Friday Edition - New Jobs, New Lodges, Crime Fighting Dogs & More
Dear readers, the Bank Holiday weekend is in sight and its expected to be warm!
Today's edition covering all things Bassetlaw and of course - your daily puzzle fix.
Todays thought for the day ... "The only way to do great work is to love what you do." — Steve Jobs
Enjoy the read and have a great Bank Holiday Weekend wherever you are in Bassetlaw.
Justin Doddy, Editor
P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter here if you haven't already and remember to send us your pictures and stories from around Bassetlaw, we may feature them in our newsletter.
100 New jobs, Standalone M & S, Starbucks, EV Charging Facilities, New Padel Court Centre & More planned for for new Worksop Leisure and Retail Development.
Exciting plans for a new retail and leisure development at Shireoaks Common in Worksop have moved a step closer following the submission of a planning application to Bassetlaw District Council.
If approved, the proposed development, known as Dukeries Park, would create around 100 new jobs and be home to a new, standalone M&S Foodhall; a purpose-built padel court centre - responding to growing demand for the sport locally - a Starbucks coffee shop and drive-thru; a further restaurant and drive-thru; and a petrol station with convenience store and rapid EV charging facilities, which would be operated by EG on the Move.
A new 18,700 sq ft M&S fresh market-style foodhall would anchor the development, offering the full M&S food range, including fresh produce from M&S’ Select Farm partners – over 80 of which are based in Nottinghamshire - and M&S’ Remarksable Value and Bigger Pack Better Value ranges.
The store would also offer an in-store bakery, dedicated Flower and Wine shops and a Click & Collect point.
Community consultation held earlier this year demonstrated significant support for Dukeries Park. More than 500 people responded to the consultation, of which 89% indicated support for the proposals, with many citing the return of M&S to Worksop as an exciting prospect. Others welcomed the potential jobs and investment into the town, and the addition of new leisure facilities, especially the padel court centre.
Mark Rothery, Managing Director of Rothstone Estates, said:
“If approved Dukeries Park will deliver a high-quality retail and leisure destination in a location well-placed to serve Worksop and the surrounding area. It is quite clear that the return of M&S to Worksop is very much welcomed by the community, and we are also really pleased with the positive response to the padel court and wider development in general. I’d like to thank everyone who responded to the community consultation and helped us to shape the proposals. We look forward to working with Bassetlaw District Council as the planning application progresses.”
In addition to the creation of around 100 new jobs for local people, Dukeries Park would create more choice for shoppers in Worksop and the surrounding area.
The site would be accessed from the Nottinghamshire Gateway Island roundabout and is located adjacent to new employment development at Shireoaks Common.
Bassetlaw District Council will now consider the planning application. If planning is approved, the developers expect to commence preliminary site works by the end of this year.
Further information about the proposals can be found at http://www.dukeriespark.co.uk/.
Snake Pass to Close for over Two Weeks
The A57 Snake Pass will be fully closed 24 hours a day from Monday 15 June until Friday 3 July while major investigation and repair works take place at the Doctor’s Gate landslip site.
The closure will affect the route between Glossop and Bamford Reservoir.These works are essential to help find a long-term solution after ongoing ground movement and cracking along the road. While the closure is in place, teams will also be carrying out:
Pothole repairs
Litter picking
Drain clearing
Cutting back overgrown trees and hedges
Pavement repairs
Cleaning and replacing damaged signs.
A signed diversion route will be in place, and access for residents, businesses, farmers and organisations along the route will be maintained.
New Apartments, Lodges and a 180m High Zipline Await Center Parcs Sherwood Forest Visitors
Center Parcs Sherwood Forest has been given the green light by planners for a series of new developments and improvements as the popular holiday destination continues to invest in its original UK village.
Planning permission has recently been approved for a number of upgrades at the Nottinghamshire resort, including the redevelopment of existing accommodation and the construction of a new three-storey apartment building on the site of a former head office. The plans also include improvements to lodges and wider guest facilities aimed at enhancing the visitor experience.
Major Redevelopments & Construction (2026–2027)
- New 3-Storey Apartment Block: Approved plans reveal that the old head office buildings will be demolished to build a three-storey block containing 48 modern, self-catering apartments. Ground-floor units will feature private hot tubs.
- Waterside Lodges: Construction begins on three luxury, detached three-bedroom Waterside Lodges directly on the lake edge. Each will include a private wooden deck, hot tub, and balconies with panoramic views. Construction will run from June 2026 to spring 2027.
