Newark and Sherwood

Newark and Sherwood
Non-metropolitan district
From left to right: Top: Sherwood Forest Middle 1st: Ollerton parish church and Rufford Abbey Middle 2nd: RAF Syerston at Syerston and Newark on Trent market place with the parish church and spire Lower: Southwell Minster
Shown within Nottinghamshire
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East Midlands
Administrative county	Nottinghamshire
Admin. HQ	Newark-on-Trent [1]
Government
• Type	Newark and Sherwood District Council
•  MPs:	Robert Jenrick, Michelle Welsh
Area
• Total	251 sq mi (651 km2)
• Rank	52nd
Population  (2022)
• Total	125,089
• Rank	Ranked 192nd
• Density	500/sq mi (190/km2)
Ethnicity (2021) [2]
•  Ethnic groups	List 96.3% White 1.1% Asian 1.5% Mixed 0.7% Black 0.5% other
Religion (2021) [2]
•  Religion	List 54.5% Christianity 43.7% no religion 1.2% other 0.6% Islam
Time zone	UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code	37UG (ONS) E07000175 (GSS)
Ethnicity	98.5% White

Newark and Sherwood is a local government district in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest district by area in the county. The council is based in Newark-on-Trent, the area's largest town. The district also includes the towns of Southwell and Ollerton along with a large rural area containing many villages. Much of the district lies within the ancient Sherwood Forest and there are also extensive forestry plantations in the area.

The neighbouring districts are Rushcliffe, Gedling, Ashfield, Mansfield, Bassetlaw, West Lindsey, North Kesteven, South Kesteven and Melton. In 2021 it had a population of 123,383.

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering three former districts which were all abolished at the same time: ^[3]

• Newark Municipal Borough
• Newark Rural District
• Southwell Rural District

The new district was initially named Newark, after its largest town. ^[4] The name was changed to Newark and Sherwood in 1985. ^[5]

Governance

Newark and Sherwood District Council
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan district
Leadership
Chair	Linda Tift, Labour since 20 May 2025 [6]
Leader	Paul Peacock, Labour since 23 May 2023
Chief Executive	John Robinson since 23 July 2018 [7]
Structure
Seats	39 councillors
Political groups	Administration (19)   Labour (10)   Liberal Democrat (3)  Independent (6) Other parties (20)   Conservative (12)   Green (2)   Independent (6)
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
Last election	4 May 2023
Next election	6 May 2027
Meeting place
Castle House, Great North Road, Newark, NG24 1BY
Website
www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk

Map of Newark and Sherwood district.

Newark and Sherwood District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Nottinghamshire County Council. The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government. ^[8]

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election, being run by a partnership of Labour, the "Independents for Newark and District" group of independent councillors, and the Liberal Democrats. ^[9]

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows: ^{[10] [11]}

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1974–1976
	Conservative	1976–1979
	No overall control	1979–1991
	Labour	1991–1999
	No overall control	1999–2007
	Conservative	2007–2023
	No overall control	2023–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2003 have been:

Councillor	Party		From	To
Tony Roberts [12]		Conservative	2003	15 May 2012
Roger Blaney [12] [13]		Conservative	15 May 2012	May 2018
David Lloyd [14] [15]		Conservative	May 2018	May 2023
Paul Peacock [16]		Labour	23 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election, ^[17] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:

Party		Councillors
	Conservative	14
	Labour	10
	Independent	10
	Liberal Democrats	3
	Green	2
Total		39

Of the ten independent councillors, six sit together as the "Independents for Newark and District" group, which forms part of the council's administration with Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Another two independents form the "Newark and Sherwood District Independents" group, and the other two do not belong to any group. ^[18] The next election is due in 2027. ^[19]

Elections

See also: Newark and Sherwood District Council elections

Since the last full review of boundaries in 2015 the council has comprised 39 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. ^[20]

The district is covered by two parliamentary constituencies: Newark, created in 1885, which has been represented by Robert Jenrick, a Conservative, since 2014; ^[21] and has been held by the Conservative Party since 2001; ^[22] and Sherwood Forest, created in 1983, represented by Michelle Welsh, a Labour MP, elected in 2024.

