Nottinghamshire Boundaries Update, An Easy Collar for Officers, Volunteer recognition & More.
Happy Tuesday everyone and a massive welcome to all our new subscribers. I really hope you enjoy the daily read as subscribers now receive 7 - YES SEVEN FREE newsletters every week.
Its time to put the kettle on, dig out the biscuit tin, put the phone on silent and kick back for 10.
Todays Quote for the day - "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it" Confucius
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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UPDATE: Major Incident Rescinded
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) has confirmed that the major incident declared over the weekend, following a sustained period of exceptionally high demand across Nottinghamshire, has now been rescinded.
They have also have issued a huge thank you to the teams at NFRS for their outstanding leadership, coordination, and professionalism throughout this challenging period.
NFRS also recognised South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, and Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, whose support helped manage a significant number of complex incidents and enabled a quicker resolution.
Special thanks are extended to firefighters and operational crews who have worked tirelessly in extremely demanding and hot conditions over recent weeks. Their dedication, resilience, and commitment to protecting communities have been exceptional.
As dry conditions continue, the public is encouraged to help keep communities safe by:
• Taking litter home
• Disposing of cigarettes responsibly
• Choosing a picnic, not a BBQ, in open spaces
NFRS thanked everyone for their continued support and finished with a little request to readers - 🌧️ if anyone has influence with the weather, a little rain would be very welcome!
Flat Tyre, Flatter Excuse!
A busy night for the Worksop North Neighbourhood Team took an unexpected twist when officers were flagged down by a motorcyclist needing help after a puncture on his bike.
Unfortunately, while chatting with the rider and carrying out routine checks, officers discovered the puncture wasn't his biggest problem...
The rider was found to have no driving licence and no insurance. As a result, the bike was seized and recovered under Operation Rustproof.
It's safe to say what started as a request for roadside assistance ended with a much longer journey home than expected!
A reminder to all road users:
✅ Valid licence
✅ Insurance
✅ Road legal vehicle
Without them, a simple breakdown could become a very expensive inconvenience.
Credit: Nottinghamshire Police
The Real MVPs: The Volunteers Behind 80+ Games This Season
It’s been a tough summer for grounds teams everywhere, with the weather doing its best to disrupt cricket at every opportunity. But thanks to the dedication and hard work of volunteers at Worksop Cricket Club, more than 80 games have already been played in the town this season, with plenty more still to come. 👏
A huge credit goes to Ant, Liam, Alex, and everyone who has given up their time to help prepare and maintain the grounds. From cutting and watering to covering, raking, brushing, marking and rolling, countless hours of behind-the-scenes work have helped keep cricket alive despite the challenging conditions. 🌱🚜
While players take centre stage, it's the volunteers who often make the game possible. Their commitment, effort and passion deserve real recognition. 🙌🏏
Credit: Worksop Cricket Club
Street drinker behind Newark issues is issued with ban
A street drinker renowned for upsetting people with his drunken antics has now been banned from parts of Newark.
The sight of an intoxicated Graham Watson sitting with others on steps, gardens and benches across the town centre will be familiar to some.
That's because of the antisocial behaviour (ASB) linked to him – often outside Hope Church, off Barnby Gate, and St Mary Magdalene Church, in Church Walk.
Complaints against Watson and his group have included public defecation and urination, shouting, swearing, drunken behaviour, arguments and fighting.
Having heard how this rowdy behaviour was making people feel intimidated and unsafe, steps were taken last October to try and stop Watson's antics by serving him with a community protection notice.
The 54-year-old has ignored this, however, and instead decided to repeatedly defy the conditions of the notice by continuing to drink in the street at different points throughout April this year.
Evidence of these breaches were all recorded, either firsthand by Newark and Sherwood District Council's community protection officers, or by operators monitoring footage in the area's CCTV Control Room.
Based on this, Watson, of Vessey Close, Balderton, was summoned to appear before Nottingham Magistrates' Court last Monday (3 August).
Despite deciding not to attend, he was still made the subject of a two-year criminal behaviour order (CBO), which was granted following an application led by the council and in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police.
Watson was also fined £420, after being found guilty by magistrates of breaching the community protection notice.
Under the CBO, Watson is banned from entering the grounds of Hope Church or St Mary Magdalene Church, socialising in Newark with members of his group, and congregating in public with two or more people in a manner that could cause harassment, alarm or distress.
He is also prohibited from being drunk or drinking alcohol in any public place in Newark and causing or inciting others to shout, swear, or act in an intimidating fashion.
Should he break any of these conditions in the next two years, he risks a fine and time in prison.
Inspector Charlotte Ellam, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood, said:
"We know how much of a detrimental impact ASB has on our communities, so will always look to take action as a neighbourhood policing team against anyone involved in this.
"In this case, both ourselves and the council have received numerous reports of Graham Watson's bad behaviour, so were pleased to be able to support them in ultimately securing this criminal behaviour order.
"With the CBO now making it a criminal offence for Watson to attend certain locations, drink out in public and act in a certain way, our hope is this will stop his antics for good and provide the public with some respite."
Councillor Paul Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Community Relations at Newark and Sherwood District Council, added:
“Antisocial behaviour can have a significant impact on residents, businesses and visitors, making people feel intimidated and unsafe in their own community.
"This case demonstrates our commitment to using the powers available to us to tackle persistent antisocial behaviour and to working closely with Nottinghamshire Police to protect our communities.
"Where individuals repeatedly ignore warnings and continue behaviour that negatively affects others, we will not hesitate to take robust enforcement action."
A last-ditch attempt to challenge the expansion of Nottingham’s boundary is likely to fail, according to new legal advice.
By: Lauren Monaghan, LDRS
Nottinghamshire is heading for its largest boundary shake-up in 50 years, after the government confirmed how the county’s nine councils would be reorganised.
The government is pushing forward with its local government reorganisation (LGR) programme across England, and by 2028, sections of Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe will become part of an enlarged Nottingham city area to form a new unitary authority.
A second unitary authority will cover the rest of the county, meaning the current county area’s existing two-tier structure will cease to exist.
The government’s LGR plans have been shrouded in debate and criticism since their announcement in December 2024, with some council leaders voicing concerns about the potential impact on services and local representation.
Some have argued that the government has gone against its own criteria, which originally included that existing districts and boroughs not be split up and that new councils have a minimum population of 500,000. Some believe the public consultation on the shake-up has not been taken into account.
Rushcliffe Borough Council, in a joint effort with Broxtowe Borough Council, decided to see if judicial review of LGR was viable. A lawyer was subsequently appointed to assess whether the grounds for such review had the “potential to succeed”.
Judicial reviews involve a judge reviewing the lawfulness of a decision or action made by a public body, but they can only be launched to challenge the way a decision was made, rather than the rights and wrongs of that decision.
But in a document seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on Monday (August 10), that senior lawyer has concluded an application for judicial review is more likely to fail than win.
The document concludes that there was nothing to suggest the government had materially changed its LGR criteria; that the government’s decision had taken into account boundary changes, finances, service delivery, and consultation responses; that the consultation was legally sufficient; and that there are no viable grounds for a judicial review.
The LDRS approached the leaders of Rushcliffe Borough Council and Broxtowe Borough Council and asked them to confirm whether they had read the lawyer’s opinion document and their reaction to the conclusion.
Councillor Neil Clarke (Lab), leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council, said his authority is “considering what to do next”.
He said:
“We’ve still got to have a conversation with Broxtowe about it, and we’ve still got to have a conversation within Rushcliffe Borough Council about where we proceed. It would be interesting to know what the MP’s view of it is as well.
“We’re still considering what the best course of action is… It’s still a work in progress.”
Broxtowe Borough Council leader, Milan Radulovic (Brox Alliance), said he was “disappointed” with the lawyer’s outcome.
He said:
“I accept the judgment as read by a King’s Counsel – if they consider it unlikely to succeed, it’s almost certain we won’t continue.
“The point of judicial review is it doesn’t look at a decision, it looks at the process, what the King’s Counsel’s confirmation is, is that the government is quite right in what it says.”
On the report’s conclusions, Cllr Radulovic said it meant consultations on local government topics are “a complete and utter waste of time”.
He said he believes the consultation on LGR in Nottinghamshire was set after the government had made its decision on how Nottinghamshire authorities would merge and change.
He added:
“[The conclusion] didn’t surprise me, it disappointed me. It demonstrates we’re no longer living in a democracy.
