County Councillor James Gamble

Great to attend the Beef Expo organised by the National Beef Association today.

Pictured here with Neil Shand, Chief Executive of the National Beef Association, and Cllr Faz Choudhury.

As the County Councillor for Sherwood Forest, I work closely with our farming communities and want to do all I can to support local farmers and the wider agricultural sector. One of the reasons I attended was to listen and ask questions during the seminar sessions understanding the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.

Farming plays a vital role in our local economy, food security and rural communities.

More posts and updates to come over the next few days. Thank you County Councillor James Gamble

NBA - BEEF EXPO Reform UK Farmers Weekly FarmingUK

I continue to scrutinise the proposed large-scale NSIP solar developments planned across Newark and Sherwood very carefully.

One issue I believe has not received anywhere near enough attention is the wider **economic impact on existing industries and supply chains** that depend on productive agricultural land.

A few months ago, I visited the Newark sugar processing plant and was kindly given a tour of the facility. As an NSIP application sits on the edge of my County Council division, I wanted to understand the wider economic picture more fully — particularly after I had already presented evidence to the Planning Inspectorate highlighting concerns that the NSIP application had not included an economic impact assessment relating to this major local employer.

What became very clear during that visit is that this is about far more than simply producing sugar.

The Newark operation depends heavily on sugar beet grown within roughly a **30-mile catchment area** around the processing site. These harvesting and processing periods are referred to as “campaigns” within the industry and form a major part of the local agricultural and industrial calendar.

Much of the land proposed for large-scale solar development sits within that wider agricultural geography.

What many people do not realise is that the sugar beet economy supports far more than refined sugar alone.

Sugar beet processing also produces:

* animal feed,
* bioethanol,
* renewable electricity,
* LimeX soil conditioner,
* aggregate products,
* horticultural inputs,
* commercial topsoil products,
* and specialist co-products such as Betaine used in food production, pharmaceuticals, animal nutrition, and industrial manufacturing.

This supports a much wider ecosystem involving:

* farmers,
* hauliers,
* contractors,
* machinery suppliers,
* engineers,
* seasonal workers,
* processing staff,
* local supply chains,
* and rural businesses across the region.

When very large areas of productive agricultural land are removed from long-term production, the question cannot simply be:

>“Can solar panels fit here?”

The real question is:

> “What industries, jobs, products, and economic resilience are displaced over time?”

Energy infrastructure matters.

But so do food production, industrial resilience, local employment, and long-term land-use planning.

Good planning is not anti-energy.

It is about balance, evidence, and understanding the full system before irreversible decisions are made.

County Councillor James Gamble
Sherwood Forest Division
MSc. Biodiversity Conservation

Mansfield Chad Newark Advertiser Robert Jenrick Richard Tice Reform UK Reform UK Nottinghamshire County Council Reform UK Newark Reform UK Sherwood Forest Farmers Weekly FarmingUK

Flick through to page 24 of this month’s edition of the Sherwood Life magazine to see the living willow tunnel I very much enjoyed creating at St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Edwinstowe 🌿

It was a fantastic project to be part of, and I’m so pleased to see it featured. Thank you County Councillor James Gamble

Reform UK Nottinghamshire County Council Nottinghamshire County Council

https://digital.magmanager.co.uk/Reader/Index/2813383?fbclid=IwVERDUASC5rBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR7gvzJnpNIjnqtnymdfks98fqBOP1ziYQxixlZDkFpZw_TodN_Q-hmFDJfFpw_aem_iD6-38GVPAmZqHahGGbwQw

Sherwood Life June 2026 Sherwood Life June 2026

Another fantastic public meeting and guided walk around Intake Wood, Clipstone — this my second leading local residents, campaigners and supporters passionate about protecting our Save Intake Wood - Clipstone - Nottinghamshire .

Now that the 10-year Habitat Management Plan commissioned by Newark & Sherwood District Council has come to light, it is clear that what should have happened in the woodland does not match what actually took place. The plan itself contradicts the scale and nature of the felling that occurred on this site owned by Newark and Sherwood District Council.

It was great to spend time speaking with local Clipstone residents alongside members of Save Intake Wood, before leading the group around the different woodland compartments and wayleaves, explaining what the management plan says should have happened compared to the reality on the ground.

Thank you to everyone who attended, shared their concerns and continues to stand up for our local environment and woodland wildlife. Still much to do from me, I'll Keep you all posted. Thank you everyone for joining me today 👍 County Councillor James Gamble

Newark and Sherwood District Council Mansfield Chad
Reform UK Sherwood Forest Richard Tice Newark Advertiser Robert Jenrick
Reform UK Nottinghamshire County Council Nottinghamshire Live Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust