Your council

Newark and Sherwood: what’s happening where you live

What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.

Read on 25 September 2026. Councils publish at different rates and in different places, so “nothing found” means nothing found, not nothing happening.

Newark and Sherwood District Council: Non-metropolitan district (lower tier), England, East Midlands; within the county of NTT. GOV.UK lists it as a district council, within Nottinghamshire County Council. ONS code E07000175.

Council plan · Budget · Meeting papers · Councillors · Register of interests · Consultations

Do it online

The council’s own service pages as listed by GOV.UK’s Local Links Manager (Open Government Licence), refreshed weekly; the same list of everyday services, in the same order, for every council, in GOV.UK’s wording.

Housing

Newark and Sherwood's Amended Core Strategy plans for at least 9,080 homes over the 2013-2033 plan period.

“In seeking to meet the District’s Objectively Assessed Housing Need (OAN), the District Council must plan for a minimum of 9,080 dwellings over the Plan period.”

Newark and Sherwood District Council, undated. Read 25 September 2026. Para 4.17. The same document states 'the plan period is now from 2013 to 2033'. The council page says 'It was adopted in March 2019.' A new Local Plan is in preparation (https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/planning-building-control/planning/planning-policy-guidance/new-local-plan).

Local plans on the national planning register Updated automatically

Newark & Sherwood Plan Review - Amended Core Strategy — adopted, plan period 2013–2033, housing requirement 9,080 homes (entry updated 30 March 2026)
Emerging new local plan (entry updated 30 March 2026)

MHCLG planning data platform (planning.data.gov.uk), as supplied by the council; Open Government Licence. Stages are as recorded there, and some entries are old: each shows when the council last updated it.

Transport

A Nottinghamshire County Council-led feasibility study has started on ways to stop drivers illegally using Cartergate in Newark town centre as a shortcut.

“Newark and Sherwood District Council has welcomed the launch of a feasibility study to explore ways of stopping drivers from illegally using Cartergate as a shortcut through Newark town centre.”

Newark and Sherwood District Council, 14 September 2026. Read 25 September 2026. Same article: 'The feasibility study, led by Nottinghamshire County Council, will assess several options, including changing the direction of traffic flow and installing different bollards to help prevent unauthorised vehicle access.' The council's consultations page showed 'There are no open consultations at the moment.' on 2026-09-25.

Council tax

Band D set by Newark and Sherwood for 2026–27: £198.60 of a £2,682.10 total bill in the area. MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (Open Government Licence).

Newark and Sherwood District Council froze its share of council tax for 2026-27 (Band D £198.60).

“At Newark and Sherwood District Council we have frozen our charges”

Newark and Sherwood District Council, undated. Read 25 September 2026. Page refers to the 2026/27 financial year. Budget Book 2026-27 (https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-05/05.03.26%20-%20Budget%20Book%202026-27.pdf), Cabinet report of 24 Feb 2026, para 3.23: 'The proposal within this paper is a Council Tax freeze for the 2026/27 financial year. This would therefore mean a charge of £198.60 for a Band D property.' The Full Council minutes could not be accessed (democracy site unreachable from this environment).

Environment

Newark and Sherwood District Council has a target of becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2035.

“Newark and Sherwood District Council has set a target of becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2035.”

Newark and Sherwood District Council, undated. Read 25 September 2026. Climate Emergency Strategy 2020. A council news item of 16 Sep 2026 (https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/news/2026/another-major-milestone-road-net-zero-2035) refers to the council's target 'of becoming Net Zero by 2035' and reports a 12% fall in corporate emissions in 2025/26.

Education

Not applicable: district councils do not run schools; schools here are the responsibility of the county council. (Nottinghamshire County Council).

Changes to schools in this area recorded by the Department for Education Updated automatically

No school here is currently recorded as proposed to open or close.

In the last twelve months: 3 opened (3 academy converter), 3 closed (3 academy converter)

Kneesall CofE Primary School (primary) — closed; reason recorded: academy converter, 31 December 2025
Newark Orchard School — closed; reason recorded: academy converter, 31 January 2026
Norwell CofE Primary School (primary) — closed; reason recorded: academy converter, 31 December 2025
Kneesall CofE Primary Academy (primary) — open; reason recorded: academy converter, 1 January 2026
Newark Orchard School — open; reason recorded: academy converter, 1 February 2026
Norwell CofE Primary School (primary) — open; reason recorded: academy converter, 1 January 2026

Get Information about Schools, DfE’s register of every school in England, refreshed daily (Open Government Licence). The register’s own reason is shown: most closures and openings are a school becoming an academy, which changes who runs it, not whether it is there.

What the council plans to spend, 2026–27

The budget for each service, as Newark and Sherwood reported it to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The same headings, in the same order, for every council in England.

Newark and Sherwood: budget by service, 2026 to 2027
Service	Budget
Education services	none budgeted
Highways and transport services	−£483,000
Children's social care	none budgeted
Adult social care	none budgeted
Public health	none budgeted
Housing services (general fund only)	£2.2 million
Cultural and related services	£3.3 million
Environmental and regulatory services	£6.7 million
Planning and development services	£4.6 million
Police services	none budgeted
Fire and rescue services	none budgeted
Central services	£4.3 million
Other services	£1.2 million
Total service expenditure	£21.7 million

Net current expenditure: net of sales, fees and charges; spending funded by the NHS, such as through the Better Care Fund, is excluded.A minus figure means the service’s income is budgeted to be more than its spending. “None budgeted” usually means another body runs that service here. Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Revenue Account Budget 2026 to 2027, individual local authority data (part 1), updated 11 June 2026 (Open Government Licence).

Life in Newark and Sherwood: the official facts

Facts about the people who live here: their pay, homes, health and more, from official statistics. They describe the place, not you, and every council gets the same list. Each shows when it was measured.

Show the figures for:

Showing: Newark and Sherwood.

People living here: 128,684 people 30 June 2025 · Office for National StatisticsAn official estimate of everyone who lives in the area, in the middle of the year.
Typical age: 45 years 30 June 2025 · Office for National StatisticsHalf the people who live here are younger than this and half are older.
Money to live on, per person, per year: £25,093 2024 · Office for National StatisticsAverage household income per person after taxes, with benefits added: what people have to spend or save.
Typical weekly pay, before tax: £577 30 April 2025 · Office for National StatisticsFor employees who live here: half earn more than this each week, half earn less.
Children growing up in poverty: 24.9% April 2024 to March 2025 · Department for Work and PensionsThe share of children under 16 in families on low incomes once housing costs are paid.
People claiming unemployment-related benefits: 2.7% 2025 · Office for National StatisticsThe share of people aged 16 to 64 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit while looking for work.
Average price of a home: £236,524 August 2026 · HM Land RegistryThe average price of a home here in the month shown.
How many years of pay a home costs: 6.4 times yearly pay 1 April 2025 · Office for National StatisticsA typical home's price divided by the typical yearly pay of people who live here.
Greenhouse gases, per person: 7.2 tonnes per person 2024 · Department for Energy Security and Net ZeroEmissions from the area in a year, shared out per resident, in tonnes of carbon dioxide or its equivalent.
Homes and businesses that can get the fastest broadband: 84.1% 1 January 2026 · OfcomThe share of addresses that can get gigabit broadband (1,000 Mbps).
Public chargers for electric cars: 119.6 per 100,000 people 1 July 2026 · Department for Transport, sourced from ZapmapPublic charging points at all speeds, for every 100,000 people.
Businesses trading here: 4,840 businesses 2024 · Office for National StatisticsBusinesses with sales or staff in the year.

More figures for Newark and Sherwood from the ONS

Gathered by the Office for National Statistics in Explore Local Statistics (Open Government Licence), refreshed daily. Some figures aren’t published for every nation, so the list can be shorter outside England.

Who runs the council

This council’s area is covered by East Midlands combined authority, with its elected mayor.

39 seats in 2026. Run by: Labour, as a minority administration. Open Council Data (public domain).

Councillors by party: Conservative and Unionist 12, Labour Party 11, Independent / Other 10, Liberal Democrats 3, Reform UK 2, Green Party (E&W) 1.

Next scheduled council election: 6 May 2027.

All 39 councillors, by ward

Johno Lee (Independent / Other) — Balderton North & Coddington
Kay Smith (Reform UK) — Balderton North & Coddington
Jean Hall (Independent / Other) — Balderton South
Simon Forde (Independent / Other) — Balderton South
David Moore (Independent / Other) — Beacon
Rowan Cozens (Labour Party) — Beacon
Susan Crosby (Independent / Other) — Beacon
Rhona Holloway (Independent / Other) — Bilsthorpe
Tim Wildgust (Conservative and Unionist) — Boughton
Debbie Darby (Independent / Other) — Bridge
Irene Brown (Independent / Other) — Bridge
Michelle Home (Reform UK) — Castle
Linda Dales (Conservative and Unionist) — Collingham
Phil Farmer (Conservative and Unionist) — Collingham
Matthew Spoors (Green Party (E&W)) — Devon
Neil Ross (Independent / Other) — Devon
Paul Taylor (Labour Party) — Devon
Roger Jackson (Conservative and Unionist) — Dover Beck
Andy Freeman (Labour Party) — Edwinstowe & Clipstone
Celia Brooks (Labour Party) — Edwinstowe & Clipstone
Paul Peacock (Labour Party) — Edwinstowe & Clipstone
Jack Kellas (Conservative and Unionist) — Farndon & Fernwood
Neil Allen (Conservative and Unionist) — Farndon & Fernwood
Simon Haynes (Conservative and Unionist) — Farndon & Fernwood
Maurice Shakeshaft (Labour Party) — Farnsfield
Tim Wendels (Conservative and Unionist) — Lowdham
Sue Saddington (Conservative and Unionist) — Muskham
Alice Brazier (Labour Party) — Ollerton
Lee Brazier (Labour Party) — Ollerton
Mike Pringle (Labour Party) — Ollerton
Claire Penny (Labour Party) — Rainworth North & Rufford
Linda Tift (Labour Party) — Rainworth North & Rufford
Tina Thompson (Independent / Other) — Rainworth South & Blidworth
Tom Smith (Conservative and Unionist) — Rainworth South & Blidworth
Karen Roberts (Liberal Democrats) — Southwell
Penny Rainbow (Conservative and Unionist) — Southwell
Peter Harris (Liberal Democrats) — Southwell
Sylvia Michael (Conservative and Unionist) — Sutton-on-Trent
Keith Melton (Liberal Democrats) — Trent

Each councillor’s register of interests is on the council’s own site, linked rather than summarised, because summarising means choosing. Councillors from Open Council Data as recorded after the May 2026 elections; a by-election since then may have changed one seat. Attendance and allowances are not shown.

This council’s meeting papers could not be read automatically (the site blocks or did not answer), so decisions and motions are not listed here; the meeting papers hold them.

Write to your councillors → WriteToThem (mySociety) finds them from your postcode; nothing is sent through this site.

Cite this page

Harvard style. Every figure on the page also names its original source, which is usually the better thing to cite.

Every council page has the same five headings in the same order. Sources are the council’s own publications and official statistics. Council list: mySociety, UK Local Authorities (CC BY 4.0) and WhatDoTheyKnow authorities (CC BY-SA 4.0); council websites, tiers and service links: GOV.UK (Open Government Licence); codes: ONS Code History Database (Open Government Licence). Corrections: hello@whatsittome.org.