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Carlton Town FC make play-offs for first time since 2012 and now hope to make club history

Justin Doddy
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Carlton Town FC make play-offs for first time since 2012 and now hope to make club history

Despite losing 3 – 1 at home to Dunston on Tuesday April 23 The Millers are heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

Needing just two points from their last two games to cement their playoff place the loss did not matter as their only rivals for the final play-off berth, Belper Town were soundly beaten 3 – 0 by Pontefract.

Success in the playoffs would see The Millers reaching the Northern Premier League’s Premier Division for the first time in the club’s history.

Carlton Town’s final league game is away to Brighouse on Saturday April 27 however all eyes will be focussed on a trip to the North East in the Semi Final on Tuesday April 30 where they will take on either Hebburn or Stockton.

A semi final win would set up a potential final on Saturday May 4 against either Dunston or Pontefract Collieries.

IMAGE: League table with one game remaining (Courtesy of Pitchero)

FULL MATCH REPORT FROM DUNSTON GAME TO FOLLOW

Carlton Town also continue their community work in May when their season ends as they host a number of charity matches. The first charity match has been announced for May 5 as four teams will play for the Trophy For Peace in support of the Ukraine community.

The club have issued a statement on their website stating: ‘Admission is by way of a donation and there will be stalls and a raffle which will be drawn at 4.45pm in the Howard Mitchell Sportsbar. The event continues into the evening with the event moving across to the Raglan Road Irish bar on Derby road in Nottingham where further fund raising and entertainment will be on the menu. Anyone wanting to get involved with this event and support and help ease the suffering for the Ukraine victims in this war can ring Taz on 07411 748917.’


Gedling borough weather Wednesday, April 23

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Gedling borough weather Wednesday, April 23

A good deal of sunshine is forecast by the Met Office throughout the day, with variable cloud and a few isolated showers possible. Feeling cool. Maximum temperature 11 °C.

Tonight is expected to see any showers largely dissipating overnight with clear intervals and variable cloud. Feeling cold with a chance of frost as winds fall light. Minimum temperature 3 °C.

Tomorrow will see sunny spells, light winds and scattered showers expected, with showers largely dissipating overnight. Feeling cold with an overnight frost. Maximum temperature 11 °C.

Gedling Borough Council reveal they would need to pay almost £1m to help make Arnold HQ energy efficient

Joe Locker (LDR Reporter)
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Gedling Borough Council reveal they would need to pay almost £1m to help make Arnold HQ energy efficient

Gedling Borough Council would need to contribute almost £1m to help make its headquarters more energy efficient and better for the environment.

In March 2022, the Labour-run authority approved its Carbon Management Strategy and Action Plan, which details more than 100 initiatives to ensure the council achieves net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Net zero is when the amount of greenhouse gases pumped into the atmosphere is reduced proactively, and whatever is added is no more than what is taken away.

It differs from carbon-neutral, which refers to the balancing out of the total amount of carbon emissions through offsetting initiatives.

During a Gedling Borough Council Scrutiny Committee meeting on Monday, April 22, Melvyn Cryer, the council’s head of environment, said one of the main challenges in achieving the target is improving the authority’s ageing buildings.

The council’s Civic Centre, in Arnold, currently runs on six gas boilers, and it would take more than 20 energy-efficient heat pumps to replace them.

While the Government has been giving out grants through its ‘Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme’ to help councils fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures, Mr Cryer said the authority would have to contribute if the Civic Centre was to be improved.

He said the project would cost £2.1m, and the council would have to contribute “in excess of £900,000”.

“We’ve got to wrestle with moving into the future,” he said.

However, Mr Cryer noted carbon emissions had already been reduced by 22 per cent between 2019/20 and 2022/23.

This has largely been put down to changing the fuel that council vehicles run on.

“Overall our carbon emissions have reduced by 22 per cent, which indicates a significant move in the right direction, with more to come,” Mr Cryer said.

“The main driver of this has been the change in fleet fuel use in April 2023 onwards, from hydrocarbon diesel to hydrotreated vegetable oil, or HVO fuel. This has seen a 90 per cent reduction per vehicle in our CO2 emissions across our fleet.

“This advanced renewable fuel works in the diesel engine without the need for further capital expenditure or changes to our fleet infrastructure.

“Although slightly more expensive, at 17p per litre more, it produces an effective solution on our journey towards decarbonisation for the next generation.”

Cllr Grahame Pope (Lab) questioned whether taxis operating across Gedling would be required to make similar changes.

