By-Election, Carer Jailed, A46 Update & More
Happy Monday readers !
I hope you had a nice weekend, its time to grab a brew and a chocolate digestive and have a read of today's newsletter covering all things Bassetlaw and surrounding areas.
Today's Quote of the Day - "A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others."
I would ask you to forward this newsletter email to anyone that you may think it would be of use to - perhaps people not on social media 24/7 or just people who like a summary read in the morning.
Enjoy the read and have a great weekend wherever you are reading this.
Justin Doddy, Editor
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Reform take former Labour seat in north county by-election after MP’s resignation
Reform UK has gained another seat in Nottinghamshire after beating Labour to Bassetlaw District Council’s Worksop East ward in a by-election.
Nancy Wright pipped Labour’s Cameron Holt to the post with 600 votes – 45.9% of the vote – compared to her opponent’s 485 (37.1%), to take the victory and make it Reform’s third gain of a council seat in less than two months.
Thursday’s (October 29) contest was held after the resignation of the Bassetlaw constituency’s Labour MP, Jo White, from the council in September, after she said she had “taken advice from senior officials” about a potential conflict of interest in juggling the two roles.
The last election for the ward was held in 2023 and was only contested by Labour and Conservative candidates, with three seats up for grabs.
Labour won all three back then, but one – Councillor Deborah Merryweather – now represents the independent “Bassetlaw First” party after being blocked from representing Restore Britain earlier this year.
And last night’s victory for Reform now means that Labour are left with just a third of the councillors representing the area.
Celebrating her victory, Cllr Wright said in a post online:
“This election is a clear wake-up message to the Labour establishment in Bassetlaw and across the country that residents will no longer be taken for granted.
“I will ensure that I serve the residents of Worksop East with the highest level of resolve and enthusiasm that the role and the community deserves. The days of Labour running Bassetlaw are numbered, and only Reform is able to provide the change we need.”
Bassetlaw District Council remains a Labour-run council, with the party holding 34 of the 48 seats.Reform’s gain means they now hold seven seats, boosting their position as the strongest opposition party.Jo White had held the seat for 14 years after first being elected in 2012.Her resignation statement said:
“I have stepped down as a councillor on Bassetlaw District Council after taking advice from senior officials. I want to be clear that I am not resigning as a Member of Parliament.
“My ministerial responsibilities can, at times, overlap with the work of local government, creating the risk of potential conflicts of interest between the two roles. I believe stepping down is the right decision.
“It has been a privilege to represent Worksop East as a district councillor for more than 14 years and to have served for almost a decade as deputy leader of Bassetlaw District Council. I deeply value these years of service to our community. I remain fully committed to representing the people of Bassetlaw as the Member of Parliament.”
Incoming councillor Wright also serves as chairperson of Norton, Cuckney, Holbeck and Welbeck Parish Council, a role she has held since 2023.
Her victory came on the same night that the Conservatives retained two seats on Nottinghamshire County and Newark and Sherwood District councils, where they beat second-placed Reform in both after the death of serving Tory councillor Roger Jackson.
The full results:
Worksop East ward, Bassetlaw District Council:
Anne Froggatt, Restore Britain: 91
Cameron Holt, Labour: 485
Anne Kean, Green: 42
Ben Storey, Conservative: 89
Nancy Wright, Reform UK: 600
Newark Carer jailed after stealing £26k from vulnerable residents
A carer who stole more than £26,000 from two vulnerable residents she was entrusted to support has been jailed.
Michelle Flintoff, 50, exploited her position at a non-profit care provider to carry out more than 100 fraudulent cash withdrawals over a five-year period, as well as making numerous purchases through Amazon and high street retailers, including cosmetics company Sephora.
Nottingham Crown Court heard Flintoff was a team leader at a Newark residential property providing round-the-clock support to two adults with learning difficulties.
In addition to assisting with their day-to-day care, medication, cooking and household tasks, she was responsible for managing their finances and had access to both residents’ personal bank accounts, as well as a joint account used to pay shared household expenses.
Between 2020 and 2025, Flintoff fraudulently took £26,299.92 from the three accounts for her own benefit.
Her offending was uncovered during a financial audit carried out by the care provider, which identified irregularities in the accounts.
Flintoff was immediately suspended and later resigned while a police investigation was carried out, during which she admitted her crimes.
After her offending came to light, she tearfully phoned a senior colleague and said:
“I've ruined my life; I've ruined everything.”
Flintoff, of Clarks Lane, Newark-on-Trent, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud by abuse of position and was sentenced to two years and six months in prison on Tuesday (27 October).
Following the sentencing, Police Staff Investigator Michael Woods, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Flintoff was placed in a position of significant trust to care for and support these residents, but instead chose to exploit them for her own financial gain.
