Ashfield (/ˈæʃˌfld/) is a local government district in Nottinghamshire, England. The council is based in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, but the largest town is neighbouring Sutton-in-Ashfield. The district also contains the town of Hucknall and a few villages. The district is mostly urban, with some of its settlements forming parts of both the Nottingham and Mansfield Urban Areas.

Ashfield District
Sutton-in-Ashfield, the largest settlement in the district
Sutton-in-Ashfield, the largest settlement in the district
Shown within Nottinghamshire
Shown within Nottinghamshire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast Midlands
Administrative countyNottinghamshire
Admin. HQKirkby-in-Ashfield
Government
 • TypeAshfield District Council
 • MPs:Lee Anderson (Reform UK)
Michelle Welsh (Labour)
Area
 • Total40 sq mi (110 km2)
 • Rank190th
Population
 (2022)
 • Total127,179
 • RankRanked 186th
 • Density3,000/sq mi (1,200/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code37UB (ONS)
E07000170 (GSS)
Map

The neighbouring districts are Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, Gedling, Nottingham, Broxtowe, Amber Valley and Bolsover.

History

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The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole of three former districts and of part of a fourth, which were all abolished at the same time:[2]

The new district was named Ashfield, being the shared suffix of two of the towns' names.[3]

Governance

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Ashfield District Council
 
Type
Type
Leadership
Arnie Hankin,
Ashfield Independents
since 30 May 2024[4][5]
Theresa Hodgkinson
since 2021[6]
Structure
Seats35 councillors
 
Political groups
Administration (32)
  Ashfield Ind. (32)
Other parties (3)
  Conservative (2)
  Labour (1)
Elections
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Council Offices, Urban Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottingham, NG17 8DA
Website
www.ashfield.gov.uk

Ashfield District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Nottinghamshire County Council. Parts of the district are also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[7][8]

Political control

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Local party the Ashfield Independents has held a majority of the seats on the council since 2019.

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. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[9][10]

Party in control Years
Labour 1974–2003
No overall control 2003–2011
Labour 2011–2018
No overall control 2018–2019
Ashfield Ind. 2019–present

Leadership

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The leaders of the council since 2007 have been:[11]

Councillor Party From To
Jason Zadrozny Liberal Democrats May 2007 May 2009
John Knight Labour May 2009 23 May 2013
Chris Baron[12] Labour 23 May 2013 May 2015
Cheryl Butler[13] Labour May 2015 26 Apr 2018
Jason Zadrozny Ashfield Ind. 26 Apr 2018

Composition

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Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was:[14]

Party Councillors
Ashfield Ind. 32
Conservative 2
Labour 1
Total 35

The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

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Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 35 councillors representing 23 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[15]

Premises

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Ada Lovelace House, built 1933 as offices of Kirkby-in-Ashfield Urban District Council and used as one of Ashfield's offices until new offices were built immediately behind it in 1986.

The council is based at the Council Offices on Urban Road in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, completed in 1986 on a site behind the old headquarters (built 1933) of one of the council's predecessors, the Kirkby-in-Ashfield Urban District Council, with the old building now being known as Ada Lovelace House.[16][17] The new building was officially opened in October 1986 by Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester.[18]

Settlements and parishes

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Hucknall, the second-largest settlement in the district and contiguous with nearby Nottingham
 
Kirkby-in-Ashfield, the third-largest settlement in the district and its administrative headquarters

There are just three civil parishes in the district, being Annesley, Felley and Selston. Annesley and Felley share a grouped parish council.[19] The rest of the district, corresponding to the pre-1974 urban districts of Hucknall, Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield, is an unparished area.[8]

The largest settlement is Sutton-in-Ashfield. Towns and villages in the district include the following:

Media

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Television

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The Ashfield District is served by BBC East Midlands and ITV Central with television signals receives from the Waltham TV transmitter. [20] Northern parts of the district around Sutton-in-Ashfield and Kirkby-in-Ashfield receives better signals from the Emley Moor TV transmitter that broadcast BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire (West) programmes [21] and the Belmont transmitter broadcasting BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and ITV Yorkshire (East) programmes. [22]

Radio

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Radio stations that broadcast the area are:

Newspapers

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The Ashfield District is served by the local newspaper, Mansfield and Ashfield Chad. [24]

References

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  1. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Ashfield Local Authority (E07000170)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan District (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 17 November 2023
  3. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  4. ^ "Council meeting, 30 May 2024". Ashfield District Council. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Freedom of the District for legendary broadcaster". Mansfield 103.2. 31 May 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Ashfield District Council welcomes new Chief Officer". Ashfield District Council. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  8. ^ a b "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  10. ^ "England council elections". BBC News Online. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  11. ^ "Council minutes". Ashfield District Council. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  12. ^ "All change at Ashfield District Council". Ashfield Chad. 30 May 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  13. ^ "New line-up for Labour in Ashfield". Ashfield Chad. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  14. ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  15. ^ "The Ashfield (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2015/112, retrieved 19 December 2023
  16. ^ "Town centre landmark renovated to boost Kirkby's economy". Ashfield Chad. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  17. ^ "Ashfield District Council". 26 May 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Royal visitor for Ashfield". Mansfield and Sutton Recorder. 30 October 1986. p. 15. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  19. ^ "Parish council contact details". Ashfield District Council. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Full Freeview on the Waltham (Leicestershire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Emley Moor (Kirklees, England) Full Freeview transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  22. ^ "Belmont (Lincolnshire, England) Full Freeview transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  23. ^ "Mansfield 103.2 FM". Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  24. ^ "Mansfield and Ashfield Chad". British Papers. 24 August 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
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53°03′N 1°18′W / 53.05°N 1.30°W / 53.05; -1.30