Nottinghamshire '˜super council' plan is '˜bonkers' says Bassetlaw council leader

This would have a population of more than 810,000 stretching from Doncaster in the north to Loughborough in the south.

This would be too big and unwieldy to be properly accountable and decisions that are important to local people on things like planning, housing and jobs would be taken by a remote County Hall more than 40 miles away.

There is no business case or evidence base for these plans which, in reality, are all about trying to plug a gap in the county’s finances. There will be no reductions in council tax either, adult social care costs will keep increasing and the county council is being disingenuous about the state of the public finances nationally, by presenting this as a solution.

Thankfully the final decision doesn’t rest with the county council, but Government Ministers and I shall be formally objecting to any proposals to abolish the district councils.

This week it was confirmed by Keep Britain Tidy that two of Bassetlaw’s much-loved parks have been award Green Flag status for another year.

It is a huge honour to be able to fly a Green Flag in both the Memorial Gardens (and The Canch) in Worksop and King’s Park in Retford, and this prestigious status shows Bassetlaw has outstanding facilities, beautifully maintained gardens and the highest possible environmental standards.

If you have recently taken a stroll through the Memorial Gardens and The Canch I don’t think anyone could argue that they are not a little oasis in the middle of the town centre.

I’d like to pay tribute to the grounds maintenance staff, who work in all-weather to ensure the parks look their best all-year-round, and all the staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure that we have wonderful open spaces like these.