Mansfield District

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mansfield District
Non-metropolitan district
Official logo of Mansfield District
Shown within Nottinghamshire
Shown within Nottinghamshire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast Midlands
Ceremonial countyNottinghamshire
Admin. HQMansfield
Government
 • TypeMansfield District Council
 • Leadership:Mayor & Cabinet
 • MayorAndy Abrahams (Labour)
 • Cabinet:No Overall Control [1][2]
 • Chief Executive Officer:Hayley Barsby[3]
 • MPBen Bradley, Conservative
Area
 • Total29.61 sq mi (76.70 km2)
Area rank243rd
Population
 (mid-2019 est.)
 • Total109,313
 • RankRanked 218th
 • Density3,700/sq mi (1,400/km2)
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code37UF (ONS)
E07000174 (GSS)
Ethnicity97.5% White
1.0% S.Asian
Websitemansfield.gov.uk

Mansfield District is a local government district in Nottinghamshire, England.

History[]

The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, being a merger of the former Municipal Borough of Mansfield, combined with the nearby urban districts of Mansfield Woodhouse and Warsop.

Geography[]

Settlements in the district include Mansfield itself, where the council is based, together with Mansfield Woodhouse, Forest Town and parts of Pleasley, with Warsop and Meden Vale distanced and annexed by open countryside. The district is entirely unparished apart from Warsop, which retains a parish council.[4]

Mansfield District Council[]

Unlike most English councils, Mansfield District Council is led by a directly elected mayor, following a campaign in 2002 by local businessman Stewart Rickersey to achieve a referendum to change the governance away from the traditional CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and elected Chairman-with-Cabinet, composed of councillors entitled Cabinet Members.[5]

The replacement from 2003 was an MD (managing director) as Head of Paid Service with directors, heads of service and line managers providing the council's day-to-day services, together with a mayor (elected by the voting public) holding executive powers and a cabinet composed of councillors entitled Portfolio Holders.

The mayor of Mansfield is currently Labour's Andy Abrahams, who was returned at the scheduled elections in May 2019, succeeding Mansfield Independent Forum (MIF) political party incumbents Kate Allsop (2015–2019) who followed Tony Egginton, in-post since late 2003, both founding members of the Mansfield Independent Forum. Following the previous elections in 2011, MIF lost overall control having held majority seats from the 2003[6] and subsequent 2007 elections.[7]

In time for the 2011 elections, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England recommended new wards and boundaries following a request for a review made by the mayor,[8] resulting in 36 single-member wards.[9]

At the 2011 elections, Mayor Egginton was again successful, but only by a very small margin of 67 votes based on AV – secondary voting – and after two recounts.[10] The council initially comprised 26 Labour members and 10 Mansfield Independent Forum. No Liberal Democrats or Conservatives were elected.[11][12]

One Labour member – elected for the Park Hall ward – died shortly after the election,[11] with the subsequent by-election again returning a Labour councillor.[13]

Two Labour members – elected to the Bull Farm and Pleasley Hill and Yeoman Hill wards – then changed their allegencies, creating their own Labour 2011 party. The Mayor assembled his Cabinet from Independents and Labour 2011, and, despite Labour holding the majority with 24 (from an initial 26) members, there was no Labour presence on the Mayor's Cabinet.

At the May, 2015 elections, Labour gained overall control, but the new Independent mayor again created a cabinet of Portfolio Holders from elected members who were not Labour. This overall control situation soon changed by a full council meeting that took place on 21 July 2015 with one Labour councillor, Nick Bennett, switching his political allegiance and, together with two UKIP members, joined with the Independent Forum to regain overall control from Labour.[14]

As of December 2019 the council composition was as follows:

Labour – 14 members (15 including the Mayor)
Mansfield Independent Forum – 14 members
Independents – 6 members
Conservative – 2 members
Total – 37 members

The Mansfield local newspaper reported that Nick Bennett had represented four parties since the start of his political career in 2007, including Conservative and UKIP. As of July, there were no Labour members on Mayor Allsop's cabinet, and at an extraordinary full-council meeting on 2 September, the Chairman of the Council and all of the Labour committee-lead positions were replaced by Independents.[15]

It was announced that the former Managing Director had departed "by mutual arrangement", with another Director fulfilling the role of interim Head of Paid Service, a legally-required position.[2][16][17] Soon after, another Director, who was also the council's monitoring officer – again, a mandatory position – was stated to be leaving by the same "mutual agreement".[18] In a later report relating to Mayor Kate Allsop, the local newspaper commented "In the weeks following the election, major decisions have been taken to axe two leading executives from Mansfield District Council".[19]

In late October 2015, a further Labour member, Vaughan Hopewell, switched allegiance to Mansfield Independent Forum, tallying Labour 17, MIF Coalition 19.[20]

In May 2017, MDC Chairman, Councillor Stephen Harvey joined the Conservative Party and became the only Conservative member of the council.

