Ghost Housing Estate, Community Centre Refurbishment and Swift Police Action
Good morning readers, its another Wednesday already and a huge welcome to our new newsletter subscribers - Thank You !
Time to put the kettle on and dig out the hobnobs.
Today's Quote of the Day - "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." — Vincent van Gogh
Enjoy the read, please email us if you have a story for us and have a great day wherever you are in Bassetlaw.
Justin Doddy, Editor
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Blood Bank Heroes Preparing For Christmas Ride Out
𝐼𝑡’𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒…
We know it’s early to start talking mince pies and roast turkey, Ride Outs take a lot of prep, and Nottnghamshire Blood Bikes need your help to make it happen
Here’s how you can get involved
Sponsor/Donate - Got items, supplies, or treats to contribute? We’d be incredibly grateful for any support.
Join the Ride Out - Hop on your bike and help NBB spread some genuine holiday cheer to the people they support.
Drop a message if you can lend a hand, or would like join the convoy ! https://www.facebook.com/NottsBB
(And hey, we made it through this entire post without using the ‘C-word’ so technically, you can’t say it’s too early! )
Content courtesy of Nottinghamshire Blood Bikes
Costs rise as redevelopment of ‘forgotten’ Newark housing estate to begin
The costs of redeveloping a forgotten housing estate in Nottinghamshire have risen ahead of the start of long-awaited work.
Work to regenerate the Yorke Drive housing estate in Newark is expected to begin this month (October).
Planning consent for up to 320 homes was originally granted all the way back in 2019, and the estate has been plagued by anti-social behaviour ever since.
Some of the estate’s residents said they felt they had been “forgotten”, with many ageing council properties now boarded up.
Plans were later revised owing to “a number of significant challenges” such as drainage problems, highways matters, and the need to retain trees.
Newark and Sherwood District Council was also forced to seek alternative funding arrangements for the scheme after government housing regeneration agency, Homes England, pulled out in 2021, leaving a £3.76 million gap.
Last year the council approved updated plans to revive the area by demolishing more than 100 homes, before replacing them with 207 new private and social properties.
Ahead of work starting by the end of October, the authority now says costs have risen.
Councillor Lee Brazier, portfolio holder for housing, said:
“I know this hasn’t been an easy journey for the Yorke Drive community, but I want to thank them for their incredible patience and support in getting us to this stage.
“While this is great news, there is still a significant amount of work to do, and we will continue to work with residents to support them over the next few years as this project takes shape.
“As a district council, this has remained one of our top priorities for many years, and we will continue to push this project forward. The positive impact this project will have on the community will be significant, and with such an important development it’s vital we get it right.
“Everyone is keen to get ‘spades in the ground’ as soon as possible, and we’ll keep residents regularly informed on our progress.”
The council’s senior members will be asked to approve the new financing arrangements at a meeting on October 13.
While the project’s entire budget and cost has been redacted, documents show that a contribution to the scheme when complete will be needed from the council’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA) totalling £179,000.
There will also be an increase in the council’s General Fund contribution to the scheme when complete totalling £260,000, and this will be financed through increased borrowing.
Some of the extra costs are a result of the need for some “up-front” work, rather than them being staggered, including drainage strategy work.
Improvements to the playing fields, delivery of a new sports pavilion, and construction of new homes needed for current residents will all take place as part of the first of several phases.
Four homes of more than 100 will be demolished.
The new pavilion and green space at the heart of the estate will provide residents with Football Association-standard playing pitches and facilities as well as access to more nature.
Homes will also be fitted with solar panels and electric charging ports for cars to bring household bills down.
Major improvements to give Kilton Forest Community Centre a new lease of life
Bassetlaw District Council is making major improvements to Kilton Forest Community Centre in Worksop to create a more energy-efficient space for a local charity.
The building has been serving the community since the 1970s but is now being upgraded with plans in place to lease it to support charity Centre Place.
As part of works to make it more energy efficient, the building is currently being painted a vibrant purple colour, as it is being coated in an air tightness layer which will be covered by insulation and cladding.
Cllr Darrell Pulk, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods said:
“Kilton Forest Community Centre has been an important part of the community for many years, and these improvements will help make sure it can continue to support local people for many more years to come.
“By making the building warmer, more efficient and better suited to Centre Place’s needs, we are helping to create a welcoming space where the charity can grow and continue its valuable work.”
The internal refurbishment has been designed in collaboration with Centre Place where great care has been taken to make sure it will meet their growing needs to thrive in their new premises.
Centre Place has been helping people in the district since 1996 and now offers a wide range of help for children and young people aged 11-25 years old including, counselling through Talkzone, and LGBT+ support across Nottinghamshire.
Georgia Crossland, CEO of Centre Place, said: “Following celebrating our 30 years of service, we’re excited to be relocating to Kilton Forest Community Centre.
“This will allow us to continue to deliver services and offer new opportunities to the children, young people and families of Bassetlaw, whilst remaining firmly embedded in the community.”
The external retrofit work is being carried out by Beattie and includes energy-saving upgrades that will help make the centre easier and cheaper to heat and run, while also reducing its impact on the environment.
Nathan Beattie, Commercial Director of Beattie, said:
“Kilton Forest is a great example of what can be achieved when we look at existing buildings differently. Rather than accepting poor energy performance or replacing a building altogether, deep retrofit gives us the opportunity to retain an important community asset while fundamentally changing how it performs.
“What makes this project particularly important is what happens after the construction work is finished. By significantly reducing the energy required to operate the centre and creating a much more comfortable internal environment, the retrofit will help provide Centre Place with a building that can support its work in the community for many years to come.”
The project has been funded by government through the programme now known as the Community Regeneration Partnership.
Suspect in cuffs 30 minutes after van stolen
Main article content
NewsPublished:09:0006/10/2026
A stolen van was recovered and a suspect arrested within 30 minutes.
Officers were called shortly after 1pm on Wednesday 30 September after a Ford Tipper van was stolen from Lombard Street, Newark.
By 1.17pm, the vehicle had been tracked down in the Tolney Lane area.
By 1.30pm, a suspect had been chased down and detained on the banks of the River Trent.
The 32-year-old was arrested on suspicion of theft and driving whilst disqualified.
He was later released on police bail.
Sergeant Rachel Dowsett, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
"This was a very swift and effective response by the officers involved, who had a suspect in cuffs and the vehicle safely recovered within half an hour."
Thanks so much for reading our local newsletter and for supporting us. We’re committed to providing Bassetlaw with the quality local news service it deserves, but sustaining this work may come with some challenges. Our team is currently discussing how to make Bassetlaw Today financially viable in the long term, and one option we’re considering is introducing a subscription model to help cover our costs.
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Have a great day and I look forward to seeing you read our next newsletter.
Justin Doddy, Editor
Bassetlaw Today
P.S. Your feedback about this newsletter is important to me. You can email me your feedback to news@bassettlawtoday.co.uk
