Applications for school places are now open for parents in Nottinghamshire with children who are starting reception or due to transfer from infant (year 2) to junior education (year 3) in September 2024.

For children who will turn five years old between 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2025, or are transferring from infant to junior or primary school, parents have until Monday, 15 January 2024 to complete their application on time.

Nottinghamshire County Council is strongly advising parents to do their research on their preferred schools, use all four preferences, and check the admissions criteria thoroughly for the schools they would prefer their child to attend.

Nottinghamshire County Council will be consulting residents on a range of options around tram travel for concessionary pass holders, due to its current level of cost.

Currently, people with disabilities and older people with a concessionary pass living in the county can travel free of charge on the tram between 9.30am and 11pm on weekdays and all day on weekends and bank holidays.

The 154,000 pass holders in Nottinghamshire are estimated to make around 1.14million journeys on the tram each year, which are funded by the county council at a cost of £900,000. The 10 million bus journeys made by pass holders each year form part of the National Concessionary Bus Scheme which is funded by the Government.

The county council will now undertake a consultation with local residents and pass holders to consider options from 2024. 

The latest funding round to support the county’s budding Olympians, Paralympians and Special Olympians is now open.

The £50,000 Talented Athletes Fund aims to help local athletes overcome potential financial hurdles such as training and equipment costs.

Nottinghamshire County Council has continued its commitment to support more up-and-coming athletes to recognise their potential in their chosen sport, particularly those competing in disability/parasports who may require expensive adapted equipment, clothing, or have higher transport costs.

November is here, and that means Nottinghamshire’s gritting teams move to full-time standby, ready for the winter ahead.

Each year the 31-strong fleet of gritters and their drivers go onto full-time, 24-hour standby marking the official start of winter for Nottinghamshire County Council and its highways partner Via East Midlands.

Last winter, gritting teams completed 70 gritting runs and travelled over 112,000 miles – equivalent to travelling four and a half times around the world!

Gritting forms just part of Nottinghamshire’s winter activity, with teams ready to respond to all types of severe weather and help keep the county’s highways safe and moving.

Creative businesses across Nottinghamshire are set to benefit from new targeted support to help attract investment and create jobs.

A county-wide consortium, known as Creative Growth Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, is one of six areas set to share £10.9m worth of government funding as part of the latest round of the Create Growth Programme. This will help creative businesses access private investment and scale-up advice, to turn today’s start-up founders into tomorrow’s CEOs. 

People are being asked for their views on plans to change the future use of Nottinghamshire’s children’s centre buildings to Family Hubs. These hubs would provide a variety of help and support to families across Nottinghamshire.

Family Hubs will provide joined up services to help families support their children from conception through to late adolescence.

Councillor Tracey Taylor, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "We want families in Nottinghamshire to have the support they need when they need it. Family Hubs are about making sure that families can easily access advice, help and support."