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Royal Mail considers launching ‘bin collection’ style website in bid to cut services

Royal Mail is reportedly planning to set up a new “bin-collection” type website so that householders can track which day they will receive their mail in a bid to cut back on services.

The Guardian is reporting that the 507-year-old company has proposed creating an online service where customers can input their postcode to discover when their letters and packages are due.

It would be similar to the dedicated government webpage that allows consumers in England and Wales to look up their bin collection days.

The regulator Ofcom is said to be studying the proposals along with plans to scrap second-class letter deliveries on Saturdays.

Plans on the table suggest that second-class post wouldn’t be delivered on Saturdays and would instead operate on alternate weekdays.

Since January, Ofcom has been discussing the future of the postal service as it aims to maintain a six-day-a-week deliveries for first-class mail.

The regulator recently fined Royal Mail £5.6m last year for missing delivery targets. In the three months to June 30 it has been revealed they delivered less than 80 per cent of first-class post on time.

A senior industry source told The Guardian that: “The idea is that this new site would work in the same way as the bin collection one. Anything Royal Mail can do to show that cuts can be done smoothly and the service can be more predictable and reliable could convince Ofcom.”

The industry source added: “Those who rely on the service the most will be those, typically older, people who are not connected to the internet to check when their deliveries are due.

“Also, if this lists when the post is supposed to be delivered – that’s not a guarantee the delivery will happen given the current state of the service. Royal Mail must not allowed to reduce the service without improving reliability.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Ahead of any potential reform of the universal service, Royal Mail is exploring a range of options to ensure customers have the information they need about their local postal services.”

MAPPERLEY: Nottinghamshire Hospice stars shine in new recruitment advertising campaign

Dedicated staff from Nottinghamshire Hospice in Mapperley are the stars of a unique new advertising campaign being launched in a bid to attract more people to its care team.

A wave of new posters, blogs and social media will be drawing attention to what it’s like caring for people who are dying.

In the campaign they are highlighting the unique type of care Nottinghamshire Hospice provides, and the benefits of working for the charity.

It’s hoped this will attract new nurses and healthcare assistants to join their Hospice In Your Home team, enabling them to deliver even more care to people who need it.

Be Jackson, a Nottinghamshire Hospice Nurse, is one of the stars of the new campaign.

Be Jackson is one of the stars of the new Hospice recruitment campaign

In the campaign they are highlighting the unique type of care Nottinghamshire Hospice provides, and the benefits of working for the charity

She said: “The more I did the hospice work, the more I could feel like this is where my heart is. It fits a lot more with my personal values and how I want to nurse. I don’t want nursing to be a conveyor belt. I don’t want to be surviving a shift thinking ‘I wish I had more time to support that family.’”

Rachel Hucknall, CEO at Nottinghamshire Hospice, said: “Our team of compassionate care staff are at the beating heart of everything we do at the Hospice. Their dedication to providing people with a good death, surrounded by home comforts and loved ones, is truly wonderful.”

Kathy Page, Lead Nurse for Nottinghamshire Hospice’s Hospice In Your Home service added: “We’re all trying to bring comfort to patients and families… it’s nice to be able to come in and find that people are smiling and laughing. It’s a real pleasure to do.”

There are a variety of paid roles being recruited by the Hospice, and the charity is eager to receive new applicants.

The posters for the campaign can be seen at tram stops and on buses for all of September, and full stories from their staff are on their website. 

To find out more about working for the Hospice, head to their website: Hospice In Your Home Roles – Nottinghamshire Hospice (nottshospice.org)

The planned roadworks and road changes in Gedling borough

A number of roadworks, and changes to the roads, are set to take place on Gedling borough’s roads during the next few weeks.

The roadworks and road changes include things such as speed alterations, repair works and changing the layout of the roads. 

