News – Bawtry Town Council

Budget 2026-2027 & Developments at the Memorial Sports Ground

Members considered the budget requirement for 2026-27 in January and had to make some very difficult decisions due to recent developments in the Town. This has resulted in an increase in the precept (the part of the Council tax that is received by the Town Council to maintain the services they deliver) from £93,550 to £120,000. This change was not undertaken lightly and will increase the rate of a Band D property by £19.23 per annum.

The Town Hall needs investment to bring it up to a modern standard. Results from the recent public survey regarding refurbishment of the toilets found that 70% of users found the facilities on site to be poor or very poor with 85% in agreement that public funding was a good investment. We will however still look to obtain grant funding, to at least part-fund any agreed project in due course.

However the most significant change in recent years is that the lease at the Memorial Sports Ground with local Charity, Bawtry Action for Recreation & Sports (BARS), has been forfeited by the tenant. This means that responsibility and liability for the ground has now reverted to the Town Council. The Council will take possession of the facility shortly and will need to put aside significant sums both from the increased precept, and existing reserves to support the ground and make it financially viable as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the former trustees of the Charity have failed to meet their environmental and legal obligations or arguably their charitable objectives. This has led to the unenviable position that legal action has been taken to bring this asset back under the Town Councils control.

We are now looking to working with both the sports clubs and current users to ensure any disruption is minimised. Anyone who has arranged bookings at the ground please contact the Town Clerk on 07494 893954 or email theclerk@bawtrytowncouncil.gov.uk. We will also arrange a public meeting in due course to hear the public views on the future of the ground.

Despite the above course of action we hope we can now look forward to delivering a community facility that both clubs and residents alike can access and benefit from.

CEMETERY FEES

The current fee structure for burials and cremations has meant that the cost of maintenance of the cemetery grounds greatly exceeds the income received. Members have therefore decided to change the fee structure to reflect the cost of keeping the grounds maintained, particularly relating to resident burials. Historically non-resident fees have helped raise sufficient funds to subsidise the low fees charged for resident burials. However, non-resident fees have dwindled to the extent that the ground has now become heavily subsidised.

Full details of the new fees that come into force from 1^st April 2026 are viewable via the home page – go to Services- Cemetery

CEMETERY MEMORIALS

Further to the recent 5-year memorial testing a number of the headstones at the cemetery have been laid down in the interests of public safety. Memorials are the responsibility of the graveowner, not the Council. If you have been affected and you wish to have any memorial reinstated, you may wish to contact local stonemasons such as:

– S P Davis, 55 Church Street, Bawtry, who we understand offer a fixed fee for the reinstallation of standard-size memorials. They can be contacted on 01302 710079

– Keith Ashton Memorials also offer this service at The Forge, High Street, Austerfield on 01302 711085

Please note that you are not obliged to use one of these companies and may appoint a stonemason of your choice, provided all works comply with cemetery regulations.

If you have any other queries please contact the Town Clerk at: theclerk@bawtrytowncouncil.gov.uk

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WE NEED YOUR HELP – COMMUNITY SPEEDWATCH SCHEME!

We hear lots of residents raise issue with the speed of traffic through the town. The Town Council has therefore agreed to fund a Community Speedwatch inititiave in partnership with the Police.

To make this a success we need volunteers!

You can find details about Community Speedwatch Schemes here : https://www.communityspeedwatch.org/FRONT-v2-Home.php

If you are happy to help please register:

1. Visit https://www.communityspeedwatch.org

2. Click on the [Register] tab.

3. Then to the left click on [Join Existing Group].

4. Choose [South Yorkshire] from the pull down and click [Continue].

5. Choose [South Yorkshire District] from the pull down and click [Continue].

6. Now choose [Rossington & Bawtry CSW] from the pull down and click [Continue].

7. Finally complete your details in the registration form and follow the emailed instructions.

Thank you

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Bus franchising (fleet) survey engagement activity

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority bus franchising team is running a six-week engagement activity to:

Understand public experiences of accessibility and safety on board buses.
Gather feedback to shape bus fleet specifications and procurement.
Raise awareness of bus franchising and its phased rollout.
Meet suppliers as part of the procurement process.

As part of the franchising process, buses in Doncaster and most of Sheffield will be the first to come under public control in September 2027. The rollout will continue in Barnsley and Rotherham by the end of 2028, with the rest of Sheffield following in 2029. A full engagement schedule for 2026–2029 is in development.

Here are some links you may find useful: