Nottinghamshire County Council has opened a further consultation on new proposals to potentially re-open Rufford Ford. This proposal includes traffic calming features to slow traffic approaching, combined with gates to close the Ford when water levels rise. The consultation opened on Friday, 19 December, and will run until Friday, 30 January.

Rufford Ford, located on Rufford Lane near Rufford Country Park, has been closed to motor vehicles since December 2022. The closure was implemented after police requested urgent action to reduce the risk of serious accidents caused by dangerous driving and escalating social media content filming. The initial consultation, held between December 2023 and March 2024, attracted 219 responses, including 194 objections and 25 expressions of support.

Many objectors suggested alternatives, with traffic calming emerging as a popular option. In response, the council commissioned technical studies to explore whether the ford could reopen safely with robust measures in place.

Long-awaited improvements to one of Nottinghamshire’s most crucial road corridors have been given the go ahead following the final approval of the A614/A6097 Major Road Network scheme.

More than £43 million will now be invested in this landmark project, with funding secured through a capped £24.3 million contribution from the Department for Transport, an additional £8.3 million from Nottinghamshire County Council, £1.7m from developer contributions and the remaining balance provided by the East Midlands Combined County Authority to complete the financial package.

Five key junctions: Ollerton Roundabout, White Post Roundabout, Warren Hill, Lowdham Roundabout, and Kirk Hill at East Bridgford will all be upgraded as part of the scheme. These improvements are expected to ease congestion, improve safety and boost connectivity, helping to create a more efficient and accessible transport network for residents, commuters and HGV drivers passing through Nottinghamshire on their daily journeys.

An award-winning volunteer scheme which sees residents help to better protect their community from flooding is celebrating the milestone launch of its 50^th scheme, in Colwick.

Nottinghamshire County Council’s Community Flood Signage Scheme helps residents to support their community should flooding or severe weather hit, and in Colwick, the launch of the new volunteer scheme comes after the quick actions of residents during Storm Henk in January 2024 inspired the community to think about the risk of future flooding.

Intense, heavy rain during Storm Henk fell onto already saturated ground and when the River Trent reached near record levels, watercourses, including one running from Vale Road into the Trent via a nearby business park, were not able to release water.

Following an increase in demand for alternative provision services, Nottinghamshire County Council has announced a new approach to contracting providers to meet the needs of local children and young people.

The council says the new commissioning framework, which has been designed based on feedback from families, will improve outcomes for children and young people.

Alternative provision is education arranged by local authorities for children of compulsory school age who, because of illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education. It can be provided in non-school settings which are unregistered and not subject to Ofsted inspection, so the council is responsible for monitoring the safety and quality of the services it commissions. 

Nottinghamshire County Council is due to introduce a series of new ways to help generate more than £392,500 from its assets from late spring until March 2027.

These income-generating plans include:

· Introducing car parking charges for those who park at County Hall, West Bridgford, for non-council use. Current charges will continue for Nottingham Forest home games and other sporting events such as international cricket fixtures at Trent Bridge.

· Designating part of the lower County Hall car park as a park and ride to East Midlands Airport, given the convenience of the Skylink bus service, which offers a direct, limited stop service to the airport from outside County Hall.

· Reviewing rent and lease arrangements of council-owned land and buildings such as industrial units, farm tenancies and a whole array of other assets that generate an income stream for the council. It is estimated this could bring in an extra £60,000 until the end of March 2027.

· Subject to a licence and going out to tender, the installation of licensed parcel lockers is planned, working with established parcel/courier providers at key council sites such as libraries, bus stations, car parks and other suitable locations.