Most of the roadworks are being undertaken by Nottinghamshire County Council while a couple are being led by Severn Trent Water, National Grid and OpenReach

These are the roadworks and closures you need to know about

Arnold Lane, Gedling
13 September – 17 September
Roadworks, Delays likely
Responsibility for works: National Grid

Carlton Hill, Carlton
12 September – 16 September
Roadworks, Delays likely
Responsibility for works: National Grid

Florence Road, Mapperley
16 September – 23 September
Roadworks, Delays likely due to road closure for patching repairs from junction area with Porchester Road and junction area with Hill View Road.
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Mansfield Road, Arnold
12 September – 13 September
Delays likely due to lane closure
Responsibility for works: Vodafone

Nottingham Road, Burton Joyce
16 September – 20 September
Roadworks, Delays likely
Responsibility for works: Openreach

Ollerton Road, Calverton
16 September – 21 September
Delays likely road closure for resurfacing of the carriageway at the junction of the B6386 Oxton Road.
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Oxton Road, Arnold
16 September – 21 September
Delays likely due to road closure to facilitate resurfacing works on the A614 Ollerton Road.
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

St Albans Road, Arnold
11 September
Delays likely due to road closure
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Woodthorpe Drive, Woodthorpe
16 September – 19 September
Roadworks, Delays likely
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Acton Road, Arnold
16 September – 18 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Allwood Drive, Carlton
13 September – 16 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Avon Road, Gedling
11 September – 13 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Bennett Road, Mapperley
16 September – 17 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Bestwood Lodge Drive, Arnold
11 September – 13 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Openreach

Buntings Lane, Carlton
11 September – 13 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: National Grid

Carmel Gardens, Arnold
11 September – 17 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Global Utility Connections

Colliery Way, Gedling
16 September – 27 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: National Grid

Deep Furrow Avenue, Carlton
12 September – 16 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

First Avenue, Colwick
12 September – 13 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Foxhill Road East, Carlton
12 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Openreach

High Street, Arnold
10 September – 12 September
Delays possible due to lane closure from Cross Street to Arnot Hill Road junction.
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Hucknall Road, Newstead
10 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: National Grid

Lambley Lane, Gedling
10 September – 13 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Longdale Lane, Ravenshead
11 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Lorimer Avenue, Gedling
13 September – 16 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Main Street, Burton Joyce
16 September – 17 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Openreach

Main Street, Lambley
16 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Mansfield Road, Woodthorpe
11 September – 12 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Nether Pasture, Netherfield
12 September – 13 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Nottingham Road, Arnold
10 September – 12 September
Delays possible due to lane closure from St. Albans Road/Arnot Hill Road junction to Cross Street.
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Oxclose Lane, Arnold
16 September – 27 September
Delays possible due to lane closure for painting of footbridge
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Regina Crescent, Ravenshead
12 September – 13 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Saltford Close, Gedling
10 September – 12 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Station Road, Carlton
11 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Thackerays Lane, Woodthorpe
10 September – 12 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Valley Road, Carlton
12 September – 13 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Westdale Lane East, Gedling
13 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Wighay Road, Linby
11 September – 12 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Willow Wong, Burton Joyce
16 September
Roadworks, Delays possible
Responsibility for works: Openreach

Two teenage boys arrested as knife and drugs seized in Arnold town centre

Two teenage boys have been arrested after two knives and cannabis were found in Arnold.

Officers swooped on the duo in the town centre on Thursday, September 5.

Officers from the Gedling Neighbourhood Policing team chased down and arrested the two teenagers after they’d seen them acting suspiciously on Front Street.

Searches were carried out which led to a small dagger being seized and another knife being recovered from a bin. A quantity of cannabis was also seized.

The two suspects – a 17-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy – were both taken into custody.

The 17-year-old, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was subsequently charged with possessing a knife in a public place.

Front Street Arnold
They were seen acting suspiciously on Front Street Arnold

He was later released, with strict bail conditions, and is next due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on September 18.

The 15-year-old was arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife in a public place and possession of cannabis. He was released, with strict bail conditions, while inquiries continue.

