Plastic Recycling Plant Plans, Solar Panels, Village News & More
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Enjoy the read and have a great day wherever you are in Bassetlaw.
Justin Doddy, Editor
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Plastics recycling plant tipped for approval amid 1,200-strong petition
By: Joe Locker
A plastics recycling plant in an area of Nottinghamshire has been recommended for approval as more than 1,200 residents seek to stop plans in their tracks.
Envale UK has tabled its plans for the new plastic chemical recycling facility, with an energy recovery facility, on an old recycling site in Worksop.
The operator of the old facility, off Shireoaks Road, was subject to environmental enforcement action in 2013 requiring the removal of waste.
Nottinghamshire County Council says shortly after the notice was served on the operator, NRL, a series of fires occurred which destroyed buildings and machinery.
There were four serious fires in the space of 12 months and, later in 2014, the operator collapsed into administration.
The authority’s planning officers have recommended the proposal for approval at a meeting on Tuesday (November 3).
While the new plans have avoided objections from most of the statutory consultees, Bassetlaw District Council objected against the plans at a planning committee in 2024.
Rhodesia Parish Council has also objected, while a petition against the plans has been signed by more than 1,200 residents.
Envale says the scheme has been “carefully considered”, and added:
“The Energy Recovery Facility will prevent 24,369 tonnes per annum of non-recyclable residual waste from going to landfill and will generate up to 10 megawatts of heat and 2.5 megawatts of electricity – enough to power over 650 homes every year.
“The facilities are an answer to Nottinghamshire’s plastic and residual waste problem.”
The plant would break down plastics via a method called pyrolysis.
Under the process, waste plastic will be delivered into a heated sealed
chamber, where it would be heated to around 500C in the absence of oxygen, causing the plastic polymer to “crack” into smaller molecules until it
becomes liquid and gas hydrocarbons, similar to those used to make
plastics in the first place.
This mixture of smaller molecules is known as pyrolysis oil, which can go on to be used for other processes.
The Shireoaks and Rhodesia Against Plastic Pyrolysis (SRAPP) established the petition a number of years ago when the plans first surfaced.
Lesley Rowlands, one of the group’s members, previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:
“It was once an industrial area, but that’s been phased out over the last 50 years for residential developments and shops. It’s no longer fit for that purpose.”
It is understood the group has booked a coach so that its members can attend the planning committee on Tuesday.
Jo White, Bassetlaw’s Labour MP, has objected based on the proximity of the proposed site to newly developed residential and leisure areas.
She says significant investment has been made in sporting infrastructure, notably at the former Glassworks, which now hosts cricket and football activities.
New housing developments have also been completed in Shireoaks and Rhodesia, while Dormer Tools has been redeveloped from industrial use into housing directly next to the proposed site.
She argued the Environmental Services Association (ESA), which represents the UK waste industry, advises facilities should not be located within 500 metres of residential areas.
Planning documents say the nearest residential properties are located on Robertson Grove to the north-west, and there is a distance of roughly six metres at the closest point between the red line boundary of the site and the rear garden boundaries of properties.
Other concerns include possible run-off into the Chesterfield Canal and vehicle movements in and out of the facility.
Previous schemes, including a waste transfer and recycling facility in 2006 that failed to materialise, were granted for vehicle movements of up to 200 per day.
Envale says vehicle movements would be well under this at around 50 heavy goods vehicle movements daily, plus a maximum of 60 staff vehicle movements each day.
The site currently shares an access road with the neighbouring Worksop Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC), operated on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council by Veolia.
NEWARK: Further 1.5 million solar panels approved for Notts countryside
By Joseph Connolly
More than one-and-a-half million solar panels will be installed in Nottinghamshire after the government approved another huge project in the county.
The proposed Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park, north-west of Newark, was granted planning permission by officials on October 27.
Documents show that the panels will be spread across land and fields surrounding the settlements of Caunton and Norwell, with about a dozen more villages or parishes affected.
They include Kelham, South Muskham, North Muskham, Cromwell, Carlton-on-Trent, Ossington, Kersall, Maplebeck, Eakring, Knapthorpe, Averham Park and Staythorpe.
The controversial development, which was opposed by hundreds of local residents and Newark’s Reform MP Robert Jenrick, is a project by Elements Green Ltd.
The company, which describes itself as a “leading renewable energy developer”, is based in London and applied for planning permission for the project in June 2025.
But instead of it being the responsibility of the local council to decide on its viability – which is the case with most planning and development applications – the huge size of the scheme made it a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), meaning it was the government’s responsibility to say yes or no.
Between November and April last year the hundreds of pages of planning documents were examined.
They describe how the proposal area stretches over more than 4,300 acres – 17.6 million square metres.
The development would cut down on 250,000 tones of carbon dioxide emissions.
Elements Green says it will plant 64,500 trees, 50 kilometres of new hedgerows, 28 new footpaths totalling 34 kilometres in length, and picnic, recreational and play areas in the hope of offsetting the loss of farmland and appeasing locals who object to the idea.
