Welcome to the
Blackwell Parish Council website
Blackwell Parish News
UPCOMING PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS:
Blackwell Parish Council hold their meetings on the first Monday of the month (unless it is a bank holiday or there are exceptional circumstances), and the meeting venue is rotated between the three community centres in Blackwell, Hilcote and Newton and Westhouses Primary School in Westhouses.
Relevant documents will be linked below a week before the meeting.
The Monthly Parish Council Meeting will take place on Monday 2nd June 2025, 7pm at Hilcote Community Centre
Annual Parish Council Meeting Agenda
For the most recent crime figures please click the link below:
Committee Meetings:
Finance and HR Committee - To be arranged
Parks, Floral and Events Committee - To be arranged
Parish Facilities Committee - TBA
Charity Committee Meetings- To be arranged
If you require documents in a different format, please contact the Clerk via e-mail -
clerk@blackwellpc.org.uk. Thank you.
Schedule of Meetings for the Municipal Year 2025-26
FULL COUNCIL
Monday 2nd June 2025 – 7pm, Hilcote Community Centre
Monday 7th July 2025 – 7pm, Newton Community Centre
AUGUST – no meeting
Monday 1st September 2025 – 7pm, Blackwell Community Centre
Monday 6th October 2025 – 7pm, Westhouses Primary School
Monday 3rd November 2025 – 7pm, Hilcote Community Centre
Monday 1st December 2025 – 7pm, Newton Community Centre
Monday 12th January 2026 (deferred a week) – 7pm, Blackwell Community Centre
Monday 2nd February 2026 – 7pm, Westhouses Primary School
Monday 2nd March 2026 – 7pm, Hilcote Community Centre
Monday 13th April 2026 – 7pm, Newton Community Centre
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING – 6pm, Hilcote Community Centre – DATE TO BE ARRANGED
ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING- 7pm, Monday 11th May 2026 – Blackwell Community Centre
Blackwell Parish (Hilcote and Blackwell Ward) Election Timetable of Proceedings

Notice of Commencement 2024-2025
NOTICE
The full notice can be seen by clicking the link here: Notice of Commencement 2024-2025
1. Date of announcement Tuesday 3rd June 2025 _______________(a)
2. Each year the smaller authority’s Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) needs to be reviewed by an external auditor appointed by Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments Ltd. The unaudited AGAR has been published with this notice. As it has yet to be reviewed by the appointed auditor, it is subject to change as a result of that review.
Any person interested has the right to inspect and make copies of the accounting records for the financial year to which the audit relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records must be made available for inspection by any person interested.
For the year ended 31 March 2025, these documents will be available on reasonable notice by application to:
(b) Kate Poynter, Clerk.
Hilcote Community Centre, 544 New Street, Hilcote, ALFRETON Derbyshire DE55 5HU
Tel: 01773 580002
Email: clerk@blackwellpc.org.uk
commencing on (c) __Wednesday 4th June 2025 _______________________ and ending on (d) ___Tuesday 15th July 2025______________________
3. Local government electors and their representatives also have:
• The opportunity to question the appointed auditor about the accounting records; and
• The right to make an objection which concerns a matter in respect of which the appointed auditor could either make a public interest report or apply to the court for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful. Written notice of an objection must first be given to the auditor and a copy sent to the smaller authority. The appointed auditor can be contacted at the address in paragraph 4 below for this purpose between the above dates only.
4. The smaller authority’s AGAR is subject to review by the appointed auditor under the provisions of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 and the NAO’s Code of Audit Practice 2015.
The appointed auditor is:
PKF Littlejohn LLP (Ref: SBA Team)
15 Westferry Circus Canary Wharf London E14 4HD (sba@pkf-l.com)
5. This announcement is made by (e) Kate Poynter, Clerk
Office Opening Hours
Any Blackwell Parish Council office closures will be noted here: closed on the Public Bank Holidays
Normal opening hours are:
Monday 9am-2pm
Wednesday 9am-2pm
Friday 9am-2pm
There may be times during these opening hours when staff aren’t able to come to the door– for example, if they are in a meeting or are training. There may also be times when the office has to close during these hours– for example, if staff have to visit another site. Any pre-known updates/closures will be put on the website here. To make an appointment to see someone, email the clerk using the address at the bottom of this page.
Dog Fouling
Bolsover District Council
Crackdown on dog fouling
We are cracking down on irresponsible dog owners after being made aware of increased amounts of dog fouling across the district.
The increase in dog fouling has led us to step up our patrols and target hotspot areas and can issue £100 fixed penalty notices for offences on the spot. In addition to this, we have also erected street signage and stencil pavements with messages to raise awareness of the problem.
Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Rob Hiney-Saunders said, “This is not something new as for the past thirty years it has been a criminal offence not to pick up after your dog, yet we still get some irresponsible dog owners who do not do it.
Why?
“People need to take responsibility for their dog and realise the consequences of leaving dog mess on pavements/recreation grounds, or other public space. It is not only unsightly but is a health hazard and carries significant risk to human health due to toxocariasis.
“It takes very little time and effort to clean up after your dog and to claim ignorance of the dog's actions, or not having a bag on you, is no defence.”
Anyone unable to find a dog bin near them should take their dog waste home and put it in their household waste bin.
Dog fouling is not only deeply unpleasant, and unsightly it can also be dangerous. Whilst rare, contact with dog excrement can cause toxocariasis – a nasty infection that can lead to dizziness, nausea, asthma and even blindness or seizures. Another reason to keep it off our streets.
A Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has been in place across Bolsover District since October 2020 to try and improve the enjoyment of public spaces for people and reduce anti-social behaviour caused by dog fouling and nuisance.
The Order, which is exempt for assistance dogs, includes the following requirements for dog owners:
- REMOVE your dogs’ poo immediately from all public places across the whole district.
- KEEP dogs out of all children’s play areas, Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGA) and gym equipment zones.
- KEEP your dogs on a lead on a public road and pavement, pedestrianised areas, churchyards and cemeteries at all times.
- NO MORE than six dogs under your control at any one time.
- YOU MUST, whilst you are in charge of a dog, carry appropriate bag(s) or receptacle to remove their dog poo.
Councillor Hiney-Saunders said, “We want to strike a balance between the needs of people using open grounds for recreation and leisure and those who exercise their dog and use them as public open space. So, the Order is in place to improve the enjoyment of public spaces whilst reducing anti-social behaviour caused by dog fouling and nuisance.”
If you are a dog owner, please do not be offended if approached by one our enforcement officers and asked to show that you have the means to pick up after your dog. Failure to demonstrate you have the means to pick up could result in a fixed penalty notice in-line with the PSPO conditions set out.
Offenders can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £100, and if the case goes to court it could cost the owner, or person in charge of the animal, up to £1,000.
To report dog fouling or a breach of the Dog Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), please visit our Self Service portal or telephone 01246 242424.

