Your views and ideas wanted on how to improve open spaces near Mansfield

So Newark and Sherwood District Council is keen to ensure that open spaces are enhanced for future generations and have launched a public consultation to hear your views.

The district council is consulting on its Open Space Strategy which looks at six specific types of open space. These are parks and gardens, natural and semi-natural greenspace, amenity greenspace, provision for children and young people, allotments and cemeteries and churchyards.

The strategy not only breaks the audit down into different types of land but it also breaks it down into specific areas so those residents who are keen to see how Blidworth, Ollerton, Newark or Southwell perform on their own are able to do that.

Coun David Lloyd, leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “Open spaces are important to us all. The latest ONS information showed that every resident in the Newark and Sherwood district live within a 15 minute walk of good, quality open space.

"This is important and we must protect this for our future generations and this independent audit will allow us to ensure that we maintain the right amount and quality of open space in our district now and in the future.”

The strategy will make clear what open space should accompany new developments promoted across the district, ensuring that the council maintain the imperative for building new homes while also creating appropriate spaces and places for existing and future residents.

Coun Lloyd said: “We don’t want to take a step back from our commitment to our open spaces so rather than slipping back and just simply meeting the benchmark standard, we have set aspirational targets that will inform policy decisions in the future to ensure open spaces remain on the top of our agenda."

You can submit your comments to [email protected] or Newark and Sherwood District Council, Planning Policy and Infrastructure, Castle House, Great North Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 1BY.

The consultation closes at 5pm on September 21.

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