In July 2017, the two UKIP members changed party to Mansfield Independent Forum, citing "UKIP's job is done now that the UK has voted for Brexit", leaving the numbers at 18 Labour and 18 MIF, with the MIF Mayor having the deciding vote.[21]

Following a successful spell from late 2015 as interim Head of Paid Service when covering for the previous Managing Director, in 2016 Bev Smith was appointed Chief Executive Officer in what Mansfield Council described as "part of its senior management restructure".[22] She moved on to North West Leicestershire DC in June 2017, replaced by Hayley Barsby as interim CEO.[23][3] Hayley Barsby was then appointed Chief Executive Officer at the beginning of 2018.[24]

Arms[]

Coat of arms of Mansfield District hide
Notes
Granted 10th June 1987.[25]
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)

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Mansfield District Council, Member and Committee Information, Cabinet Retrieved 2015-08-04
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Council coalition formed in Mansfield Chad, local newspaper, 3 August 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-03
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Interim Chief Executive appointed at Mansfield District Council My Mansfield, 24 May 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017
  4. ^ [1] Warsop Web. Official website, Parish Council Section. Retrieved 2013-12-20
  5. ^ [2] Chad, local newspaper May 2002. Businessman salutes historic victory in mayoral referendum Retrieved 2013-12-22
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Mansfield District Council, election results 2003 Retrieved 2013-12-22
  7. ^ Mansfield District Council, election results 2007 Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 10 Jan 2011.
  8. ^ [3] Local Government Boundary Commission for England. New electoral arrangements for Mansfield District Council, September 2010
  9. ^ [4] Chad, local newspaper. Have your say on council ward restructure Retrieved 2013-12-22
  10. ^ [5] Mansfield 103.2 FM Local radio station Election results Retrieved 2013-12-22
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Chad, local newspaper 11 May 2011 Mayor is elected but Labour in control "Labour councillor Dorothy Beastall died on Friday following a short illness - just five hours after she was elected to the new Park Hall ward..." Accessed 2013-12-22
  12. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Mansfield District Council election 2011 Full results .pdf document Retrieved 2013-12-22
  13. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Mansfield District Council Park Hall Ward by-election 2011 results .pdf document Retrieved 2013-12-22
  14. ^ Change in political make-up at Mansfield District Council Mansfield District Council official website, Retrieved 2015-07-30
  15. ^ The axed chairman of Mansfield District Council has described her sacking as part of a ‘political power grab’. Chad, local newspaper, 3 September 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-14
  16. ^ Independents Take Main Council Roles Mansfield 103.2, local radio station, 3 September 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-03
  17. ^ Councillor has let down his constituents’ say Labour Chad, local newspaper, 23 July 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-30
  18. ^ A second director is to leave his post as the shake-up at Mansfield District Council continues Chad, local newspaper, 2 October 2015, Retrieved 7 October 2015
  19. ^ Police launch cash probe into Mansfield’s mayoral elections Chad, local newspaper, 14 October 2015, Retrieved 14 October 2015
  20. ^ Councillor defects to opposition on Mansfield District Council Chad, local newspaper, 20 October 2015, Retrieved 24 October 2015
  21. ^ Mansfield's UKIP councillors become Independents Mansfield 103.2, Mansfield local radio station, 28 July 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017
  22. ^ Mansfield District Council appoints CEO Mansfield District Council, 21 January 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  23. ^ Our senior management team North West Leicestershire DC, Retrieved 4 November 2017
  24. ^ How new chief executive at Mansfield council rose from clerical assistant to top job Nottingham Post, Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  25. ^ "East Midlands Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 5 March 2021.

External links[]

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

Retrieved from ""