As a parish, we have 53 bins. Dog waste can be disposed of in any bin.
Please find the latest document with all 53 Parish bins locations linked below:

Parish News
- Additional CCTV has been put on Scanderlands Recreation Ground. This was funded by the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Anti-Social Behaviour Prevention Grant
- We have appointed a new Designated Premises Supervisor for the Community Centres so a bar may be available for your event. enquire for more information.
UPCOMING EVENTS - Community Dates for Your Diary...
This will be updated after the latest newsletter in Spring
Derbyshire County Council Mobile Library visits coming up (four weekly service):
Thursdays:
Newton- Community Centre- 10am until 10.40am- 10-Apr, 08-May, 05-Jun
Newton- Red Barn Close- 10.45am until 11.10am- 10-Apr, 08-May, 05-Jun
Newton- Charnwood Crescent- 11.15am until 11.35am -10-Apr, 08-May, 05-Jun
Newton- Dale Avenue- 11.40am until 12pm- 10-Apr, 08-May, 05-Jun
Blackwell- Community Centre- 12.40pm until 2pm -10-Apr, 08-May, 05-Jun
Blackwell- Westfield Drive- 2.05pm until 2.30pm -10-Apr, 08-May, 05-Jun
Westhouses- Seymour Villa, Alfreton Road- 2.40pm until 3pm- 10-Apr, 08-May, 05-Jun
DERBYSHIRE COMMUNITY TRANSPORT:
New 143 bus service that runs between East Midlands Designer Outlet - Alfreton - Matlock
According to the timetable, it stops in Hilcote, Blackwell and Westhouses:
Please click on the link below for full details:
Known Upcoming Road Closures...
12 May 20:00 - 13 May 06:00 34252259 A38 slip road, South Normanton: To facilitate drainage & tree cutting works.. Diversion will be in place. Causeway one.network
19th May- 2nd June 34253664 New Ln, Hilcote: To facilitate access to underground structure. Causeway one.network
23 Jun 20:00 - 31 Jul 06:00 34255335 B6019 Mansfield Rd, South Normanton: To facilitate National Highways maintenance works to M1 J28. Causeway one.network
16th Aug 04:00-11:00
34255441 A38 Mansfield Rd, South Normanton: Temporary speed restriction to facilitate highway maintenance works.
Causeway one.network
Click here to view information about the Charities
Click here to view information our Community Groups
Click here to view information about Damage and Vandalism
Contact Us
Council Office - Hilcote Community Centre
544 New Street, Hilcote, ALFRETON, Derbyshire DE55 5HU
Opening Hours:
Monday: 9am - 2pm
Wednesday: 9am - 2pm
Friday: 9am - 2pm
Please note that we are CLOSED on bank holidays. Thank you.
Please also note that there will be times during these opening hours when staff aren't able to come to the door - for example if they are in a meeting or are training. To make an appointment to see someone, email the clerk on the address below.
Telephone: 01773 580002
Clerk e-mail: clerk@blackwellpc.org.uk
Admin Assistant e-mail: admin@blackwellpc.org.uk
Projects and Procurement Assistant email: projects@blackwellpc.org.uk
Registered Office
Blackwell Community Centre
Woburn Close, Blackwell, ALFRETON, Derbyshire DE55 5HH
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