He said: “Can I just start by commending the council on the move to using HVO fuels and driving down our carbon emissions, despite calls from other parties to move back to diesel.

“My question relates to taxis and whether there is more we can do as a council to reduce carbon levels from taxi use?”

Mr Cryer said: “At the moment we aren’t doing anything in that area but we could certainly do so, bearing in mind running a taxi is a person’s livelihood and then there are the requirements to increase the costs of fuel that we would be asking of them.

“But certainly we can make recommendations along those lines.”

In 2022, the council also introduced its anti-idling legislation, which states drivers can be issued a £20 fine, increasing to £40 if not paid within 28 days, if vehicles are left running while stationary.

Last year the council further wrote to more than 50 schools in the borough to ask for support to educate parents about the dangers of idling vehicles.

Asking about the campaign, Cllr Kyle Robinson-Payne (Lab) said: “I know you said in the report we’d had teams of staff going out there and promoting that campaign, trying to get parents and guardians who are dropping children off to change their habits, has that been successful? Has it stuck with people or do we need to be constantly reminding people about idling?”

Mr Cryer added: “The initiative was launched with success. But you are quite right to say over a period of time that then declines again because people get into old habits.

“There is certainly a need to work with comms and get that message out there on a periodic basis to refresh it.”

RAC: “UK’s pothole epidemic has worsened despite mild winter”

Gedling Eye
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RAC: “UK’s pothole epidemic has worsened despite mild winter”

The RAC has claimed the UK is experiencing a growing pothole crisis, revealing they responded to nearly 8,000 breakdowns caused by deteriorating road surfaces in the first quarter of 2024, marking a 53% increase from the last quarter of 2023.

Analysis from the driving services company shows it’s been far from a smooth start to the year for the nation’s drivers, with pothole-related breakdown numbers up by 9% in the last 12 months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

In this period, the RAC went out to 27,205 breakdowns, 2,299 more than the 24,906 incidents it attended between 1st April 2022 and 31st March 2023.

But the RAC believes drivers may have actually ‘dodged the pothole bullet’ in what is normally the worst three months of the year for them.

Milder weather led to patrol call-out rates dropping by 22% from 10,076 last year to 7,904 in 2024.

During the winter months, sub-zero temperatures normally cause more surface deterioration as water gets into cracks in the road, freezes and expands.

This potentially limited the number of brand new potholes forming.

For this reason, the RAC doesn’t believe the decrease in pothole-related breakdowns – damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels – is a sign of road conditions improving.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “While our data shows pothole damage to vehicles in the first three months of this year is lower than it was in the same period in 2023, it’s important not to lose sight of the bigger picture and the ongoing miserable state of our roads. The analysis clearly shows drivers are now twice as likely to suffer a breakdown due to sub-standard road surfaces as they were in 2006.

“While many would rightly say the roads are terrible, we believe they would have been far worse had we not had such a mild winter. We feel drivers have dodged the pothole bullet as the lack of widespread sub-zero temperatures has masked the true state of our roads.

“After all, all the cracks left by years of declining road maintenance budgets can’t easily be filled. Even though the Government has given councils an additional £8.3bn for road maintenance from the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2, we know this is only enough to resurface 5,000 miles of roads – the equivalent of just 3% of all England’s local roads.

“To make the most of this funding, we implore local authorities to focus their efforts on resurfacing the worst roads in their areas rather than pointlessly trying to patch pothole-ridden roads that can’t be saved from further decline. And now is the time for preventative action to be taken, as it’s between the warmer months of April and September when vital surface dressing work can be carried out to extend the life of roads. Sadly, government data we analysed shows 60% of English councils didn’t do any such work in the 2022-2023 financial year.

Pothole-related breakdowns in numbers

Q1 2021Q1 2022Q1 2023Q1 2024
Total pothole-related breakdowns over previous 12 months28,67023,58424,90627,205
Pothole share of all RAC breakdowns2.4%1.5%1.9%1.4%
RAC Pothole Index at end of year – likelihood of drivers breaking down compared to 2006, ie 2.0 = twice as likely1.821.591.69

‘Good news’ as Gedling borough leisure centre use increases above and beyond pre-Covid levels

Joe Locker (LDR Reporter)
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‘Good news’ as Gedling borough leisure centre use increases above and beyond pre-Covid levels

The number of people using Gedling’s five leisure centres has increased above and beyond pre-Covid levels.

Attendance to Gedling Borough Council’s Arnold, Redhill, Carlton Forum, Calverton and Richard Herrod leisure centres dropped as low as 148,579 people at the height of the pandemic in 2020/21.