Sergeant James Carrington, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Thanks to the instincts and awareness of the officers involved in this incident, we were able to take two knives off the streets while detaining two suspects.

“We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our communities safe.

“We will not tolerate people carrying knives and those who do will be appropriately dealt with.

“There is no excuse, and people should know they are more likely to become a victim of knife crime themselves if they choose to carry a knife.

“As shown on this occasion, by being out on proactive patrols and having eyes on the ground in targeted areas, our neighbourhood officers are able to spot suspicious behaviour that might otherwise be missed, which does also often lead us to other offending too.”

Community day of action planned to help improve Daybrook

Local residents in Daybrook are being invited to sign up to an event that organisers hope will make a difference in the community.

The Love Daybrook event is being held on Saturday, October 12 and is being organised by St Paul’s Church Daybrook.

Those taking part can spend a few hours working together to make a difference in their neighbourhood, and then enjoy a catered lunch while they share how the projects have gone. 

Litter-pick
Teams will be clearing, litter picking and gardening to help tidy up areas in need

Jo Jones, kids and youth leader at St Paul’s Daybook said: “Love Daybrook is a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to make friends and have fun together.

“We have a range of kids, teenagers, adults and seniors already booked on. Our teams are going into Coppice Lodge and Seagrave Court to lead a singalong with residents, as well as a kids’ team running football and face-painting on Shelley Road playground.

“There are also teams set up for creating furniture from pallets for an eco garden, and others will be clearing, litter picking and gardening to help tidy up areas in need.

“Everyone gets a free t-shirt to wear and if you see us out and about please come and say hello.”

“Thanks to Jigsaw Homes and Local Councillors for their contributions to this event.”

Sign up is open now and more information can be found at https://www.stpaulsdaybrook.co.uk/lovedaybrook.

All the scams people across Gedling borough should know about this week

People across Gedling borough are being urged to be careful as more new scams emerge.

Action Fraud, Which? and Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards constantly issue scam warnings to make people aware of the latest attempts by fraudsters to get them to part with their cash or personal details.

Here are the most recent scam warnings it has issued to people across the borough.

Parking fine text scam

A new scam text about an unpaid parking fine is doing the rounds and leads to a copycat government website.

The text from a random number tells you: ‘an unpaid parking fine was found on your vehicle,’ and that you need to ‘pay immediately.’

It includes a dodgy link hosted by ‘qrco.de’, which is a QR code generator.

Reporters from Which? magazine put random characters into the ‘vehicle registration’ box and each time where given a bogus PCN (penalty charge) number and told they owed a £25 fine.

After this page, you’re asked for more personal and payment data including your name, email, phone number and home address to pay the fine.

The only sign indicating that this website was fraudulent was the URL. All official government pages start with gov.uk.

You can report scam websites to the National Cyber Security Centre and texts can be forwarded to 7726.

NatWest credit card email scam

A scam email claiming to be from NatWest is being circulated and tells you that your ‘NatWest credit card account’ hasn’t been updated and that you will lose access to your account in 48 hours.

To stop this, the email provides a malicious link to ‘update’ your account.

Scam callers claiming to be from BT and Virgin Media

Which? have posted an alert following recent reports on Who Called Me about scam callers claiming to be from BT or Virgin Media.

Callers ask the recipient for information about their internet routers and others said they were calling to talk about issues with their internet connection.

The scam callers then come up with reasons to get your personal and financial details.

You can report scam calls by forwarding the number to 7726.

Microsoft malware email scam

An email claiming to be from Microsoft customer services claims that the tech giant has received ’62 complaints about your email account from Google Drive.’

It then claims your account has been spreading malware and viruses via spam emails sent from your email address.

It includes a link to ‘run and scan for viruses.’ However, this leads to a malicious site that will either download malware to your device or take you to a phishing website.

Trust calls for residents’ help to trace pollution in River Trent

A public survey which uncovers the extent of pollution in and around the River Trent has again opened up to allow Gedling borough people to help protect the river.