And the project would provide around £1 million every year for the support of local causes, courtesy of a community support scheme called “NG+”, which will pay to enhance woodland, start bee-keeping initiatives with local farmers, providing research funding for local universities, offering grants for home improvements and providing start-up funding for green businesses amongst many other things.
The government approved the plans on Tuesday, October 27, with construction likely to begin early next year.
In addition to the solar panels, there will also be battery energy storage systems (BESS) installed on the land, which stores the energy from the solar panels if it is not needed immediately.
But not everyone was pleased with Tuesday’s decision.
Newark MP Jenrick said:
“I am appalled and devastated that the government has approved this vast solar scheme.
“This is a hammer blow to Newark and Nottinghamshire. More than 10% of my constituency will now be solar. Good farmland ruined. Years of mess and disruption. Views wrecked for generations.”
It comes after plans for a solar farm further north in Nottinghamshire, around the village of Sturton-le-Steeple near Retford in Labour MP Jo White’s Bassetlaw constituency, were approved last week.
There, more than 800,000 solar panels are hoped to power about 150,000 homes.
EAST MIDLANDS AMBULANCE SERVICE URGES SAFE CELEBRATIONS THIS HALLOWEEN
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) is ready for its second busiest time of the year.
On Halloween 2025 EMAS received 3,865 calls for help, rising to 4,144 calls the following day. A typical day sees around 3,400 calls.
The demand is partly linked to more accidents and injuries while celebrating, and increased alcohol-related incidents.
2026 has seen almost constant pressure and high demand for the ambulance service, with extremely hot and busy summer months.
Every month in 2026 has been busier compared to 2025, with May and June seeing over 6% more patients needing help - on average 175 additional people every day.
Ben Evans, Director of Service Delivery at EMAS, said:
“With Halloween on a Saturday this year, and a busy winter period ahead of us, it’s crucial that the ambulance service is only called in a life-threatening emergency.
“This year EMAS has our highest ever numbers of frontline staff and vehicles available to respond to emergencies across the East Midlands, and our crews, control room staff and volunteers are working incredibly hard and I want to thank them for this.
“Our resources are finite, so to ensure we can get to those sickest patients, please use the other NHS services available to you for urgent or routine problems, and if you are eligible, get vaccinated against flu, which we’re already seeing circulating in our communities.
"We will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure that ambulance crews are released no longer than 45 minutes after arriving at the hospital."
Improvements to our service
EMAS is prepared for the busy winter months ahead. Despite record demand this year, EMAS has responded more quickly to patients experiencing suspected stroke, chest pain and other emergency symptoms (known as category 2) compared to 2025 in August and September.
EMAS is committed to continuously improving our service to patients across the region:
• In December, 200 additional frontline staff and 20 new ambulances will be responding to patients across the East Midlands, following additional investment from NHS England and our commissioners.
• By April 2028 EMAS will have welcomed a 400 additional frontline staff and 40 new ambulances to our fleet.
A.W. Lymn Shows Support to Those with a Rare Neurological Disorder by Raising Thousands for Charity
An East Midlands based funeral directors has raised tens of thousands of pounds for a national charity through hosting golf days, curry lunches and multiple generous donations.
A.W. Lymn the Family Funeral Service has raised an astonishing total of £38,377.47 for Alex, the Leukodystrophy (Alex TLC) in just five years, with its main fundraiser being a Charity Golf Day, raising more than £23,000 in donations alone.
Alex TLC aims to support individuals who struggle with a rare medical condition – Leukodystrophy. The main coordinator of these events, Ben Percival, fifth generation of the family business A.W. Lymn and great, great-grandson of founder Arthur William Lymn, has been overwhelmed by the support so far.
He said:
“Everyone at A.W. Lymn is so proud of what we have been able to achieve and the money we have raised. Having been diagnosed with Leukodystrophy myself, Alex TLC is a cause my family and the business hold close to our hearts.
“We are delighted to continue to support such a great charity and give back to the families that we serve and beyond.”
Alex TLC is a UK charity established in 2005 and remains the only organisation in the country dedicated to providing support, information and advocacy for individuals and families affected by leukodystrophy. Leukodystrophy is a rare genetic condition. Since the charity’s inception, Alex TLC has made a significant impact within the rare disease community, earning international recognition as a centre of excellence for information, support and expertise.
A.W. Lymn, a fifth-generation family funeral directors, has been helping grieving families in the region for over a century. With a high quality of service and value for money, it has been a trusted funeral directors for thousands of families. Operating 36 funeral homes across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and most recently Leicestershire, it prides itself on offering a variety of services available at an affordable price to the families it has served since 1907.
Misterton & West Stockwith - VILLAGE NEWS
By Hazel Brand
❌ DON’T PANIC BUY – JUST BE READY!
Parish councils should encourage residents to ‘Be Ready’ was the message delivered to representatives of parish and town councils (and district and county councillors) at a seminar last month delivered by Mark Clements, an Emergency Planning Officer with both the County and District Councils.
