Reform UK won all Nottinghamshire County Coucil seats in Ashfield bar one – the only area retained by the Ashfield Independents The results were key to Reform winning a total of 40 seats – and overall control  of the council with a wide 23 seat majority The Conservatives won 17 seats and Labour won four Although they retain control of Ashfield District Council – which was not part of Thursday’s poll – all but one of their 10 County Council seats went to Reform UK Nottinghamshire residents headed to the polls on Thursday May 1 to vote for local councillors in 66 seats across 55 divisions Votes in Ashfield were counted at Kirkby Leisure Centre in Kirkby-in-Ashfield John Wilmott Anthony Wilmott (Ash Ind) won the group’s solitary Hucknall North seat with 1,231 votes – 230 more than Sean Richard Neale (Reform UK) who stood at 1,001 votes and former Notts County Council opposition leader lost his seat to Reform after 18 years of being on the County Council “I’ve been on the County Council 18 years and I tried my best to do a good job “Sometimes the big political parties take a tsunami – and that’s what’s been happening across the country.” Ashfield’s Reform MP Lee Anderson said it was an “unbelievable feeling” seeing his party win over the district He said: “We’ve been building our branch up they want a little bit of honesty in politics “It’s democracy – the best people have won on the day.” It is likely the last-ever Nottinghamshire County Council election in its current format due to ongoing local government reform which could see councils overhauled and new “strategic authorities” and combined councils created between 2027 and 2028 Christine Jennifer Self (Conservatives) 78 Kevin Thomas Rostance (Local Conservatives) 510 Rachel Elizabeth Kotze (Local Conservatives) 277 John Morton Anthony Wilmott (Ash Ind) 1,231 (E) Ethan Tyler Revill (Labour and Co-operative) 293 Waste and recycling Works to identify new sites to replace three recycling centres in Nottinghamshire have taken a step forward Nottinghamshire County Council has today (Monday 9 December) approved that detailed investigation works can now get underway on sites identified to potentially replace the current West Bridgford This follows the county council’s strategic review of household waste and recycling centres the Place Select Committee recommendations and the Cabinet decision approving these recommendations which included a site search to find new sites in the south and west of the county Due to the close proximity of the current Kirkby and Mansfield sites proposals have been made to replace both sites with a new The sites which will now been investigated further are land off Jubilee Way in Mansfield and the Portland Industrial Park in Kirkby in Ashfield the current site on Rugby Road has been identified as no longer fit for purpose due to housing growth around the site and issues with vehicles queuing to get into the site during busy times A number of sites to replace West Bridgford were identified and the site next to the Gamston Highways Depot will now be investigated further as a potential replacement Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council said: “I would like to confirm that although we’re undertaking works to identify replacements for the current sites in Kirkby in Ashfield no existing site will close until a better and more efficient replacement is open and ready to welcome residents “We commissioned a strategic review of our household waste and recycling centre network in 2022 to make sure that sites are best serving Nottinghamshire residents as we look towards the future “This review was undertaken by independent consultants and looked at all 12 sites across Nottinghamshire to assess the sites’ locations the potential application of new technologies the potential to open new facilities as well as the potential to develop existing sites “The resulting strategic review document was used as the basis for the county council’s cross party Place Select Committee to undertake a review into the recycling centre network and make a series of recommendations which were approved by the county council’s Cabinet in July 2024 “This process identified that the recycling centre provision in the south and west of the county is not currently fit for purpose and that the development of new sites in these areas would improve capacity and provide Nottinghamshire residents with a service that is sustainable as we look ahead to the future “As with any site search a number of sites were identified by our property team and we have now reduced this shortlist to those that we feel will be best place to accommodate a recycling centre “I would like to confirm that this doesn’t mean that we are starting work on constructing new sites “Now that these further detailed investigations have been approved we will be looking closely at the viability of locating new recycling centres on these sites and we will continue to update residents with our progress as we look ahead to making our current network more efficient.” Ashfield District Council is pleased to announce that £20 million in funding for Kirkby has been re-confirmed by the government As one of 75 areas to receive this funding the investment will go towards the Kirkby Neighbourhood Plan The Kirkby Town Board agreed a draft plan for investment last summer following a period of engagement with the public and local businesses Submission of the plan was then put on hold while the government reviewed the funding programme Some of the criteria have been changed to widen the scope of activities that can be supported and the Board will be meeting to discuss how to review the plan and further engage with