Rushcliffe

This article is about the district. For the constituency, see Rushcliffe (UK Parliament constituency). For the wapentake, see Rushcliffe Wapentake.

Non-metropolitan district and borough in England

Borough of Rushcliffe

Non-metropolitan district and borough

West Bridgford, the largest settlement in the borough and the administrative centre

Shown within Nottinghamshire

Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Constituent country| England
Region| East Midlands
Administrative county| Nottinghamshire
Admin. HQ| West Bridgford
Government

• Type| Rushcliffe Borough Council
• MPs:| James Naish
Robert Jenrick
Area

• Total

| 158 sq mi (409 km2)
• Rank| 84th
Population

(2022)

• Total

| 121,582
• Rank| Ranked 195th
• Density| 770/sq mi (300/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)

[1]

• Ethnic groups|

List

* 89.7% White
* 5.7% Asian
* 2.8% Mixed
* 0.9% Black
* 0.9% other

Religion (2021)

[1]

• Religion|

List

* 47.1% no religion
* 46.7% Christianity
* 3.8% other
* 2.4% Islam

Time zone| UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code| 37UJ (ONS)
E07000176 (GSS)
Ethnicity| 94.1% White
2.7% S.Asian
1.0% Black
1.3% Mixed
0.9% Chinese or Other[2]

Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in south Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in West Bridgford. The borough also includes the towns of Bingham and Cotgrave as well as numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Some of the built-up areas in the north-west of the borough, including West Bridgford, form part of the Nottingham Urban Area.

The neighbouring districts are Broxtowe, Nottingham, Gedling, Newark and Sherwood, Melton, Charnwood, North West Leicestershire and Erewash.

## History

[edit]

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the whole area of two former districts and part of a third, which were all abolished at the same time:[3]

* Basford Rural District (part)
* Bingham Rural District
* West Bridgford Urban District

The new district was named after the ancient Rushcliffe Wapentake, which had covered part of the area.[4] Rushcliffe means "cliff where brushwood grows", from Old English hris "brushwood" and clif "cliff". The new Rushcliffe district was granted borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[5]

## Governance

[edit]

Rushcliffe Borough Council

Type
Type|

Non-metropolitan district

Leadership

Mayor

Andy Brown,
Conservative
since 23 May 2024[6]

Leader

Neil Clarke,
Conservative
since 25 May 2023

Chief Executive

Kath Marriott
since 5 March 2020[7]

Structure
Seats| 44 councillors

Political groups

Administration (25)
Conservative (25)
Other parties (19)
Labour (9)
Independent (5)
Green (2)
Rushcliffe Ind. (2)
Liberal Democrat (1)
Elections

Voting system

| First past the post

Last election

| 4 May 2023

Next election

| 2027
Meeting place
Rushcliffe Arena, Rugby Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 7YG
Website
www.rushcliffe.gov.uk
Map of Rushliffe district Bingham, the second-largest settlement in the borough Cotgrave, the third-largest settlement in the borough

Rushcliffe Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Nottinghamshire County Council. Most of the borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[8]

### Political control

[edit]

The council has been under Conservative majority control since 1999.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[9][10]

Party in control | Years

|

| Conservative | 1974–1995
| No overall control | 1995–1999
| Conservative | 1999–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Rushcliffe. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2005 have been:[11]

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Neil Clarke[12] |  | Conservative | May 2005 | 25 May 2017
Simon Robinson |  | Conservative | 25 May 2017 | 7 May 2023
Neil Clarke |  | Conservative | 25 May 2023 |

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[13]

Party  | Councillors

|

| Conservative | 25
| Labour | 9
| Independent | 5
| Green | 2
| Rushcliffe Independents | 2
| Liberal Democrats | 1
Total  | 44

Of the five independent councillors, three sit together as the "Leake Independents" group and two sit together as the "Bingham Independents" group.[14] The next election is due in 2027.

### Premises

[edit]

Rushcliffe Civic Centre, West Bridgford: Council's offices 1982–2016.

The council is based at the Ruscliffe Arena on Rugby Road in West Bridgford. The building is a combined leisure centre and council headquarters. The council moved into the new building in December 2016 and the leisure centre opened the following month.[15] From 1982 to 2016 the council was based at Rushcliffe Civic Centre on Pavilion Road in West Bridgford, overlooking Trent Bridge. That building had been built in 1966 as a hotel called the Bridgford Hotel.[16][17]

## Elections

[edit]

See also: Rushcliffe Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 44 councillors representing 24 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[18]

### Wards

[edit]

The wards are:[18]

* Abbey
* Bingham North
* Bingham South
* Bunny
* Compton Acres
* Cotgrave
* Cranmer
* Cropwell
* East Bridgford
* Edwalton
* Gamston
* Gotham
* Keyworth and Wolds
* Lady Bay
* Leake
* Lutterell
* Musters
* Nevile and Langar
* Radcliffe on Trent
* Ruddington
* Soar Valley
* Tollerton
* Trent Bridge

### Wider politics

[edit]

The borough straddles two parliamentary constituencies. Most of the borough is in the Rushcliffe constituency. The north-eastern part of the borough around Bingham and surrounding villages is in the Newark constituency.[19]

## Geography

[edit]

South-east of Nottingham, the Rushcliffe boundary splits from the City of Nottingham boundary near the Holme Pierrepont Watersports Centre and then follows the River Trent to near RAF Syerston, which is the most northern part of the district, although Syerston the village itself is in the Newark and Sherwood district. It meets the River Devon near Cotham, then follows this river to the east southwards to where it meets the Leicestershire boundary. To the south, the Leicestershire/Rushcliffe boundary crosses the runways of the former RAF Langar with most of the airfield in Rushcliffe.

Rushcliffe is split between an urbanised north-west, containing suburbs of Greater Nottingham that have not been incorporated into the city, and the south and east which is predominantly rural, which stretches to the Leicestershire border. Many of these villages lie in the Vale of Belvoir. The Grantham Canal threads from nearby Grantham through Rushcliffe to the River Trent. Villages in the Vale of Belvoir include Redmile, Hickling, Harby, Stathern and Langar. Geographically, the River Soar marks the divide between the two counties.

## Towns and parishes

[edit]

See also: List of civil parishes in Nottinghamshire

The former West Bridgford Urban District is an unparished area.[19] The rest of the borough is divided into civil parishes. The parish councils for Bingham and Cotgrave take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council.[20]

## Media

[edit]

In terms of television, Rushcliffe is served by BBC East Midlands and ITV Central with television signals received from the Waltham transmitter [21] and the Nottingham relay transmitter.[22]

Radio stations for the area are:

* BBC Radio Nottingham
* Capital Midlands
* Smooth East Midlands
* Greatest Hits Radio Midlands

## Education

[edit]

Rushcliffe Spencer Academy and West Bridgford school have ranked regularly in the top 100 comprehensive schools in the UK for GCSE results. In 2014 West Bridgford was ranked at 63rd of all comprehensives in the UK with 83% achieving '5+ A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent) including English and maths GCSEs' and Rushcliffe 81st in the UK with 82% achieving 5 A*-C in 2014.[23]

The Becket School (partly geographically outside the Rushcliffe district), West Bridgford School and Rushcliffe Spencer Academy get A level results for 'Average point score per A level student (full-time equivalent)' in the top 10% of all schools in the UK, comprehensive or selective, better than many English grammar schools.[24] These scores are in the top 2% for all UK comprehensives.

Sutton Bonington is in the south of the district, which has the Sutton Bonington Campus of the University of Nottingham.

## Notable residents

[edit]

* Conservative politician Kenneth Clarke (the MP for the area from 1970 to 2019 and who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1993 to 1997) lives in West Bridgford
* Actress Sherrie Hewson (Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Crossroads and Loose Women)
* Famous rose grower Harry Wheatcroft lived with his family in West Bridgford
* The majority of Nottingham Forest Football Club players live in Rushcliffe [citation needed] and have included Stuart Pearce, Andy Cole and Ian Wright. Former Manager Frank Clark lived in Keyworth. A number of ex-Nottingham Forest Players remain in the Rushcliffe area. [citation needed]
* Former England Test cricketer, off spin bowler and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Graeme Swann

