Mansfield District

Mansfield District is a local government district in Nottinghamshire, England. It is named after the town of Mansfield, where the council is based. The district also contains Mansfield Woodhouse (which forms part of the Mansfield urban area) and Warsop.

Mansfield District
Coat of arms of Mansfield District
Shown within Nottinghamshire
Shown within Nottinghamshire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast Midlands
Ceremonial countyNottinghamshire
Admin. HQMansfield
Government
 • TypeMansfield District Council
 • MPBen Bradley, Conservative
Area
 • Total30 sq mi (77 km2)
 • Rank222nd
Population
 (2022)
 • Total111,117
 • RankRanked 219th
 • Density3,700/sq mi (1,400/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code37UF (ONS)
E07000174 (GSS)

The neighbouring districts are Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood, Ashfield and Bolsover.

History

The town of Mansfield had been governed by improvement commissioners from 1823.[2] They were replaced in 1891 when it was incorporated as a municipal borough.[3]

The modern district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the whole area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[4]

The new district was named Mansfield after its main town.[5][6] Unusually for a district taking the same name as a former borough, the new Mansfield district was not granted borough status. Instead charter trustees were established for the area of the former borough of Mansfield, with responsibility for looking after the civic regalia of the town.[7]

Since 2002 the council has been led by a directly elected mayor.

Governance

Mansfield District Council
Type
Type
Leadership
Sue Swinscoe,
Labour
since 23 May 2023[8]
Andy Abrahams,
Labour
since 6 May 2019
Adam Hill
since August 2022[9][10]
Structure
Seats36 councillors plus elected mayor
Political groups
Administration (27)
  Labour (27)
Other parties (10)
  Conservative (4)
  Mansfield Ind. (4)
  Independent (2)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Civic Centre, Chesterfield Road South, Mansfield, NG19 7BH
Website
www.mansfield.gov.uk

Mansfield District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Nottinghamshire County Council. Warsop is also a civil parish, which is a third tier of local government for that part of the district.[11][12]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2023 election.

The first election to the modern district council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows:[13][14]

Party in controlYears
Labour1974–2003
Mansfield Independent2003–2011
Labour2011–2015
Mansfield Independent2015–2019
No overall control2019–2023
Labour2023–present

Leadership

From 1974 until 2002, political leadership was provided by the leader of the council. Only one person served as leader in that time:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Jim Hawkins[15][16]Labour1 Apr 197420 Oct 2002

In 2002 the council changed to having a directly elected mayor. The mayors since 2002 have been:[17]

MayorPartyFromTo
Tony EggintonMansfield Independent21 Oct 200210 May 2015
Kate AllsopMansfield Independent11 May 20155 May 2019
Andy AbrahamsLabour6 May 2019

Composition

Following the 2023 election and a By-election in June 2024, the composition of the council (excluding the elected mayor's seat) was:[18][19]

PartyCouncillors
Labour26
Conservative4
Mansfield Independents4
Independent2
Total36

The next full election is due in May 2027.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the district has been divided in 36 wards, each of which elects one councillor. Elections are held every four years.[20]

Premises

The council is based at the Civic Centre on Chesterfield Road South in Mansfield.[21] The building was purpose-built for the council at a cost of £6.7 million and opened on 1 September 1986.[22][23]

Geography

Mansfield Woodhouse, the second-largest settlement in the district
Warsop, the third-largest settlement in the district

Mansfield and Mansfield Woodhouse form a single urban area, which also includes Forest Town. The only civil parish in the district is Warsop; the rest of the district, corresponding to the combined area of the pre-1974 borough of Mansfield and Mansfield Woodhouse urban district, is an unparished area.[12] The parish of Warsop contains the settlements of Market Warsop, Church Warsop and Meden Vale plus surrounding rural areas, including areas of woodland which form part of Sherwood Forest. Part of the urban area of Pleasley, most of which is in the Bolsover district of Derbyshire, extends across the border into Mansfield district.

Arms

Coat of arms of Mansfield District
Notes
Granted 10 June 1987.[24]
Crest
On a wreath Or and Azure on a mount Vert an oak tree Proper between two lions rampant combatant Or armed and langued Gules the dexter lion supporting by its sinister paw a pickaxe passing behind the tree in bend the haft Or the sinister lion supporting by its sinister paw a pickaxe passing in front of the tree in bend sinister its haft also Or and the blades of both Sable resting upon the ground.
Escutcheon
Quarterly Or and Azure in dexter chief and in sinister chief a Roman helmet proper lined Gules and in base the attires of a stag conjoined at their burrs Proper over all a cross flory per cross counterchanged of the field.
Supporters
On the dexter side a stag per fesse Verte and Or semée of oak Leaves counterchanged attired and unguled Gold langued Gules and gorged with a duke's coronet Or and on the sinister side a lion per fesse Vert and Or semée of oak leaves counterchanged armed and langued Gules and gorged with a duke's coronet Gold.
Motto
Sicut Quercus Virescit Industria (Industry Flourishes Like The Oak)
Badge
The attires of a stag conjoined at their burrs Proper braced at their beams with a cross flory per cross Azure and Or.

See also

References

53°09′N 1°12′W / 53.15°N 1.20°W / 53.15; -1.20