Bassetlaw is a local government district in north Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Worksop; the other towns in the district are Retford, Tuxford and Harworth Bircotes. The district also contains numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

Bassetlaw is bounded to the south by the Newark and Sherwood and Mansfield districts, to the south-west by the Bolsover district of Derbyshire, to the north-west by the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham and the City of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, to the north by North Lincolnshire, and to the east by West Lindsey.

Bassetlaw has been a non-constituent member of the East Midlands Combined County Authority since its estalishment in 2024.. Simultaneously, the district maintains an indirect relationship as a non-constituent member of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Authority.

History The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole of two former districts and most of another two, which were all abolished at the same time: East Retford Municipal Borough East Retford Rural District (except parish of Finningley, which went to Doncaster) Worksop Municipal Borough Worksop Rural District (except part of parish of Harworth, which went to Doncaster and was added to the parish of Bawtry)

The new district was named Bassetlaw after the medieval Bassetlaw Wapentake, which had covered a similar area. The council's logo now says "Bassetlaw District Council – North Nottinghamshire".

Sadly, under current local government reorganisation plans, all district councils in Nottinghamshire, as well as the county council, will be abolished in 2028, with the district becoming part of a new Nottinghamshire unitary authority.

Governance

Bassetlaw District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Nottinghamshire County Council. Much of the district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.

Political control The council has been under Labour majority control since 2011.

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: (Put "Bassetlaw" in search box to see specific results.)

Party in control Years 1974–1976 1976–1979 1979–2004 2004–2006 2006–2010 2010–2011 2011–present

Leadership The leaders of the council since 1981 have been: LeaderSeatPartyFromTo Reg RabbittWorksop South EastMay 1981 Les RussonCarlton1981May 1986Graham OxbyRetford North15 May 19962004Mike QuigleyRetford East23 Jun 20042011Graham OxbyRetford North2011May 2012Simon GreavesWorksop North East16 May 201222 Sep 2022James NaishSturton22 Sep 202225 July 2024Julie LeighWorksop South25 July 2024

Composition Following the 2023 election, and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to September 2026, the composition of the council was:

Two of the independent councillors sit together as the "Bassetlaw First" group. The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2002 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 25 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

Most of the district is within the Bassetlaw constituency. The south-east of the district, including Tuxford, is in the Newark constituency.

Premises

Council meetings are held at both Worksop Town Hall, built in 1851, and Retford Town Hall, built in 1868, both of which the council inherited from its predecessor authorities. The council's main offices are at Queen's Buildings, completed in 1981 on Potter Street in Worksop, adjoining the Town Hall. The council also maintains an area office in Harworth.

Settlements

Bassetlaw is divided into 64 parishes, each governed by an elected parish council or parish meeting. The two main settlements of Retford and Worksop are the only areas of the district that are unparished, however, both towns are entitled to elect a town mayor via their respective charter trustees.