## Arms

[edit]

Coat of arms of Rushcliffe

Crest
On a wreath Or and Vert within a mural crown Or charged with three oak leaves a cliff surrounded by rushes Proper.
Escutcheon
Per chevron Sable and Vert in chief two bears salient respectant and in base a representation of the Bingham Butter Cross Or on a chief Argent a barrulet wavy Azure rising therefrom a bridge of three arches Or.
Motto
Salus Populi (The Welfare Of The People)[25][26]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Rushcliffe Local Authority (E07000176)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
2. ^ http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=277083&c=rushcliffe&d=13&e=13&g=479699&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1212004187468&enc=1&dsFamilyId=1812 [dead link‍]
3. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
4. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
5. ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
6. ^ "Cllr Andy Brown is the newly elected Rushcliffe Mayor". Ruschliffe Borough Council. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
7. ^ "Kath Marriott named Chief Executive at Rushcliffe Borough Council". Nottingham Local News. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
8. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
9. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
10. ^ "Rushcliffe". BBC News Online. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
11. ^ "Council minutes". Rushcliffe Borough Council. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
12. ^ Breese, Chris (24 May 2017). "Rushcliffe Borough Council leader Neil Clarke stands down". Notts TV. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
13. ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
14. ^ "Your councillors by party". Rushcliffe Borough Council. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
15. ^ "Borough Council on the move". Rushcliffe Business Partnership. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
16. ^ "Area's first big hotel for 60 years: Now a Trent Bridge view for visitors". Nottingham Evening Post. 28 June 1966. p. 13. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
17. ^ "Rushcliffe Hotel HQ". Nottingham Recorder. 29 July 1982. p. 8. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
18. ^ a b "The Rushcliffe (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/1364, retrieved 3 July 2023
19. ^ a b "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
20. ^ "Parish council contact details". Rushcliffe Borough Council. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
21. ^ "Waltham (Leicestershire, England) Full Freeview transmitter". May 2004.
22. ^ "Nottingham (Nottinghamshire, England) Full Freeview transmitter". May 2004.
23. ^ "DfE". www.education.gov.uk. DfE. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
24. ^ "DfE". www.education.gov.uk/. DfE. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
25. ^ "East Midlands Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
26. ^ "Armorial Bearings". WhatDoTheyKnow. Retrieved 6 October 2024.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Rushcliffe at Wikimedia Commons

* Rushcliffe Country Park

* v
* t
* e

Districts of the East Midlands region of England

Derbyshire|

* Amber Valley
* Bolsover
* Chesterfield
* Derby
* Derbyshire Dales
* Erewash
* High Peak
* North East Derbyshire
* South Derbyshire

Leicestershire|

* Blaby
* Charnwood
* Harborough
* Hinckley and Bosworth
* Leicester
* Melton
* North West Leicestershire
* Oadby and Wigston

Lincolnshire|

* Boston
* East Lindsey
* Lincoln
* North Kesteven
* South Holland
* South Kesteven
* West Lindsey

Nottinghamshire|

* Ashfield
* Bassetlaw
* Broxtowe
* Gedling
* Mansfield
* Newark and Sherwood
* Nottingham
* Rushcliffe

Northamptonshire|

* North Northamptonshire
* West Northamptonshire

Rutland|

Rutland

* v
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Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire

Unitary authorities|

Nottingham

Boroughs or districts|

* Ashfield
* Bassetlaw
* Broxtowe
* Gedling
* Mansfield
* Newark and Sherwood
* Rushcliffe

Major settlements
(cities in italics)|

* Arnold
* Beeston
* Bingham
* Bulwell
* Carlton
* Cotgrave
* Eastwood
* Harworth Bircotes
* Hucknall
* Kimberley
* Kirkby-in-Ashfield
* Mansfield
* Mansfield Woodhouse
* Netherfield
* Newark-on-Trent
* Nottingham
* Ollerton
* Retford
* Stapleford
* Southwell
* Sutton-in-Ashfield
* Tuxford
* Warsop
* West Bridgford
* Worksop
See also: List of civil parishes in Nottinghamshire

Topics|

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