Bonington Theatre in Arnold is named after the landscape painter Richard Parkes Bonington.^[28]

The borough contains Newstead Abbey, a former Augustinian Priory. The building was converted into a house following the dissolution of the monasteries and was later the seat of the Byron family, including Lord Byron.

Arms

Coat of arms of Borough of Gedling

Crest On a wreath of the colours issuant from a mural crown Or in front of two arrows in saltire points downwards a torch Sable enflamed Proper. Escutcheon Azure an oak tree fructed and eradicated Or on a chief lozengy Argent and Sable tree garbs of the second. Supporters On the dexter side a stag and on the sinister side a bear both Proper. Motto Omnibus Optimum (The Best For All)[29][30]

Freedom of the Borough

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Gedling.

Individuals

• Vernon, Lord Coaker: 17 June 2022.^[31]

Military units

• 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment: 20 October 2010.^[32]