Name Status Image Population (2011) Ward(s) Retford Unparished(Charter trustees) Retford Town Hall 22,023 Retford East Retford North Retford South Retford West Worksop Unparished(Charter trustees) Chesterfield Canal, Worksop 43,252 Worksop East Worksop North Worksop North East Worksop North West Worksop South Worksop South East Askham Civil parish St. Nicholas' Church, Askham 181 East Markham Babworth Civil parish Chesterfield Canal, Babworth 1,687 Sutton Barnby Moor Civil parish Ye Olde Bell, Barnby Moor 278 Sutton Beckingham Civil parish All Saints' Church, Beckingham 1,098 Beckingham Bevercotes Civil parish Farm buildings in Bevercotes Unknown East Markham Blyth Civil parish St Mary and St Martin's Church, Blyth 1,233 Blyth Bole Civil parish St Martin's Church, Bole 247 Sturton Bothamsall Civil parish Lound Hall, Bothamsall 270 East Markham Carburton Civil parish Ollerton Road Bridge, Carburton Unknown Welbeck Carlton in Lindrick Civil parish St. John's Church, Carlton in Lindrick 5,623 Carlton Clarborough and Welham Civil parish Public house in Clarborough 1,088 Clayworth Clayworth Civil parish St Peter's Church, Clayworth 419 Clayworth Clumber and Hardwick Civil parish Clumber Park Unknown Welbeck Cottam Civil parish Cottages in Cottam 108 Rampton Darlton Civil parish St. Giles Church, Darlton 110 Tuxford and Trent Dunham-on-Trent Civil parish St. Oswald's Church, Dunham-on-Trent 343 Tuxford and Trent East Drayton Civil parish St. Peter's Church, East Drayton 252 Tuxford and Trent East Markham Civil parish St. John the Baptist Church 1,160 East Markham Eaton Civil parish Eaton 233 East Markham Elkesley Civil parish St. Giles Church, Elkesley 822 Welbeck Everton Civil parish Holy Trinity Church, Everton 839 Everton Fledborough Civil parish St Gregory's Church, Fledborough Unknown Tuxford and Trent Gamston Civil parish St Peter's Church, Gamston 246 East Markham Gringley on the Hill Civil parish St Peter & St Paul's Church 699 Everton Grove Civil parish View towards Grove 105 Rampton Harworth Bircotes Civil parish All Saints Church, Harworth 7,948 Harworth Haughton Civil parish Haughton watermill Unknown East Markham Hayton Civil parish St. Peter's Church, Hayton 385 Clayworth Headon cum Upton Civil parish St. Peter's Church, Headon 253 Rampton Hodsock Civil parish Hodsock Priory 2,472 Langold Laneham Civil parish Signpost in Laneham 312 Tuxford and Trent Lound Civil parish Lound 471 Sutton Marnham Civil parish St. Wilfrid's Church, Marnham 117 Tuxford and Trent Mattersey Civil parish All Saints' Church, Mattersey 792 Ranskill Misson Civil parish St. John the Baptist Church, Misson 745 Everton Misterton Civil parish All Saints' Church, Misterton 2,140 Misterton Nether Langwith Civil parish Public house in Nether Langwith 526 Welbeck Normanton on Trent Civil parish St. Matthew's Church 345 Tuxford and Trent North and South Wheatley Civil parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul's 509 Sturton North Leverton with Habblesthorpe Civil parish North Leverton Windmill 1,047 Sturton Norton, Cuckney, Holbeck and Welbeck Civil parish Welbeck Abbey 550 Welbeck Ragnall Civil parish St.Leonard's Church, Ragnall Unknown Tuxford and Trent Rampton and Woodbeck Civil parish All Saints' Church, Rampton 1,139 Rampton Ranskill Civil parish Church of St Barnabas, Ranskill 1,362 Rampton Rhodesia Civil parish Chesterfield Canal, Rhodesia 982 Worksop North West Saundby Civil parish Church of St Martin of Tours 165 Worksop North West Scaftworth Civil parish Public house in Scaftworth Unknown Everton Scrooby Civil parish St. Wilfrid's Church, Scrooby 315 Blyth Shireoaks Civil parish Shireoaks Hall 1,432 Worksop North West South Leverton Civil parish All Saints’ Church, South Leverton 480 Rampton Stokeham Civil parish St. Peter's Church, Stokeham Unknown Rampton Sturton le Steeple Civil parish Sturton le Steeple 486 Sturton Styrrup with Oldcotes Civil parish St. Helen's Church, Oldcotes 684 Blyth Sutton Civil parish St. Bartholomew's Church 673 Sutton Torworth Civil parish Great North Road, Torworth 263 Ranskill Treswell Civil parish St. John the Baptist Church, Treswell 211 Rampton Tuxford Civil parish Tuxford High Street 2,649 Tuxford and Trent Walkeringham Civil parish St. Mary Magdalene Church, Walkeringham 1,022 Beckingham Wallingwells Civil parish Wallingwells Hall 22 Carlton West Burton Civil parish West Burton power stations Unknown Sturton West Drayton Civil parish West Drayton 225 East Markham West Markham Civil parish All Saints' Church, West Markham 170 East Markham West Stockwith Civil parish West Stockwith lock 327 Misterton Wiseton Civil parish Cottages in Wiseton Unknown Clayworth

Wards Bassetlaw is divided into 25 wards for electoral purposes. Each ward returns either one, two or three councillors at each election depending upon the number of electors within each ward.

Beckingham Blyth Carlton Clayworth East Markham East Retford East East Retford North East Retford South East Retford West Everton Harworth Langold Misterton Rampton Ranskill Sturton Sutton Tuxford and Trent Welbeck Worksop East Worksop North Worksop North East Worksop North West Worksop South Worksop South East

Demography

Population Population of Bassetlaw (1811–2011)YearPopulationYearPopulationYearPopulation 1811 25,813 1881 43,735 1951 101,590 1821 30,148 1891 45,203 1961 99,221 1831 32,950 1901 50,796 1971 96,918 1841 34,961 1911 57,084 1981 101,119 1851 37,180 1921 63,854 1991 105,354 1861 39,365 1931 71,427 2001 107,701 2011 112,863Pre-1974 statistics were gathered from local government areas that now comprise Bassetlaw.Source: Great Britain Historical GIS.

Religion Religion Percent Christian 81.53% Buddhist 0.09% Hindu 0.13% Jewish 0.05% Muslim 0.33% Sikh 0.07% No religion 9.99%

Media Bassetlaw receives better TV signals from the Emley Moor transmitter rather than Waltham transmitter which means the area is served by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire, both broadcast from Leeds.

Radio stations that broadcast to the area are BBC Radio Sheffield, Greatest Hits Radio South Yorkshire, Hits Radio South Yorkshire, Doncaster Radio and Trust AM, an online hospital radio station serving the Bassetlaw District General Hospital in Worksop.

Bassetlaw's local newspapers are Worksop Guardian and Retford Times.

Town twinning Farmers Branch, Texas, USA Garbsen, Germany Pfungstadt, Germany Aurillac, France

References