Kirkby residents the final plan will be submitted to the government during the submission window The Board will then be ready to start implementing projects from April 2026 onwards which can be used to support the development of the plan and projects “We are pleased that this much-needed funding for Kirkby has been re-confirmed “This funding was previously earmarked for projects we have been working on for well over a year now so to have confirmation that this funding is secure is good news for Ashfield “We will continue to work with the Kirkby Town Board to review our plan and get it ready for resubmission later in the year ready to start implementation as soon as the funding arrives from April 2026 onwards.” Ward Councillor for Greenwood & Summit at Ashfield District Council “To see this amount of funding re-confirmed for Kirkby is fantastic “I look forward to seeing Kirkby thrive even more thanks to this re-confirmed funding.” “The Kirkby Town Board has listened to its community and has a number of much-needed projects ready to go The re-confirmation of the funding from the government is welcome news.” •  40 years of franchising for KH Hair •  A1 – Eleven gaps in central reservation areas to be closed – with Nottinghamshire next •  Keyworth Leisure Centre refurbishment to start this spring Anyone keen to try driving a bus can have a go for free on a trentbarton bus in Kirkby in Ashfield on Sunday August 11 Buses will be manoeuvred around the car park at The Summit Centre so drivers can test their ability to start Drivers keen to have a go behind the wheel of a bus just need to bring their driving licence at any time between 10am and 4pm There will also be jacket potatoes and hot drinks all day and lots of information about buses and the role of a bus driver trentbarton’s operations managers will be on hand to show drivers the ropes and bus drivers will help visitors to get on the move said: “Driving a bus is an exciting thing to try Anyone who wonders if they might be good at it can come along and have a free go on one of our wonderful buses “One of our highly skilled driving team will be on hand to help them And if any drivers discover they enjoy the experience they can find out there and then about the job of a bus driver and the rewards on offer “Anyone who thinks it might be a career they’d like to explore and it’s a job which pays an average of more than £30,000 per year will be able to discuss the training and how to apply with one of our recruitment team.” More information about the day is at: trentbarton.co.uk/try-drive The trentbarton Try Drive event is on Sunday August 11 from 10am to 4pm at The Summit Centre Ashfield District Council’s Moor Market in Kirkby is now home to a new Banking Hub Kirkby in Ashfield is set to experience a significant boost to its banking services following the opening of the new Banking Hub bringing vital services to residents and businesses alike This comes as part of a national initiative that will see 66 new hubs established across the UK aimed at revitalising banking accessibility in communities Ashfield District Council is hosting the new Banking Hub located on the Lowmoor Road pedestrianised section of the High Street next to Moor Market Café Customers of multiple banks can now deposit and withdraw money and carry out regular banking transactions the hub features one private room for one-on-one discussions ensuring a personalised banking experience The move follows the closure of three bank branches in the town centre over the past few years culminating in the loss of Lloyds in February 2022 The Banking Hub is operated by Cash Access UK and represents a collaborative effort to restore essential banking services to communities like Kirkby By reducing the need to travel out of town for banking needs the hub will significantly enhance the convenience and financial wellbeing of the local population Executive Lead for Regeneration and Planning He said: “We know that so many residents and businesses have struggled with the lack of face-to-face banking in Kirkby since the banks closed and so we have been working hard to bring a banking hub here This will make a huge difference to people’s lives.” added: “We are over the moon to have secured this vital service and after months of incredibly hard work “This is a vital part of our plans to regenerate the town centre.” We offer an exciting opportunity in the East Midlands for companies to plan innovative advertising campaigns alongside consistently excellent reporting Our newsletters are sent directly chief executives managing directors and senior managers across the East Midlands with numerous companies from all sectors – from manufacturing to technology – benefiting from our mix of news and features Contact us: sales@blmgroup.co.uk By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information Accept The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close A police raid discovered the drugs being grown in the property Kirkby in Ashfield Beat Team executed a warrant under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act at a residential property in Nuncargate Two hundred cannabis plants were seized from the property ‘The intelligence was proven to be accurate as four rooms of the property had been adapted for cannabis production ‘A suspect was found within the property a 19-year-old male who was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis This male has now been charged and remanded into prison ‘Kirkby Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) as well as Nottinghamshire Police as a whole make these cannabis productions a priority ‘This is not only due to the Class B substances they produce but also due to the nature of how these grows are set up which could lead to the loss of an innocent bystander’s home or ‘If anyone has any information regarding drug-related incidents please call 101 or report it through the Nottinghamshire Police website.’ •  East Midlands Mayor brought into closure row over Radcliffe green walkway •  Broad Marsh: Council leader statement on proposed sale of the city centre site A Nottinghamshire secondary academy would be completely rebuilt under newly-submitted plans Outwood Academy Kirkby’s dated buildings would be replaced with a modern three-storey building as part of the government’s School Rebuilding programme If plans are approved, work would begin in March 2025, with students potentially moving into the new building by September 2027 The old school buildings would be demolished making room for sports pitches and outdoor games areas Planning documents say the rebuild would be a “catalyst for Kirkby-in-Ashfield regeneration” and meet the growing educational needs in the area The school would be open continuously throughout the project with a phased programme of temporary classrooms and work taking place in school holidays wherever possible The final demolition and construction of outdoor areas is expected to be completed by June 2028 Wilmot Dixon has been chosen by the Department of Education as the contractor to deliver the scheme Around 900 students between Years 7 and 13 attend the school on Tennyson Road which is part of the Outwood Grange Academy Trust Planning documents say: “The buildings which comprise the academy are of a range of ages but have all now reached the end of their expected life and the school has been identified for a comprehensive redevelopment as part of the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme “It proposes demolishing 8,400m² of existing buildings and consolidating the facilities into a main secondary school block and a sports hall “The reduced building footprint will create additional external space allowing for on-site external sports provisions and the new school project serves as a catalyst for its regeneration This important project aims to revitalise the town by addressing educational needs.” The plans have been submitted to Ashfield District Council which started under the previous government aims to rebuild or refurbish more than 500 schools across the country Nottinghamshire County Council recently asked for assurances that the Labour government would honour existing pledges to rebuild schools Nine other Nottinghamshire schools are in the waiting list •  Warning after Robin Hood Card scam circulating on social media •  Work on new SEND school in Nottinghamshire is underway Reform UK have gone into a formal coalition with the Conservatives in Lee Anderson MP’s constituency of Ashfield All Ashfield District Councillors have been formally notified of the decision today leading to criticism from the ruling Ashfield Independents This is the first formal coalition between Reform UK and the Conservative Party at any level of government in the United Kingdom a former Conservative councillor created headlines in November by joining Reform UK “The Conservatives are now all but extinct here in Ashfield and we will replicate this across the country in May 2025.” Councillor Justice has caused controversy by setting up a formal coalition with Ashfield’s remaining Conservative Councillor Philip Rostance – who will become Leader of the ‘opposition group’ Councillor Rostance will receive £5,825 a year for his new role as a result of the coalition Ashfield Independent Deputy Leader of Ashfield District Council said Councillor Dawn Justice left the Conservatives to join Reform UK with great fanfare just weeks later she has joined a coalition with the Tories – the first in the UK many failed Conservatives have joined Reform but this is the first coalition and begs the question is that a vote for Reform is a vote for the Conservatives – they are like 2 peas in a pod Residents aren’t stupid however and will see right through this baffling decision.” A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Reform claim to be offering something new to the public but this backroom deal in Lee Anderson’s Ashfield makes it clear – a vote for Reform is just another vote for the Tories “And no-one in this county needs reminding about the damage the Tories have done The culmination of 14 years of chaos and decline led by the Conservatives in Downing Street “At least both parties have shown their true colours ahead of the local elections on 1st May Voters now know the only way to vote for change is to back Labour to run Nottinghamshire County Council.” The make-up of Councillors at Ashfield District Council is now: Conservatives / Reform UK (The Opposition Group) 2 Education and schools Children and Families Staff and pupils at a Nottinghamshire primary school welcomed senior county councillors to showcase the work they do as part of the Together As One Collaboration met with children from Abbey Gates Primary School in Ravenshead Abbey Gates is one of five schools in the collaboration; the others are Morven Park Primary School and Orchard Primary School Newstead Primary School and Annesley Primary School All of the schools are rated at least Ofsted ‘good’ and work together to add value to each other’s settings Staff have opportunities for networking to engage in professional development for teaching and non-teaching staff The collaboration has three main focuses that they work to secure children who are confident and resilient learners who are prepared for the future staff who are valued and supported with opportunities for growth This reinforces the county council’s commitment to ensuring that every child and young person in Nottinghamshire can learn in an environment that enables them to succeed Collaboration is also a key focus of the small schools strategy launched in September this year celebrate and support the positive contributions of small schools whilst ensuring a robust and sustainable education system for all children and young people is maintained across the county students shared their experiences of being in the Pupil Parliament – which involves having a pupil-led body featuring a Prime Minister-style figurehead as voted for by fellow pupils As part of the Together As One Collaboration they will be visiting the Houses of Parliament with school council members from across the five schools Cllr Smith said: “I was absolutely delighted to visit Abbey Gates School in Ravenshead to hear all about their work with other schools as part of the collaboration to bring everybody together where children can work across all schools in competitions and enjoy all sorts of wonderful things to excel in “I am really grateful for the team’s invite and the conversations we’ve had on ways to improve what we’re doing across the department to make their life easier and improve the quality of education that children receive across Nottinghamshire.” said: “It has been wonderful to invite Councillor Smith here today The children have been able to talk about some of the things they’ve really benefitted from being part of our Together As One Collaboration “We work in partnership with five different schools to really make a difference for all of our children staff and the whole community within our local area.” Police found suspected Class A drugs and arrested four people after pulling over a car The vehicle caught the attention of officers on a nighttime patrol in Kingsway officers began a search which uncovered bags of suspected cocaine secreted in the underwear of one of the people inside They also seized multiple mobile phones and a large amount of cash found within the car were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug “Officers on patrol are always alert to suspicious vehicles and this car came to our attention in the early hours of the morning “Carrying out meticulous searches is also an important part of our officers’ training “People often think they can conceal drugs within their clothing but we quickly found suspected cocaine had been hidden away in one suspect’s underwear “Car stops like this help to prevent drugs being transported around our communities and disrupt this criminality.” •  Rushcliffe men convicted of hare coursing offences HAF Investing in Nottinghamshire Tourism adventure Mill adventure base notts outdoors More than a hundred families from across Notts enjoyed a day at the county’s newest tourist attraction, Adventures, as part of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Healthy Activities and Food (HAF) programme. HAF supports the wellbeing of children between five and 16 years by providing a variety of activities and food during school holidays. The programme is for families who receive benefits-related free school meals. Eligible families, who attended the free HAF activity day over the recent bank holiday, had the opportunity to try a range of exciting activities, which are suitable for all ages. These included: · The exhilarating High Trek course, where visitors are able to navigate suspended obstacles10 metres above the ground. · The Net Park, which is a sprawling network of interconnected nets for adventurous visitors to explore. · A 100-metre zip wire, which is perfect to soar through the air at high speeds. · The Drop, for daredevils aged 16+ prepared to leap from a nine-metre platform onto an inflatable airbag. Councillor Tracey Taylor, the county council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: “Activity days like this is what our HAF programme is all about, providing children and young people the opportunity to go outdoors and try something new over the school holidays. “It’s great that so many families have been able to visit this new attraction. Our investment in Adventures forms part of the council’s commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of our local communities, especially young people.” Feedback from the families who attended included the Verhees family from Mansfield. Local mum Lindsay Verhees commented, “It's been a lovely day out and all the staff are really nice.” Meanwhile her sons Harlan, 8 and Grayson, 5 (see photo) were particularly impressed with the frisbee golf and bouncy nets. Lee Brook of Kirkby in Ashfield, who attended with Isla, 12, said, “Adventures has absolutely amazing facilities with fabulous, friendly staff.” Isla added, “I loved the frisbee golf. I felt safe on the high ropes as the staff were very encouraging.” Kelly Ann Pickering from Brinsley attended with her daughters. She said, 'My girls had the best time! The staff were helpful, friendly and there every step of the way if my girls were ever unsure. Such a lovely place and we will definitely return.” The Hopkinson family from Worksop praised the site as being ‘amazing.’ Kaylen Hopkinson even commented, “‘it was one of my best experiences.” Another Worksop family, The Hartleys, particularly loved the zip wire with Tom, 11 and Harry, 8 describing it as ‘fun’. Nyree Hall of Kinoulton said they had a lot of laughs, and that the activities pushed her resilience. She was with Kyra, 15, a self-confessed thrill seeker who recommended the attraction, “More people should come here” she said. The Talbot family travelled all the way from Edwalton to attend. Alexia Talbot, 11 said “We had a day of fun, and the rain didn't stop us.” James Clarke, a senior instructor at Adventures added, “There was a real buzz on site. We had young people of all ages, along with accompanying adults, taking part in the activity day. It’s been fantastic for us to host this HAF event and see lots of young people outside, connecting with nature, and having fun with their families and peers. We hope everyone who came along had an unforgettable day.” Adventures is the latest addition to the popular Mill Waters site, which is nestled on the picturesque shore of King’s Mill Reservoir at Sutton-in-Ashfield. The centre is operated and managed by Nottinghamshire County Council’s outdoor environmental education service, Notts Outdoors. Adventures is open daily with activity sessions starting from £12. For more information visit adventures.nottinghamshire.gov.uk Photo L-R Mansfield's Harlan Verhees, 8 and Grayson Verhees, 5, An amber warning for snow and ice is in force until 12:00 GMT The snow has closed a number of main roads across Derbyshire The Met Office says the overnight snow will turn to rain as milder air spreads north across all parts on Sunday Homes in South Normanton in Derbyshire have been left without electricity following a power cut The Met Office says a yellow weather warning will be in place for parts of the East Midlands from midnight to midday on Monday You can follow the UK weather situation here Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingYellow weather warning for Mondaypublished at 12:31 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January12:31 GMT 5 JanuaryImage source Met OfficeThe Met Office says a yellow weather warning will be in place for parts of the East Midlands from midnight to midday on Monday with further snow in places Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingIn pictures: How the snow has been settlingpublished at 11:49 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January11:49 GMT 5 JanuaryDan MartinBBC News More of our BBC Weather Watchers have been braving the cold to capture the snowy scenes The beginning of a thaw as snow falls off a car windscreen Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPower cut in South Normantonpublished at 11:28 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January11:28 GMT 5 JanuaryDan MartinBBC News Homes in South Normanton in Derbyshire have been left without electricity following a power cut National Grid says 177 properties in the area around Glebe Junior School have lost their supply The outage was reported at 10:24 GMT on Sunday Engineers have been sent to try to fix the fault and National Grid said it hoped to resolve the issue by 13:30 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTwo recycling centres closed in Derbyshirepublished at 10:49 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January10:49 GMT 5 JanuaryDan MartinBBC News Derbyshire County Council says it has closed two of its tips today because of the weather has been shut for the day as has the Northwood site in Darley Dale The council also says access to the household waste recycling centre in Chesterfield is difficult at the moment and gritting teams are checking the route The authority has apologised for the inconvenience Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWhat does the forecast for the East Midlands say?published at 10:22 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January10:22 GMT 5 JanuaryDan MartinBBC News The amber weather warning is due to remain in place until midday on Sunday The Met Office says that means there is a good chance of power cuts and travel disruption with some rural communities at risk of being cut off Further sleet and snow is likely on Sunday morning followed by a spell of freezing rain in some places The Met Office says 3cm to 7cm of snow is likely for much of the region It says the overnight snow will turn to rain as milder air spreads north across all parts on Sunday Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPower restored to homes in Derbypublished at 09:52 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January09:52 GMT 5 JanuaryDan MartinBBC News National Grid said 105 homes in Derby were without electricity this morning The outage was reported at 07:54 GMT and affected properties in the Alvaston area National Grid engineers later restored the supply to all homes and businesses Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWhat's happening on the roads?published at 09:37 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January09:37 GMT 5 JanuaryDan MartinBBC News Gritting lorries have been out overnight to try to keep major routes open but some roads are still closed this morning Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSnowy scenes across parts of Derbyshirepublished at 09:27 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January09:27 GMT 5 JanuaryBBC Weather Watchers The BBC Weather Watchers have been wrapping up warm before venturing out into the cold across Derbyshire Janice Dyson could not fail to find this furry adventurer in a fetching orange outfit in Wingerworth while Big Al Bluesman has been surveying the snowy scene out in Buxton Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingIn pictures: Snow falls across the East Midlandspublished at 09:25 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January09:25 GMT 5 JanuaryDan MartinBBC News Snow has settled overnight over most of the region Here are some pictures from our BBC Weather Watchers A chilly start for a certain bear in Clipstone in Nottinghamshire Thanks to Weather Watcher Bidy for sending this scene from Pinxton in Derbyshire Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingChesterfield's match with Gillingham postponedpublished at 09:16 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January09:16 GMT 5 JanuaryBBC Sport Chesterfield's home match with Gillingham has been called off The League Two fixture was due to kick off at 15:00 GMT but the club said the match had been postponed following a pitch inspection A new date for the match will be confirmed "in due course" Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingMorning welcome to our live updatespublished at 08:56 Greenwich Mean Time 5 January08:56 GMT 5 JanuarySnow has swept across parts of the East Midlands overnight The amber warning for snow was issued on Saturday night by the Met Office for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire We'll be keeping you up to date with the latest information and updates Plans to construct a £30m manufacturing training centre in a Nottinghamshire town have been given the green light The new Automated Distribution and Manufacturing Centre (ADMC) will be located on Lowmoor Road in Kirkby in Ashfield Ashfield District Council has called the ADMC the “flagship project” of its £62.6m Towns Deal While the council approved the application on July 31 the start date for construction has yet to be determined The seven-acre site is designed to collaborate with businesses helping them explore how technology can improve their operations and train staff in using and maintaining automated systems the council plans to plant native trees and hedging to create a “new high-quality habitat” and serve as a buffer for a nearby residential area a new species-rich meadow and wet grassland meadow will be established New household waste and recycling centres will be built to replace those in West Bridgford, Mansfield and Kirkby-in-Ashfield. Nottinghamshire County Council is looking at how to consolidate its tips into a network of larger ‘supersites’ after many were found to be unfit for purpose The West Bridgford site – considered one of the worst in the county in terms of space and waiting times – would be closed and replaced with one close to the border with Gamston under current council plans Mansfield and Kirkby’s sites would both shut and be replaced with a single bigger site for the area There has been fierce debate about the proposal for supersites, with petitions against potential closures gathering thousands of signatures Council Leader Ben Bradley (Con) said no firm sites or budgets had been agreed but he hoped to end speculation over which recycling centres would close He referred to the list of 12 current sites at a full council meeting on Thursday (September 26) confirming where there are likely to be changes “Kirkby and Mansfield’s sites are two miles apart and neither are brilliant They don’t have the range of services or accessibility Our intention is to build a new one in the immediate vicinity,” he said “If it’s two minutes further away but saves 15 minutes of queueing we intend to invest in a new site a couple of miles away “There have been rumours around the Worksop and Retford sites but there are absolutely no plans to change there “The working group recommended we also close Bilsthorpe providing residents with at least the same or better.” He finished with a plea to councillors: “Please stop saying the centres are shutting when they’re not.” More detailed proposals will be brought to Cabinet at a later date The cross-party review began in 2022 after concerns some of the centres weren’t “fit for purpose” It’s claimed that 97 per cent of residents would still be within a 20-minute drive and the changes could save up to £1.7m per year Councillor Jason Zadrozny (Ind) told the meeting: “The council’s lofty ambitions don’t take into account geography” and said large areas of Ashfield still wouldn’t be properly covered Councillor John Wilmott (Ind) warned: “Any reduction in sites would be a serious mistake” saying consolidating sites would make recycling more difficult for people who rely on public transport Newark’s recycling centre is being held up as an example of what other ‘supersites’ could be with a layout designed to minimise queuing or congestion on the main road •  New improved Household Recycling Centre announced for West Bridgford By NOTICEBOARD · 29 July 2024 GOODBYE: Nichola Johnson (centre) says goodbye to children at Kirkby’s Greenwood Primary & Nursery School (Image: Greenwood Primary & Nursery School) a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) is bidding farewell to children and staff at Greenwood Primary & Nursery School after working at the Kirkby in Ashfield school for 22 years who taught over 1000 nursery children during her time at Greenwood Sarah said: “I have had the honour of working with Nic for ten years and in that time she has worked so hard to support each and every Greenwood star in her care She has a heart of gold and makes each child know how special they are to us I will miss hearing her songs each day and her sunny personality we wish her all the best in her new adventures.” Nichola is now moving on to work at another school and said families and staff have been wonderful over the years I’ve enjoyed being the start of each child’s journey setting the foundations for their learning." Nichola has seen generations of children growing up and said “I have actually even worked alongside another teaching assistant who was a former pupil I am now moving to join another school where I actually trained at many years ago but my heart is at Greenwood and I can’t thank everyone enough for all the happy memories.” Location: Kirkby-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}}