Councillor Sam Smith has been elected as the new leader of Nottinghamshire County Council.

He was officially confirmed following a vote at the Full Council meeting at County Hall.

Cllr Smith, who represents Newark East and was previously Cabinet Member for Education and SEND, replaces Cllr Ben Bradley who has stepped down for family and personal reasons.

The new leader said he is honoured and privileged to be elected and has spoken about his priorities for Nottinghamshire residents.

Bus passengers won’t be ‘top to toe in tailbacks’ when they’re driving home for Christmas this year as the group bus ticket discount scheme is back across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire!

From Saturday 21 December until Sunday 5 January 2025, selected group tickets across the city and county will be discounted by up to a third thanks to the Nottinghamshire and Greater Nottingham Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP) – a partnership between Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council and local bus operators.

This is the third time that the discount scheme has been offered following successful summer and October half terms and passengers will once again be able to travel for less as a group with operators including CT4N, Nottingham City Transport (NCT), Stagecoach East Midlands, trentbarton and Central Connect.

Works to identify new sites to replace three recycling centres in Nottinghamshire have taken a step forward.

Nottinghamshire County Council has approved that detailed investigation works can now get underway on sites identified to potentially replace the current West Bridgford, Kirkby and Mansfield recycling centres.

This follows the county council’s strategic review of household waste and recycling centres, the Place Select Committee recommendations and the Cabinet decision approving these recommendations, which included a site search to find new sites in the south and west of the county.

A resident in Retford has become one of the latest to enjoy the benefits of Nottinghamshire County Council’s (NCC) EV Cable Channel (EVCC) Pilot Scheme.

The scheme is available to residents across Nottinghamshire and is part of a government-funded trial to better understand the range of solutions that are available for charging electric vehicles on the street.

A new cable channel, supplied by Kerbo Charge as one of the scheme’s trial solutions, was installed at the home owned by James Turver, one of the first installed in the Retford area. James’ application met the criteria for submission to the pilot which includes homes with no off-street parking, owning or leasing an EV vehicle, along with a charger that has been installed or is awaiting installation.

As the Christmas shopping season is getting into full swing, Nottinghamshire County Council’s Trading Standards team is reminding residents to buy carefully and not forget about their consumer rights.

Online shopping now accounts for over a quarter of retail sales*, so consumers are being advised to pause and take a moment before they make a purchase online. Criminals may advertise low prices for popular items that are sold out everywhere else to trick people into parting with their money. Often, the goods advertised don’t exist, with images taken from genuine sellers to convince shoppers otherwise. Fraudsters create fake websites that impersonate big brands, so residents are reminded to always double-check the URL and watch out for unexpected requests for their personal information.

When on the high street residents should purchase their goods from reputable retailers to avoid buying counterfeit goods and ensure a refund or exchange can be secured after Christmas. Shoppers buying gifts for a loved one are recommended to request a gift receipt to enable the receiver to ask for an exchange.

More than 100 young people from across Nottinghamshire were honoured at an annual awards ceremony celebrating their outstanding achievements as part of The Duke of Edinburgh programme and Shadow 50.

The event, held at County Hall was hosted by Notts Outdoors, the outdoor and environmental education service at Nottinghamshire County Council.

Shadow is a unique team-based event open to young people aged 13 to 19 and young adults up to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).