“The consultation was overwhelmingly against [the LGR options].
“I will talk to my colleagues and give them my advice and we will take a decision accordingly. In my general opinion, go with what the King’s Counsel is saying.”
Elections for the two new unitary authorities – called ‘shadow’ elections – will take place in May 2027, creating two shadow authorities ahead of the new councils being formally established in April 2028.
EAST MIDLANDS COMBINED COUNTY AUTHORITY: The housing projects that wouldn’t have been built without the Mayor’s money
By: Joseph Connolly, LDRS
It was way back in early 2024 when the creation of the East Midlands Combined Authority meant that Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire had a regional Mayor for the first time.
Manchester and Birmingham had had one for years – and now it was our time to reap the benefits, one of which was access to the Brownfield Housing Fund.
The fund is a government project to provide money to developers for building homes on areas that have been built on before, rather than building on untouched land – promoting the saving of space and retention of green land.
The Mayor received £16.8m from the fund in her first settlement in 2024, and was then granted an extra £19.7m in autumn 2025 and a four-year, £52m settlement in early March 2026.
To be eligible for the cash, developers have to prove – and be vigorously checked to make sure that it is the truth – that they would not be able to go ahead with their projects without the money.
Often this is due to “abnormal” costs, such as for clearing the site or for undertaking tests to make sure the land is suitable.
Dozens of developers applied for the first round of the funding.
But there was only so much cash available – and projects also had to be ready to begin by a deadline of March this year.
Now the first phase is closed, more than £17m has been signed off.
Here’s the full list of Nottinghamshire schemes that were successful in their bids, those that are still waiting for confirmation, and those that dropped out, despite originally getting the nod.
Signed off
A number of schemes have been signed off, ticked off and in many cases are being built or are even nearly finished, with the Mayor’s money.
Old Flowserve site, Hawton Lane, Balderton, Newark
The Mayor agreed £1,738,622 for all 309 homes on the former Flowserve pump factory site in Balderton near Newark.
Residents have already started moving in, with 171 of the homes being sold on the private market and 138 being sold and let as affordable homes.
White Hart Street, Mansfield
In March, £1m was approved for White Hart Street in Mansfield – part of a huge regeneration project being undertaken by Mansfield District Council.
The authority has planned for a while to transform the long-derelict area of the town centre – which was once home to businesses such as a printing workshop and a tannery – into houses, apartments and business space.
The Mayor’s money will provide for 43 affordable homes as part of the first stage of the project, with work set to begin later this year and be completed in 2028.
Burns Lane, Warsop, Mansfield
Burns Lane in Warsop, north of Mansfield, is the location of one of a number of housing schemes run by Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) being supported by the Mayor.
EMCCA will provide £549,000 for the project, providing 19 homes, 15 of which are set to be affordable and four of which will be for shared ownership.
Leivers Court, Arnold
A small settlement £290,000 from the Mayor will allow an extra 30 homes at Leivers Court in Arnold to go ahead.
The site is an old care home which has been vacant and boarded up since it closed in 2019, and NCHA plan to develop the new properties for people who need care and support but also want to live independently.
Gedling Borough Council gave planning permission in February for the care home’s demolition.
Bowbridge Road, Newark
Bowbridge Road is the third NCHA project.
It is a much bigger development, and the Mayor is providing exactly £10,000 for each of 88 flats, family homes and bungalows – totalling £880,000.
Building work at the site began in February and is expected to be completed by early 2027.
The area had been vacant for more than a decade.
Three Lions pub, Meden Vale, Mansfield
The derelict Three Lions pub in Mansfield was subject to a campaign from locals opposing it being demolished and turned into 41 properties.
But planning permission was granted in January and the Mayor signed off on a £400,000 boost for the site in March.
Arkwright Street, Nottingham
The Mayor said yes in the same month to a whopping £7.2m for developers Cassidy Group, to finally do something with the land between Crocus Street and the tramline on Meadows Way.
The site has been vacant for years and subject to numerous planning applications; now a block of 319 apartments should finally be built.
Trent Basin West, Nottingham
Some 87 homes at Trent Basin – where the new Waterside Bridge is – were subject to the sign-off of a £2m grant from the Mayor, also in March.
There are around 350 homes in total planned at the development, which will range in price from £200,000 to £500,000.
