Homelessness Review and Homelessness Prevention Strategies for Three Nottinghamshire District Councils

Expressions of Interest are invited from those who are suitably qualified and experienced in carrying out a full review of homelessness throughout Mansfield, Ashfield and Newark and Sherwood Districts and as a result of the findings compile individual homelessness prevention strategies for each area together with a combined launch. A subsequent review is also required to evaluate the impact of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 12-18 months following its implementation.

Mansfield is a market town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. The town is around 12 miles (19 km) north of Nottingham. The district of Mansfield is a largely urban area situated in the north west of Nottinghamshire, the vast majority of residents live in Mansfield (including Mansfield Woodhouse), with Market Warsop a secondary centre, and the remainder in the rural north of the district.

Historically, the district has been influenced heavily by its industrial past with coal mining and textiles thriving in the district until their decline in the 1990s but in common with the national economy the area has seen the decline of these sectors.

Ashfield covers an area of 10,956 hectares and is located on the western side of Nottinghamshire. The district contains three major towns, Sutton in Ashfield and Kirkby in Ashfield to the north of the district and Hucknall to the south. There are rural areas around Selston, Jacksdale and Underwood towards the west. The main settlements share strong historic economic and cultural links based around the growth and subsequent decline of coal mining, textiles and engineering industries.

Newark and Sherwood covers an area of 65,140 hectares and is therefore the largest district in Nottinghamshire. The district has three large centres of population which are concentrated in and around Newark town, Ollerton and Southwell but also covers many rural locations resulting in some areas being overseen by two local authorities, especially in the west. Newark-on-Trent, together with Balderton, forms the largest urban concentration throughout the district. Many settlements in the west of the district, such as Ollerton and the surrounding villages are former coal mining villages. Southwell and Newark are towns which have experienced different industrialisation but has seen growth in the areas of ironworks, engineering, brewing, and sugar refinery being established over the last 100 years. Transport links are strong with the East Coast mainline and access to the A46/A1 being available at Newark, therefore, many people commute into Nottingham, Lincoln and London for work.