- Lodge Refurbishments: Phase 1 is officially complete with over 100 lodges completely transformed into new modern layouts featuring sustainable materials, larger patios, and heated pergolas.
- Treetop Glider: A newly approved, rollercoaster-style "zipzag" zipline. Suspended from a 180m metal track high in the forest canopy, users in harnesses will navigate sharp twists, turns, and drops above the lake.
The Sherwood Forest site first opened in 1987 and remains one of the most visited Center Parcs locations in the country. Spanning more than 400 acres of woodland, the village includes restaurants, shops, leisure facilities and the Aqua Sana Forest Spa.
Center Parcs says the investment forms part of its wider long-term strategy to modernise accommodation, improve sustainability and introduce new attractions for guests. Recent additions and planned developments include new Waterside Lodges, upgraded “Grand Forest” lodges and new outdoor entertainment experiences such as the Forest Summer Social.
The company has also highlighted sustainability as a major focus, with new developments designed to incorporate low-carbon technology including heat pumps and solar energy systems.
The improvements are expected to strengthen Sherwood Forest’s position as a major tourism destination in Nottinghamshire, helping to attract visitors, support local jobs and boost the wider economy.
Crime-fighting Labradors ready for duty
Officers hunting for vital forensic evidence have two formidable new tools at their disposal – a pair of newly qualified Labradors.
Luna and Phoenix were recruited as puppies last summer and have now completed their training as forensic evidence detection dogs.
The sprightly fox red Labradors, paired with experienced handlers, have been trained to assist investigators by detecting bodily fluids at crime scenes.
On Thursday 14 May, the energetic sisters were put through their paces in a series of tests overseen by an external examiner.
Both successfully detected samples of various ages in dense woodland, inside buildings, and in and around a parked car.
The dogs, who both passed with flying colours, will live and work alongside their handlers’ general-purpose dogs and will be deployed when needed to search for potentially vital evidence.
PC Dean Allen, an expert trainer who has trained multiple forensic detection dogs for other forces, said:
“This is not a resource we’ve previously had exclusive use of in-force, so I am confident these dogs will make a huge difference to investigators and – more importantly – to victims of crime.
“There are many people currently in jail all over the country for truly heinous offences as a direct result of forensic evidence detection dogs.
“I am confident that it won’t be long before Luna and Phoenix are uncovering similarly vital evidence and helping to bring other offenders to justice.”
Content courtesy of Nottinghamshire Police
Our three interesting facts for today ....
The first pet cemetery opened in Paris in 1899, after the introduction of a law that banned throwing dead dogs into the Seine.
The Makira people of the Solomon Islands use flying-fox teeth as currency
Ancient Greek athletes had their spleens removed to help them run faster
Stolen Telehandler found by police drone pilot
Main article content
A stolen piece of plant machinery has been recovered and returned to its owner after being located by a police drone operator.
The large telehandler was reported missing on the morning of Friday 15 May from Hawton, near Newark.
Using data on its last known movements, a police drone pilot was deployed to an area close to the A46 to begin a targeted search.
Within a short time, the pilot located the bright yellow machine concealed beneath trees.
Sergeant Vince Saunders, Chief Drone Pilot at Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“This was an excellent result that simply wouldn’t have been possible without the use of a drone.
“Our pilots are trained to carry out searches just like this for missing people and property, and can cover vast areas in a matter of minutes.
“Whoever took this machine clearly went to great lengths to hide it, but they hadn’t reckoned on the presence of our eye in the sky.”
Police nick Worksop Man with Wheelie Bin containing Missing Items
Nathan Surridge was detained and a wheelie bin full of goods recovered after officers responded to a restaurant burglary.
A member of the public reported a burglary was in progress at 7.11am on Monday May, 18..Various items were taken from a business at Bridge Place, Worksop.
Police arrived within the space of a couple of minutes and by 7.22am, a wheelie bin full off missing items was recovered and a suspect was detained.
Nathan Surridge, 24, has now been charged with burglary.
Surridge, of Gateford Road, Worksop, has been released on bail and is due to appear at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on 9 June.
Sergeant Clint Gloyn, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“This was a great example of quick and effective work by our officers who were on the scene within minutes after the incident was called in.
“Commercial burglaries can have a very considerable impact on local businesses and are always thoroughly investigated by Nottinghamshire Police.
“While we’ve charged a suspect in connection with this offence, our inquiries are still very much ongoing, so we’d ask anyone with any information to report it to the police by calling 101 and quoting occurrence number 26*285683.