Simpson Park, Harworth, Bassetlaw
Developers Harworth Estates Ltd needed a little boost of just under £400,000 for just 14 of the 1,000 homes at Simpson Park, a new estate on the very northern edge of Nottinghamshire.
All the properties in question, which are one and two bed bungalows, will be fully accessible and are set to be affordable.
The Mayor signed off on the money in May.
Thoresby Vale, Edwinstowe
In the same process, the Mayor signed off on £1.165m to help build 60 of the 1,000 or so homes at Thoresby Vale.
The site is a huge 1,000 home development on the site of the old Thoresby Colliery and is being built by the same developers as Simpson Park.
Of the 60 – a mixture of one, two, three and four-bed homes, 40 will be affordable and 20 will be for private sale.
Nottingham War Rooms, Beechdale, Nottingham
Plans to turn a fascinating old Cold War bunker in Beechdale, Nottingham into 104 homes were announced in January 2025 and given permission in November of the same year.
Work on the project started in May, with the Mayor funding all £2m of it.
Fell away
Some schemes looked all set for a Mayoral money boost, but due to a variety of factors, have had to pull out of the process.
The reasons for some, while vague, are public.
Others simply stopped being mentioned in EMCCA documents.
But papers say that projects that did not proceed often failed due to a change of developers’ intent, an inability to meet deadlines, unresponsive applicants who went quiet after initially applying, and a failure to meet eligibility criteria.
It is important to note that just because a project is no longer being funded by EMCCA, it doesn’t mean that it won’t go ahead – with developers likely to seek other funding sources or ways to push forward with plans.
Arnside Road, Nottingham
Developers MyPad wanted £1.1m from the Mayor to help them build 113 near Nottingham City Hospital – but after planning permission was granted, assessors found it wasn’t eligible for the cash.
The developer said the work will still go ahead, but without the Mayor’s money.
Friar Tuck pub, Arnold
The Friar Tuck in Arnold shut its doors in October 2024 after plans to turn the pub into more than 50 retirement flats were approved. Developer McCarthy Stone applied for £765,000 from the Mayor to help build the new development.
But work still hadn’t begun last November and in February it was revealed that the applicants had withdrawn their application for cash “following a reset of their strategic priorities”.
Henry Mellish School, Bulwell
The site of the old Henry Mellish School on Highbury Road was set for 45 homes as of November last year.
The developers applied for £312,000 from the Mayor – but after checks, the argument “did not satisfy the requirements of the Brownfield Housing Fund”.
The Island Quarter, Nottingham
The Island Quarter project in Nottingham was one of the first of 12 projects to be selected for funding, way back in August 2024.
Conygar Investments wanted money to build a whopping 322 homes, just east of the city centre, and needed £4.16m from the Mayor for it – more than a quarter of the original £16.8m pot of cash available.
But by the first meeting of EMCCA’s housing & land committee in September 2025, the development was no longer listed as one of the schemes being supported by EMCCA.
Queens Road, Nottingham
MRP Investments’ 22-storey Queens Road apartment block project in Nottingham, near the railway station, was the biggest that EMCCA proposed to invest in – with 382 homes proposed as a result of the funding.
This number was reduced to 274 and 18 storeys by the end of the year – and planning permission was given in May 2025.
But like the Island Quarter scheme, it eventually vanished from EMCCA lists.
Still in the running
As of February, two projects were still in the running – both in Retford, in the north of the county.
At the time, they were waiting for planning permission to be granted by Bassetlaw District Council.
EMCCA confirmed that the schemes were still in the ‘pipeline’ at the start of August.
Canal Turn, Retford
The Canal Turn on Longholme Road is an old bungalow on the outskirts of the town.
The property is set on some acres of land, which is largely agricultural, but which a 2023 environmental survey found was of low “ecological value”.
After obtaining the site, developers Newsholme have been – and are still – trying to secure permission from Bassetlaw District Council for years, and want £675,000 of the Mayor’s money for 27 homes.
Amcott Place, Retford
Newsholme have also applied for an extra £425,000 in order to enable the building of 17 flats in Bridgegate in the centre of Retford.
Planning permission is still yet to be granted.
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
P.S. Your feedback about this newsletter is important to me. You can email me your feedback to news@bassettlawtoday.co.uk
