The world-famous Tour of Britain cycle race is set to return to Nottinghamshire for a fourth time in September 2023.

Robin Hood county has hosted the showpiece event three times since 2017, with the most recent visit taking place last September when a star-studded field raced from West Bridgford to Mansfield.

This year’s race will see Nottinghamshire host the finish of a cross-region shared stage in the first week of September.

County and city councils in the East Midlands have agreed to move forward with devolution plans for the region worth at least £1.14 billion.

Nottinghamshire County Council voted to go ahead with proposals for devolution at a meeting on Thursday 30 March. Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council, and Nottingham City Council all agreed to proceed with the plans at meetings earlier in March.

Applications are now open for the Reduce, Reuse, Recycling Fund, run by Veolia (Nottinghamshire County Council’s waste and recycling partner). The fund is an environmental programme designed to support local, community-based projects that inspire people to think differently about waste and resources.

The funding is open to not-for-profit community groups, schools and charities based in the county of Nottinghamshire (excluding the city of Nottingham area) and grants of up to £1,000 are available for initiatives that help Nottinghamshire to Reduce, Reuse or Recycle waste.

Nottinghamshire County Council is investing over £245,000 into the replacement and refurbishment of purpose-built mobile youth centres in the county.

The newly refurbished vehicles are cleaner and more eco-friendly than the vans that were previously in use. Modern adaptations include insulated doors and energy efficient LED lighting, as well as lightweight materials to reduce fuel consumption and the van’s carbon footprint.

The chancellor has said that 12 new Investment Zones will be created across the UK, including one in the East Midlands, as part of the budget announcement.

The low tax Investment Zones are being introduced to boost growth in areas outside London and will be clustered around universities and research centres. Each zone is to get £80 million of support over five years, with tax incentives to attract businesses.

Nottinghamshire County Council has developed a new All Age Carers Strategy in partnership with Nottingham City Council and the Integrated Care Board. The strategy was co-produced with carers and sets out how partners will ensure that they support all unpaid carers, recognising the important role they play and providing the support carers need to carry out their caring role.

It is the first time that partners have worked in this way and the strategy will ensure all local carers can access the support they need, regardless of where they live across both Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.