Newark and Sherwood | |
|---|---|
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 Shown withinNottinghamshire | |
| 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 (2024) | |
• Total | 127,886 |
| • Rank | Ranked 191st |
| • Density | 509/sq mi (196/km2) |
| Ethnicity(2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion(2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| 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 alocal government district inNottinghamshire, England. It is the largest district by area in the county. The council is based inNewark-on-Trent, the area's largest town. The district also includes the towns ofSouthwell andOllerton along with a large rural area containing many villages. Much of the district lies within the ancientSherwood Forest and there are also extensiveforestry plantations in the area.
The neighbouring districts areRushcliffe,Gedling,Ashfield,Mansfield,Bassetlaw,West Lindsey,North Kesteven,South Kesteven andMelton. In 2021 it had a population of 123,383.
The district was created on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972, covering three former districts which were all abolished at the same time:[3]
The new district was initially namedNewark, after its largest town.[4] The name was changed to Newark and Sherwood in 1985.[5]
Newark and Sherwood District Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
John Robinson since 23 July 2018[7] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 39 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| 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 and Sherwood District Council providesdistrict-level services.County-level services are provided byNottinghamshire County Council. The whole district is also covered bycivil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[8]
The council has been underno overall control since the2023 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 | |
Theleaders 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 | ||
Following the2023 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]
Since the last full review of boundaries in 2015 the council has comprised 39councillors representing 21wards, 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 byRobert Jenrick, aConservative, since 2014;[21] and has been held by theConservative Party since 2001;[22] andSherwood Forest, created in 1983, represented byMichelle Welsh, aLabour MP, elected in 2024.
The council is based at Castle House, on Great North Road in Newark, adjacent toNewark Castle Railway station. The building was purpose-built for the council and opened in 2017.[23]
The council was previously based atKelham Hall in the village ofKelham, which had been purchased early in 1974 as part of preparations for the local government reorganisation later that year.[24][25][26]
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The whole district is divided intocivil 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 withBalderton, forms the largest urban area in the district. Newark-on-Trent has many important historic features includingNewark Castle,St Mary's Magdalene Church,Georgian architecture and a defensiveearthwork from theBritish Civil Wars. Other important towns in the district includeOllerton andSouthwell which is home toSouthwell Minster andSouthwell Racecourse. Other settlements in the district include:
The area is served byBBC East Midlands andITV Central with television signals are received from theWaltham TV transmitter,[28]BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire andITV Yorkshire can also be received from theBelmont TV transmitter.[29]
Radio stations that broadcast to the area are:.[30]