This was on the day the Government launched its ‘Be Ready’ campaign to encourage preparedness in the event of a lengthy power outage, cyber attacks, flooding (a known risk in Bassetlaw), or action by hostile states. Mark’s advice was to have three days’ of essential supplies to help manage while support reaches those most in need. In a cyber attack, water supplies could be affected so 2-3 litres per person per day is recommended – and this is just for consumption; it doesn’t cover hygiene.
More information is on the Government website: beready.campaign.gov.uk. It is also where eligible vulnerable people can sign up
to the Priority Services Register for support during outages.
Just buying an extra tin or pack of loo rolls with each shop will soon build up a stock – and many will already have the equivalent of three days’ of food lurking in the back of their cupboards, a ‘prepper’ from Cornwall told the BBC.
🎇 BELLS APPEAL RAFFLE
Fundraising for upgrading the bells in All Saints’ Parish Church in 2026 will reach a climax in December when the grand raffle is drawn on Saturday 19 December. This will take place during a concert by Doncaster Waites (pictured) playing original instruments.
The waites were a town band and played for civic events, feasts, weddings, and in the streets. Doncaster had a band of waites from 1457 to 1832 and it is the spirit of these musicians that the current band tries to re-create: not the music of the aristocracy but the music of the common people.
The concert is at 3.00pm in the Parish Church and the band will talk about and demonstrate their instruments. Tickets for the band are £9: pre-booked tickets will have seats reserved in the front rows. Tickets for the champagne and chocolates raffle are £1 (5 in a book), available early to mid-November. Call (01427) 891376 for tickets for the band or raffle – or both.
🗞️ PARISH COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
Misterton Parish Council’s Autumn newsletter will be delivered to households over the next week. If you find you’ve been missed (or accidentally mislaid it!), spare copies will be taken to the Library once the delivery team has finished.
🎓 SCHOOL HEAD TO RETIRE
Jane Cappleman-Jackson will stand down as Head Teacher of Misterton Primary & Nursery School next Summer and the process has started to recruit her successor. Chair of Governors, Jill Fairbank, met with other governors earlier this month and is being supported through the recruitment process by Notts County Council’s education advisers. Parents and carers have also met Jane, who discussed with them how a new head is recruited.
In writing to children, parents and carers, Jill said: “As Chair of Governors, I would like to acknowledge the enormous contribution that Jane has made to Misterton Primary School. The passion, care, and commitment shown by Jane to our children, families, and staff have been at the heart of the school for many years. We are incredibly grateful for everything that has been given to the Misterton community and, importantly, there is still a full year ahead in which to continue that work.”
Two new parent governors have recently joined the team of governors: Louise Hackett and Sam Fairbanks.
🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL
A reminder to get thinking about your entry in the Christmas Tree Festival – part of Misterton Parish Council’s Christmas lights switch-on on 4 December. Just bring the tree along to the Parish Church between 2.00-4.00pm on Friday 4 December. There's again a new 'class' this year for a novelty tree.
🎤 VILLAGE CONCERT SEASON CONTINUES
The next performance in the Parish Church’s cultural programme is on Friday 27 November: Kathy’s Song, a celebration of the music of Simon & Garfunkel and the swinging’ 60s. The performance starts at 7.30pm; tickets are £13 (£10 for students).
Kathy's Song: A Celebration of the Music of Simon and Garfunkel
🆘 BASSETLAW ACTION CENTRE
Bassetlaw Action Centre is continuing to help people in in the district. They need volunteers to help with a number of services where they will be given full training and expenses paid.
The roles are:
🚗 Drivers – using their own car or one of BAC’s vehicles (a wheelchair accessible vehicle or a minibus) to take people to appointments, shopping or on social visits
👭 Befrienders – creating friendships and talking regularly to people either face to face or on the phone
supported hospital discharge service volunteer – helping people who have recently been discharged from hospital to settle back home by doing odd jobs such as light cleaning or shopping or offering a short-term befriending service
👩💻 Administrator – general administrative duties within the Retford office.
Commitments can be as little as one hour a week and are structured to fit around the volunteer’s life. If you think that you might be a good match for one of these roles, please call 01777 709650, e-mail enquiries@actioncentre.org.uk or visit BAC’s website: bassetlawactioncentre.org.uk
BAC also offers trips in a fully accessible minibus. This is a door-to-door service, picking up from Misterton and West Stockwith. Membership is free for this service - just pay the cost of the seat on the bus, £12 for lunch club trips and £22.50 for day trips. In November, lunch club and day trips are:
Wednesday 4 - Walkers Nurseries & Garden Centre
Tuesday 10 - Woodfield Farm, Farmhouse Inns, Balby
Wednesday 18 - Boundary Outlet, Sheffield
Thursday 26 - Whitby’s Fish & Chips, Doncaster.
For further information and to book, call 01777 709650.
🎖️ CONGRATS TO VILLAGE GYMNAST
Congratulations to Stanley Cropper of West Stockwith, who came 2nd in a recent European gymnastics’ competition. He was beaten only by an athlete with Olympic experience.
Stan has another international competition in November but the season will start in earnest next February with the English then the British Championships in March 2027.
📷 : Images Credit - Hazel Brand
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
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