Trent Rivers Trust has called on people within the River Trent area to take part in the The Big River Watch.

The initiative gathers local river data from across the UK and Ireland to assess the state of waterways.

Last year more than half of people who took part in the scheme found evidence of pollution.

Trent Rivers, part of the national Rivers Trust, is a charity which focuses on the restoration and conservation of rivers, including waterways that join with the Trent.

The Big River Watch started last Friday (September 6) and will continue until Thursday (September 12).

The trust is encouraging people in and around Nottinghamshire to take part in the initiative by downloading the free Big River Watch app to log their observations on waterways near them.

The app allows users to submit their perceptions of their river’s naturalness, wildlife and pollution, along with the mental benefits of being near water.

In 2023 more than 500 participants across the Trent area spent six days recording data on the River Trent and its many tributaries, including the Dove, Derwent, Soar, Cole, Blithe.

Around 56 per cent of participants found evidence of silt, livestock, algal and sewage as the most common signs of pollution.

The team at Trent Rivers Trust aims to build nature-based solutions to help rivers function organically.

Vanessa Sumpmann, Communications Officer at Trent Rivers Trust, said: “The last two surveys, we’ve seen that people are recording issues with livestock pollution, road runoff, sewage,

“The issue isn’t a single issue, it’s not just sewage, we really need to restore our landscapes to improve the health of our rivers.”

Some of Nottingham’s waterway problems may also stem from unnatural modifications made to them.

Vanessa said: “A lot of our rivers are very much modified, [the River Trent] has a bit of a concrete bed.

“Cromwell Weir [near Cromwell, north of Newark], that has a massive impact on salmon migration- a lot of rivers we see they’re not in their natural state and a part of our mission is to restore that as much as we can and allow rivers to hold the life they can hold.

“If we look at our rivers, none of them are in good overall condition, the number one reason is agricultural pollution, followed by sewage pollution.”

The team are hoping the initiative will “open” up the conversation regarding local rivers and the state they are in.

Vanessa added: “I think it’s quite difficult for the public to look at a river and to feel that confidence to see what it is that may be right or wrong with that river without having these tools to ask the right questions.

“I think it’s about people connecting with their local river and reflecting on the impact being near blue spaces has on them and putting your stretch of river on the map and making sure you feel empowered to recognise the state it is in and start those conversations to help up demand better for rivers locally and nationally.”

Matt Easter, cheif executive of Trent Rivers Trust, said: “People are treasuring their rivers here in the Trent catchment and concerns are running justifiably high.

“By joining the Big River Watch, people can put their stretch of river on a map that will help us start conversations locally and demand better for rivers nationally. The Big River Watch is a chance to invest in your own wellbeing and that of your river.”

Results of the survey will be updated in real time on the trust’s online interactive dashboard.

Gedling borough Birds Bakeries to open doors every Sunday – starting this weekend

Birds Bakery has announced it will be opening the doors of their Gedling borough stores on Sundays – starting from this weekend. 

The bakery chain said the new Sunday openings will also give people greater flexibility to enjoy a wide range of pastries, cream cakes, savoury treats and more, on any day of the week. 

In addition to customer convenience, bakery bosses hope to ‘make the high street great again’.

Sunday store openings will begin on Sunday, September 15 at its Arnold, Mapperley and Teal Park sites.

Birds Bakery
Sunday store openings will begin on Sunday, September 15 at its Arnold, Mapperley and Teal Park sites.

The new opening hours will create over 70 additional jobs across the stores, bakery, and dispatch operations.

Jamie Bird, director of Strategy at Birds, commented on the new opening hours: “We’re thrilled to be opening our bakery doors on Sundays to provide our customers with even more opportunities to enjoy our products.

“With more shops extending their trading hours to include Sundays, we wanted to ensure our customers can shop with us if they are out and about. Our hope is that by being open every day of the week, we can contribute to making the high street a vibrant and bustling place once again.”