Premises

The council is based at Castle House, on Great North Road in Newark, adjacent to Newark Castle Railway station. The building was purpose-built for the council and opened in 2017. ^[23]

Kelham Hall: Council's headquarters 1974–2017

The council was previously based at Kelham Hall in the village of Kelham, which had been purchased early in 1974 as part of preparations for the local government reorganisation later that year. ^{[24] [25] [26]}

Settlements

Ollerton, the second largest settlement in Newark and Sherwood

Southwell, home of Southwell Minster and the third-largest settlement in the district

Edwinstowe, a village which legends link with Robin Hood

The whole district is divided into civil parishes. The parish councils for the three parishes of Newark, Ollerton and Boughton, and Southwell have declared^{[ when? ]} their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". ^[27]

Newark-on-Trent, together with Balderton, forms the largest urban area in the district. Newark-on-Trent has many important historic features including Newark Castle, St Mary's Magdalene Church, Georgian architecture and a defensive earthwork from the British Civil Wars. Other important towns in the district include Ollerton and Southwell which is home to Southwell Minster and Southwell Racecourse. Other settlements in the district include:

Averham

Balderton, Bathley, Beacon, Bilsthorpe, Blidworth, Boughton, Bridge, Brough

Carlton-on-Trent, Castle, Caunton, Clipstone, Collingham, Cromwell

Devon

Eakring, Edingley, Edwinstowe, Egmanton

Farndon, Farnsfield, Fernwood, Fiskerton

Gunthorpe

Halam, Halloughton, Hawton, Hockerton

Kelham, Kirklington, Kirton, Kneesall

Laxton, Little Carlton, Lowdham

Magnus, Maplebeck, Morton

North Muskham, Norwell

Ossington, Oxton

Perlethorpe

Rainworth, Rolleston

Sleaford, South Muskham, Sutton-on-Trent

Thurgarton

Upton

Walesby, Wellow, Weston, Winkburn

Media

Television

The area is served by BBC East Midlands and ITV Central with television signals are received from the Waltham TV transmitter, ^[28] BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and ITV Yorkshire can also be received from the Belmont TV transmitter. ^[29]

Radio

Radio stations that broadcast to the area are:. ^[30]

BBC Local Radio

• BBC Radio Nottingham

Independent Radio

• Capital East Midlands
• Smooth East Midlands
• Greatest Hits Radio Midlands
• Lincs FM (covering Newark)

Community Radio

• Radio Newark (serving Newark) ^[31]
• Bowe Radio (for Ollerton and Edwinstowe) ^[32]

References

1. "Castle House". newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk. Newark and Sherwood District Council. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
2. UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Newark and Sherwood see Local Authority (E07000175)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
3. "The English Non-metropolitan District (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 17 November 2023
4. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
5. "Historical information on changes to electoral arrangements of Local authorities, Parliamentary areas and European Parliamentary boundaries". Boundary-Line Downloads. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 25 August 2025. (See downloadable boundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls spreadsheet.)
6. Armitage, Rachel (22 May 2025). "Linda Tift, of the Rainworth North and Rufford ward, voted new chairman of Newark and Sherwood District Council, with Dover Beck ward member Roger Jackson as vice chairman". Newark Advertiser. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
7. Churcher, Dan (6 April 2018). "New chief executive for district council". Newark Advertiser. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
8. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
9. Gilmore, Eloise (24 May 2023). "Labour's Paul Peacock appointed as executive leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council after shock election saw Conservatives lose majority". Newark Advertiser. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
10. "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Newark & Sherwood" in search box to see specific results.)
11. "Newark & Sherwood". BBC News Online . Retrieved 25 September 2009.
12. Buckland, Laurey (18 April 2012). "Leader takes a back seat". Newark Advertiser. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
13. "Roger Blaney". Newark Conservatives. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
14. "Use the three Ls for priorities". Newark Advertiser. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
15. Gilmore, Eloise (24 May 2023). "Labour's Paul Peacock appointed as executive leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council after shock election saw Conservatives lose majority". Newark Advertiser. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
16. "Council minutes, 23 May 2023". Newark and Sherwood District Council. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
17. "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
18. "Your Councillors by Party". Newark and Sherwood District Council. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
19. "Newark and Sherwood". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
20. "The Newark and Sherwood (Electoral Changes) Order 2014", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2014/1907, retrieved 25 December 2023
21. "Newark by-election candidate names confirmed". BBC News. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
22. "Electdata 2001". 15 October 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
23. "New Council Offices to open 25th September". Radio Newark. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
24. "Kelham Hall bid accepted". Nottingham Evening Post. 14 January 1974. Retrieved 25 December 2023– via findmypast.co.uk.(subscription required)
25. "Grade I-listed Kelham Hall conversion 'will create 80 jobs'". BBC News. 27 November 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
26. "Kelham Hall sale confirmed by Newark council". BBC News. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
27. "Parish and Town Councils". Newark and Sherwood District Council. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
28. "Full Freeview on the Waltham (Leicestershire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
29. "Belmont (Lincolnshire, England) Full Freeview transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
30. "Local news and radio". Nottinghamshire County Council. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
31. "Radio Newark" . Retrieved 28 May 2024.
32. "Bowe Radio" . Retrieved 28 May 2024.

53°06′N0°57′W / 53.10°N 0.95°W / 53.10; -0.95