“This was a calculated and deeply dishonest abuse of trust that had a profound impact on the victims, their families and her colleagues.
“The sentence handed down reflects the seriousness of her offending and sends a clear message that anyone who abuses a position of responsibility for personal gain will be held accountable.
“As this case demonstrates, such crimes will be thoroughly investigated and offenders can expect to face the consequences of their actions.”
Announcement due ‘soon’ on scrapped A46 improvements after months of uncertainty, Mayor says
By Joseph Connolly
An announcement on the future of the upgrades to the A46 Newark Bypass “is expected soon”, says East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward.
The project, which was set to involve a variety of work to reduce traffic bottlenecks and relieve congestion, was scrapped by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer in June, to free up funding for the defence sector.
The decision caused outcry at the time, coming after local leaders had been vocal in the media about how the trend of the East Midlands being “left behind” by central government in funding decisions looked like it might finally be beginning to change.
The scheme was one of only two highway infrastructure projects nationwide scrapped in the June announcement – with the other one also being in the East Midlands.
Upgrades to the A38 in Derby, which have been touted for more than 20 years, were also pulled due to being deemed “not immediately vital”.
The Mayor herself condemned the decision and vowed that she would fight the “unfair” move.
In recent months, however, news has been scarce on the future of the scheme, leading some to think that despite the Mayor’s best efforts, it wouldn’t be saved after all.
That was until a new contract went out to tender in September – worth a staggering £840m including VAT – piquing interest into what was going on behind the scenes.
But there was no mention of it in Councillor John Healey’s budget speech on Wednesday, October 27.
The Mayor was asked in a conversation with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on Thursday, October 29 what was going on, and while remaining relatively tight-lipped on the subject, she did offer a glimpse of insight.
She said:
“We are working with the government on that. I’ve been engaging very closely with government and we’re expecting a decision, an announcement, soon.”
The Mayor did not elaborate on her short comment but confirmed that the project is not dead and buried.
The major changes planned for the A46 included turning the single carriageway to a dual carriageway between the Farndon and Winthorpe junctions, creating a flyover at the Cattle Market roundabout, creating a bridge over the A1 and adding traffic lights at the Farndon and Winthorpe roundabouts.
Like the A38 upgrades, the project was first proposed many years ago, and was finally granted planning permission in October 2025.
By the time the project was scrapped in June, a contract had already been agreed, worth £270m, with construction company Skanska.
It was subsequently cancelled.
Pre-construction works to begin at Ollerton roundabout from November
The first works to improve Ollerton roundabout as part of the A614/A6097 major road network scheme are set to begin on site in November, with main works starting in Spring 2027.
Motorists and residents are likely to see teams on site between November 2026 and February 2027 completing vegetation clearance works, footway improvements and third-party utility diversions.
These works, which will be delivered by Galliford Try on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council and Via East Midlands, will enable main roundabout improvement works to start from March 2027.
Traffic management, including a single lane closure and temporary traffic lights, will be in place overnight once vegetation clearance works begin to allow teams to work safely.
Ollerton roundabout is one of five junctions included in the A614/A6097 major road network scheme and improvements will focus on reshaping the roundabout to give vehicles more room and widening approaches and exits to the roundabout.
Improvements will also include installing new pedestrian crossings on Old Rufford Road and Mansfield Road as well as upgrades to lighting, signage and road markings to improve road safety.
More information about the scheme and construction phases can be found on the county council website Nottinghamshire County Council - Ollerton Roundabout Improvements
Residents and motorists are also encouraged to sign up to the county council’s A614/A6097 WhatsApp channel for updates on the scheme including road closures, construction updates, night closure notifications and links to more information A614/A6097 WhatsApp Channel
Funding for the A614/A6097 scheme has been secured through a capped £24.3 million contribution from the Department for Transport, an additional £8.3 million from Nottinghamshire County Council, £1.7 million from developer contributions and £12.6 million from the East Midlands Combined County Authority and national government to complete the financial package.
Councillor Bert Bingham, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said:
“It is great news that these pre-construction works will start at Ollerton roundabout from November.
These long-awaited improvements to the roundabout will ultimately reduce congestion and improve journey times, while making journeys safer.
I would like to thank residents and motorists who attended the Ollerton roundabout meet the contractor event for their feedback on this scheme. We will soon be publishing some frequently asked questions about the scheme on our website to answer questions raised at the event and these will be updated as works start to progress.
Our teams will be out on-site next month to carry out these initial works which will enable main works to take place from March 2027.
Works are already underway at Lowdham roundabout and Kirk Hill on the A6097, and we’re pleased to be bringing more of this major road network scheme to life.”
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Have a great day and I look forward to seeing you read our next newsletter.
Justin Doddy, Editor
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