Nottingham was an ancient borough. The earliest known borough charter was issued by Henry II sometime between 1155 and 1165; that charter did not purport to create the borough, but instead confirmed to it the rights that it had already held in the time of Henry I (reigned 1100–1135). The borough was governed by a corporation, also known as the town council. A later charter of 1284 granted the borough the right to appoint a mayor.[4]
Nottingham was awarded city status on 7 August 1897, allowing the corporation to call itself Nottingham City Council.[6] In 1928 the city council was given the right to appoint a lord mayor.[7]
In 1974 Nottingham became a non-metropolitan district under the Local Government Act 1972, becoming a lower tier authority with Nottinghamshire County Council providing county-level services in the city for the first time. The city kept the same outer boundaries, but did gain an exclave from Nottinghamshire containing the Shire Hall.[8][9] Nottingham kept its borough and city statuses and its lord mayoralty.[10][11]
In 1998, Nottingham City Council regained responsibility for county-level services from Nottinghamshire County Council. The way this change was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan county of Nottingham covering the same area as the existing district, but with no separate county council; instead the existing city council took on county functions, making it a unitary authority. This therefore had the effect of restoring the city council to the powers it had held when Nottingham was a county borough prior to 1974.[12] Despite having been removed from the non-metropolitan county of Nottinghamshire (the area administered by Nottinghamshire County Council), the city remains part of the wider ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire for the purposes of lieutenancy.[13]
On 29 November 2023, the council declared itself effectively bankrupt, with a £23m overspend forecast for the 2023-24 financial year.[14] This has been speculated to be mainly due to the Robin Hood Energy initiative, which was setup by the council in 2015 and was closed in 2020.[15] Being unable to produce a balanced budget (as required by law), it issued a Section 114 notice which requires all expenditure to cease except for statutory duties.[16]
Following the 2023 election, a councillor resigning the Labour whip over the war in Gaza in October 2023, and another councillor having the Labour whip suspended for voting against the budget in March 2024, the composition of the council was:[24][25][26]
Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 55 councillors representing 20 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[29]
On a wreath of the colours a castle walled triple-towered and capped Proper the dexter tower surmounted of a crescent Argent and the sinister tower by an estoile Or (granted 10 June 1898).
Escutcheon
Gules issuant from the base a ragged cross couped Proper between two ducal coronets in chief Or the lower limb of the cross enfiled with a like coronet (recorded at the 1614 visitation).
Supporters
On either side standing on a staff raguly erased a royal stag guardant Proper ducally gorged Or (granted 3 November 1908).
Motto
Vivit Post Funera Virtus (Virtue Survives Death)[30]
Badge
A saltire raguly Vert ensigned by a stag's head caboshed Proper (granted 7 November 1911).
