What we do
Introduction
Local Authority - Parish councils are the first tier of local government in England. They deliver a range of services at a community level and their role is to represent the local community, provide services to meet local needs and improve quality of life and community wellbeing. As the authority closest to the people, we are invariably the first port of call people go to with their concerns or ideas. For more information on what Parish Councils can do, see the document at the bottom of this webpage.
So what does Fernwood Parish Council do?
Campaign
Campaign for the rights of Freeholders to have the same rights under the Law as Leaseholders on a managed estate.
Collaborate and Communicate with other Local Authorities
With the vast amount of development in Fernwood, working with Newark and Sherwood District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council is essential to ensure the needs of the residents of Fernwood are met. Their Council representatives are invited to monthly Parish Council meetings to exchange updates at member level and our Clerk liaises with officers to deliver agreed projects and deal with issues in the Parish.
Communications
We send out a village magazine to all homes and businesses in Fernwood twice a year. The Fernwood Gazette is produced for April and October. Local groups and businesses are encouraged to contribute to make this as useful and informative as possible. We regularly update our Facebook page and the 2 local Facebook pages on our activities and share updates from third parties that may be of use to Fernwood residents.
Consultee
Newark and District Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and other public bodies consult with the Parish Council on many things. The main ones being planning applications and strategies. We also consult with Fernwood Residents.
Costall Woods
The Parish Council purchased the woodland behind Fernwood Day Nursery in 2022. We aim to preserve the area for flora and fauna with activities for the community to help with this.
Dale Crescent Green
The Parish Council owns and maintains the green surrounded by Dale Crescent.
Defibrillators
The Parish Council pays for the supplies needed to maintain these. We carry out checks on the defibrillator at Fernwood Village Hall and Chuter Ede School performs checks on the defibrillator on their fence.
Dog Waste Bins
The Parish Council owns all the dog waste bins in central Fernwood. Newark and Sherwood District Council are contracted to empty the bins on behalf of the Parish Council. All bins are emptied at least weekly. If you see an overflowing bin, please report it using this online form. There is second collection each week on the bins on Dale Way, Apple Avenue, Hollowdyke Lane and Restfil Way/Camdale Lane. We make regular checks on the bins to maintain them; if you spot an issue, please contact the Parish Council office and we will get it rectified. Email [email protected] or call 01636 613024.
Gritting and Grit Bins
Fernwood Parish Council owns and maintains five grit bins in the village. These are blue and are located on the following streets:
1.Blackberry Way
2.Dale Crescent
3.Hunters Road, next to the school entrance
4. Phoenix Lane
5.Young's Avenue
If you believe it would be beneficial to install a new bin or if you spot an issue with one of the bins, email [email protected] or call 01636 613024. Yellow grit bins are owned and maintained by Nottinghamshire County Council.
Help
There are many different local councils, service providers and organisations in Fernwood. Sometimes it is unclear who does what. The Information/Contact tab of this website has lots of links to help residents find who they need to contact. Alternatively, email [email protected] or call 01636 613024 and we will try to assist.
Meetings
The Council meets on the third Monday of each month (apart from August and December when we don’t meet) at Fernwood Village Hall. These meetings are open to the public so everyone can see the work of the Parish Council. At the beginning of every meeting we hold a public forum where people can raise issues with the Councillors. Agendas are published approximately a week before the meetings and are available on this website and the Council's Facebook page. They are also shared to local Facebook pages. Draft minutes are usually published a week after the meeting but are not formally agreed until the next meeting. All minutes and the latest agenda can be found on our noticeboards and on this website.
Public Open Spaces (POS)
The majority of the POS in Fernwood is owned by Barrat David Wilson Homes and managed by the management company, FirstPort. The Parish Council is working with Newark and Sherwood District Council to take ownership of the POS in Fernwood. The management company will still maintain the open spaces but the community will in a better position to enhance the open spaces.
Representative for Fernwood
The Parish Council is often contacted about problems which are not the Council's responsibility to fix but the Council will try to help if possible. An example being potholes; although the Parish Council is not responsible for the roads, we do have contacts with the authority that does and can work with them to get problems such as these addressed.
This is a large part of the Parish Clerk's work - liaising with other local authorities, service providers and businesses in the interest of the village. The Parish Council Action Plan which is available through the Parish Council Documents area of this website (click policies and procedures) has the current year's action plan and Parish Council meeting minutes include any updates on activity.
With new developments being undertaken around the village we hold regular liaison meetings with the developers and work with them to tackle any issues.
Village Hall
The Parish Council owns and manages Fernwood Village Hall. For more details see the Village Hall tab.
Youth Club
The Parish Council has commissioned Nottinghamshire Youth Services to provide the youth club at Fernwood Village Hall on Friday evenings. For more details see the Youth Club tab.