In addition to the new schedule, Birds is introducing a new lunch range. Among the highlights are a vegetarian lemon and herb hummus with a crunchy slaw multiseed baton, a continental-style salami and Emmental multiseed baton, a Red Leicester and caramelised onion chutney chia sandwich, and a hummus and falafel salad bowl joining the salad range.

Urgent repair plan to be drawn up at Newstead Abbey to remove it from heritage risk register

Urgent repair works are being planned at the ancestral home of poet Lord Byron in a bid to remove it from the heritage at risk register.

The project to develop a programme of repairs at Newstead Abbey will cost £130,000, with £104,000 coming from Historic England and the remainder from Nottingham City Council.

The site is managed by the Labour-run authority’s City museums and galleries service.

The plan is expected to be finished by February 2025.

“Following on from previous restoration and development work delivered at Newstead Abbey over the last five years, the museum service has been working with Historic England to develop up a programme of urgent repairs to remove Newstead Abbey from the Heritage at Risk Register,” council delegated decision documents say.

“Currently the building suffers from long-term ingress resulting in internal areas becoming unsafe for staff, visitors, volunteers and collections.”

Newstead Abbey dates back as far as the 12th century and was home to the poet from 1808 to 1814.

Newstead_Abbey
Newstead Abbey is managed by the Labour-run authority’s City museums and galleries service.

In 2014 a condition survey revealed the roofing needed replacing urgently and within five years.

Work has been taking place ever since, however some areas of the roof are now being propped up to prevent collapse.

In some areas, particularly in storage areas, ceilings have collapsed and the
museum collections have been relocated to protect them.

“The grant award of £104,000 from Historic England will enable the service to contract a professional team,” documents add.

“Individual contracts will be awarded to a conservation accredited architect, structural engineer and quantity surveyor to develop up the programme of repairs to support future funding applications whereby the programme of repairs can then be delivered.”

Newstead Abbey’s 18th Century Cannon Fort and dock, which sits across the lake, was also put on the risk register in 2018.

It was built in around 1750 and was used for entertainment, including the recreation of famous naval battles.

In 2019 funding for the masonry work on the fort, and repairs to the West Front of the abbey, was granted.

Historic England made a grant of £151,334 at the time, alongside The World Monuments Fund which gave £57,000, and the council which provided £101,666.

Aldi remains UK’s cheapest supermarket despite rival loyalty schemes

Budget retailer Aldi has been named as the cheapest UK supermarket in August, beating Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, even when factoring in loyalty discounts.

According to the latest data from Which?, which compared the prices of 62 popular grocery items including Heinz baked beans, milk and cheese, Aldi was the least expensive at £110.58.

Lidl was a close second, costing £111.88 with the Lidl Plus discount and £112.17 without the loyalty scheme savings.

Meanwhile, the consumer watchdog found that Asda was £9.68 more expensive than the discounter, costing £121.85 for the 62 items.

While Tesco and Sainsbury’s prices were close, Tesco was cheaper at £123.13 with a Clubcard discount, followed by £123.62 at Tesco without the loyalty savings.

Sainsbury’s with Nectar prices was just 13p more expensive at £123.75, while the price for the items at the supermarket giant without the Nectar discounts was £129.63.

Morrisons came in at just 16p more expensive than Sainsbury’s at £129.79, followed by Ocado at £133.99 and Waitrose as the priciest grocer at £140.89.

For a larger shop of 165 items (excluding Aldi and Lidl), Asda was again the cheapest traditional supermarket at £424.51, however, Sainsbury’s with a Nectar card was found to be cheaper than Tesco with a Clubcard at £428.10 and £430.15, respectively.

Aldi UK managing director of buying Julie Ashfield said: “We’ve always promised our customers that we will never be beaten on price, and when looking at the Which? analysis, the results speak for themselves.

“Our ongoing commitment to providing shoppers with the very best, for less clearly shines through when customers see how much money they can save simply by switching to Aldi.”

Waitrose was again found to be the most expensive supermarket, costing £466.08 for the larger trolley of items.