The Local Government Boundary Commission for - Electoral Review of 2012

Local Links The Parish of forms part of Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Nevile ward encompasses the parishes of Hickling, including Hickling Pastures, Upper Broughton and . The ward is located to the south eastern part of the Borough and covers an area of 3,868 hectares.

The Ward is reflective of a rural ward where there has been a loss of local service facilities over a long period of time. The limited facilities within the villages comprise the following:

 Kinoulton – Public house, village hall, school with a joint use play area, church, a farm shop and cricket ground. A post office operated on a part time basis from St Luke’s Church.  Hickling - Public house, village hall and cricket ground.  Upper Broughton – Public house, village hall, a butcher which offers a mobile butchery service to surrounding village and cricket ground.  Owthorpe - church and village hall

The village halls in each village or hamlet provide a key role in providing a centre for local groups and activities. Wider local services in terms of shops and leisure centres are provided at the larger villages/towns of and although a number of residents will also utilise the facilities at West Bridgford and in the neighbouring county of . There are no GP or Dental practices in the ward with the majority of local people in Kinoulton utilising the GP’s at , or Long Clawson in Leicestershire.

There is a limited bus services supported by the County Council which at the time of writing the service provides access for residents of KInoulton, Hickling and Upper Broughton to . However, Kinoulton is conveniently located in terms of road access to a number of major towns and cities including, Nottingham, , Newark. Loughborough, and Melton Mowbray. This combined with its rural environment has made it an attractive place to live and this is reflected in relatively higher house prices when compared against many Parishes in .

Kinoulton and Hickling have traditionally had strong links with each other for many years. The Grantham Canal provide a major link between the villages flowing through the centre of Kinoulton and the northern end of Hickling, with the Plough Inn providing a source of refreshments before the walk back to Kinoulton. The local cricket teams have experienced local rivalries, for many years they played for the Woolley Cup before league cricket superseded the annual fixture. The local Saturday football team, Hickling FC, drew on player from the respective villages. An allotment has in the last three years been developed in the parish of Kinoulton and the allotments holders come from both villages. The Farm Shop is located at a farm located on Kinoulton Lane between Kinoulton and Hickling and is used by residents from both villages. Similarly, the part time post office in St Luke’s Church, Kinoulton is supported by residents from both Kinoulton and Hickling.

The links between Kinoulton, Hickling and Upper Broughton are reinforced by the fact that: a) The primary school at Kinoulton serves these three villages; and b) The Rector based at the Vicarage in Kinoulton also serves the churches at Hickling and Upper Broughton.

The Grantham Canal together with a number of footpaths also provides a recreational link with the parish of Owthorpe and the annual Owthorpe Show is well attended by residents from Kinoulton. Currently, one of the parish councillors for Kinoulton lives within the hamlet of Owthorpe. For the traditional farming community, Kinoulton, Hickling, Upper Broughton and Owthorpe form part of the country hunted by the Quorn Hunt. With the Owthorpe Borders being shared with the South Notts and being part of the Belvoir Hunt.

When the electoral arrangements were last looked at for Rushcliffe BC in 20001 there were proposals to include Colston Bassett parish within the Nevile ward. At the time Colston Bassett Parish Council argued that “Colston Bassett has no link whatsoever with Kinoulton and surrounding villages in Nevile ward”. Kinoulton Parish Council would agree with this response and considers that there has been no change in these circumstances. The Nevile Ward has three parish councils which means that, currently, the Ward Councillor is able to attend most parish council meeting. Any expansion will put increasing pressures on the ward member and result in a poor service to the villages within the Ward. Kinoulton Parish Council considers that the Nevile Ward is a logical reflection of the links between the four parishes and considers that there is no necessity for any changes to the Ward boundaries.

Number of Councillors Kinoulton Parish Council currently has a membership of seven councillors. It is acknowledged that the Localism Act 2011 has given additional powers for local council and emphasises a more local response to issue. However, while the Parish Council has a leadership role in this context localism reflects the need to include the wider community in any proposals. Consequently, the Parish Council does not foresee any need for a change in the number of councillors serving the Parish.

Notes

1 - Final recommendations on the future electoral arrangements for Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire, Report to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, May 2000)