“Alternatively, people can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Council unveil funding plans to support communities.
A new-look Local Communities Fund and the Government-funded Crisis and Resilience Fund are both due to be launched soon.
- Community groups will soon to be able to apply for £1.2 million worth of grants to help support their work in communities via the new-look Local Communities Fund.
- The new Government-funded Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) will support residents in financial crisis, boost access to local services for those most in need and improve financial resilience.
Groups and charities across Nottinghamshire will be able to apply for a new round of community-improving grants later this spring, including a new pot of money aimed at supporting new or recently set-up grassroot organisations.
It is all part of Nottinghamshire County Council’s continued commitment to encourage healthy and sustainable communities by financially supporting community groups and charities via a new-look, two-year Local Communities Fund programme (2026-28)
Additionally, the Government’s Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) will benefit Nottinghamshire residents and communities most in need thanks to almost £30 million being invested over the next three years. The county council will administer this fund to provide crisis payments, resilience services and community coordination. The housing payments element of this fund will be managed by district and borough councils.
Once the CRF is open, low-income households who are experiencing an urgent financial crisis will be able to apply. Types of support will dependant on the type of crisis being experienced and will be on a needs-based assessment.
More than £387,800 of this funding has been earmarked this year for low-income households impacted by the rise in costs for heating oil. Eligible households will be able to apply in the coming weeks to get a one-off payment of £350.
Councillor Jody Stoll, who is the new Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health, welcomed the package of funding and the council’s commitment to supporting residents to lead healthier and independent lives. He said:
“We are proud to continue supporting groups via the Local Communities Fund in a way which builds resilience, rather than reliance. We know that the work groups do makes such a big difference to residents’ lives. We have designed this new version of the fund to focus on those communities who need the help the most.
“We are also working through the details of a new Crisis and Resilience Fund with our local authority partners. With the Household Support Fund now ended, this new fund marks a more preventive approach to help communities and residents in financial crisis.
“We want to assist those who are in most need of support and build resilience for the future by reducing the need for intervention in the long-term. This is why one of the priorities is to make debt management services and advice more available and look at where we might fill gaps in other provision, including services delivered by partners and the voluntary sector.
“We also really want to really maximise these two funds, so our plan is that when a community or voluntary group applies for council funding, we’ll assess behind the scenes which pot of funding is best suited.
“We'll be contacting community groups directly about these funds and promoting more details in the coming weeks to residents, including how and when to apply for crisis payments, including support with heating oil costs.”
Eligible community groups will be able to apply for a range of LCF grants later this May, including capital grants which are designed to support towards improvements to local facilities, while small and large revenue grants will help with essential running costs, such as paying wages and bills.
The revised LCF will be a two-year programme to help plan for future local government reorganisation. The improvements to the fund include:
To help those organisations that have previously been unable to meet the funding criteria, a new foundation grant will be available for new or recently set-up groups to help them get established.
To speed up the application process for capital grants, groups will be able to apply without having their match-funding finalised but will need to provide evidence if and when they are successful in their application.
To free up more funding towards projects which offer community resilience, LCF will no longer fund projects such as village or gateway signs.
Some of the council’s plans for financial resilience support under CRF include:
£500,000 for more resources within the council’s countywide benefits team to make advice more available to those at risk of financial hardship.
£150,000 to create more contact points in community hubs, such as libraries, so residents can speak to someone face-to-face when applying for immediate financial crisis support as well as when seeking wider community help.
£100,000 towards focused events where residents can access financial and wider community information, advice and guidance via a range of organisations and experts.
£250,000 on boosting adult learning opportunities with a specific focus on budgeting and financial management.
£250,000 on expert financial advice including debt management support. This would be ‘pop-up’ support to meet local demand as needed.
£100,000 earmarked for the voluntary sector to help them deliver CRF grant-funded projects to meet specific community needs.
Councillor Stoll continued:
“We also continue to support community groups in a number of other ways such as holding free funding workshops around the county.
“We get such fantastic feedback for these sessions, as it's a great opportunity for groups to increase the chance of their funding applications being successful, whether it's for one of our schemes or other types of funding out there.”
For more details on the free funding workshops, the CRF and LCF can be accessed via Nottinghamshire County Council.
Can you figure out today's puzzle?
First figure out the nine letter solution and then find as many words as you can in today's panagram that contain the letter F.
Our last panagram was PARABOLAS. Read our next newsletter for the solution to today's puzzle.
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Have a great day and I look forward to seeing you read our next newsletter.
Justin Doddy, Editor
Bassetlaw Today
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