This is the number of individual people walking through the doors of the centres over a full year.

Before the pandemic in 2019/20, the number was more than one million at 1,131,828.

PICTURED at the opening of the new fitness suite at Carlton Forum were Councillor Henry Wheeler, Former Olympian Andy Turner and Assistant Manager of Carlton Forum Leisure Centre, Gayner Michael at the new DOSE Studio
Gyms Gedling
A local leisure centre gym with social distancing following the pandemic

However, during an Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on Monday, April 22, councillors were told visitor numbers had returned and even surpassed the pre-pandemic levels.

Cllr Henry Wheeler (Lab), the portfolio holder for lifestyles, health and wellbeing, said: “Attendance across the five leisure centres has grown steadily over the last few years.

“The target for 2023/24 was quite impressive actually and we surpassed it by 93,000.

“Annual attendance is now higher than the pre-Covid levels by 21,200, which is very good news.”

The target for 2023/24 had been 1,060,000, and this was surpassed with an actual attendance of 1,153,000.

As a result, income for the Labour-run council has also surpassed targets.

It was anticipated Arnold Leisure Centre would bring in £102,000, but it actually made £121,000.

Calverton Leisure Centre made £192,000, above the £180,000 target, while Carlton Forum made £695,000, above its target of £660,000.

Redhill Leisure Centre brought in an income of £348,000, surpassing the £342,000 target.

The council says actual income across the five leisure centres had been £1,356,000, around £72,000 above the target.

Swim School is also becoming more popular, the council says, with members increasing from 3,825 in April 2023 to 4,070 by the end of the year.

Membership to the Swim School has surpassed pre-Covid levels by more than 1,271 people, or more than 45 per cent.

Swim lesson income across Arnold, Calverton and Carlton Forum leisure centres came in £68,000 above target as a result, with a total of £1,221,000.

The authority says Swim England provided £147,525 to help support rising energy costs at leisure centres with pools.

Cllr Wheller says a pool-side audio upgrade, alongside mood lighting, at Calverton Leisure Centre has made the facility more accessible for people living with disabilities.

The sensory improvements have proven popular among groups supporting people living with autism, and the group now “regularly use the pool”.

“It is a very inclusive development there,” Cllr Wheeler added.

Three new treadmills have also been installed at Calverton, while a newly refurbished fitness studio has opened at Carlton Forum.

Why Remote Database Services Are the Future of Business Success

Sponsored Content
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Why Remote Database Services Are the Future of Business Success

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In today’s digital economy, the success of businesses hinges significantly on their ability to manage and optimize their data effectively. As organizations generate and collect significant quantities of facts daily, the challenges associated with data dealing with, storage, and evaluation become increasingly more complex. Remote database services have emerged as a strategy to these challenges, offering a streamlined, green method to statistics management that caters to organizations’ desires spanning many industries.

Remote Database Services

Remote database services involve outsourcing various database management tasks to external experts. These tasks, performed from off-site locations, include, but are not limited to, database administration, upkeep, backup, and recovery. By entrusting these functions to database managed services, companies ensure their databases’ optimal performance and security without the prerequisite of a physical on-premises team.

Importance of Remote Database Services for Businesses

The demand for robust, scalable, and efficient database systems is paramount in an increasingly dynamic business environment. Remote database services rise to this challenge by offering focused expertise and relieving the internal staff of arduous database management tasks. This allocation of responsibilities allows businesses to concentrate on their fundamental objectives, fostering innovation and driving growth.

Overview of Database Administration Services

At the core of remote database services lies database administration services, the unsung heroes ensuring the smooth operation, maintenance, and optimization of databases. These services are critical in implementing updates, executing security measures, and fine-tuning database performance. The goal is to maintain seamless database functionality, thereby supporting the broader objectives of the business.

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Ability to Handle Large Amounts of Data

In the age of big data, the capacity to efficiently manage vast volumes of information is necessary. Remote database services are engineered to scale, easily accommodating large data sets. This scalability ensures that as a business grows and its data requirements increase, its database capabilities can grow concurrently without degradation in performance.

Flexibility in Expansion

Business needs are ever-changing, and the flexibility to adapt database capabilities to meet these evolving demands is a significant advantage. Remote database services offer scalability and modifiability without substantial capital investment or lead times, enabling businesses to seamlessly pivot or expand their operations.

Security

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Remote database services employ cutting-edge security protocols and technology to safeguard databases against unauthorized access and cyber threats. These measures are continuously updated to combat the latest threats, providing businesses with peace of mind and ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of their data.

Protection Against Data Loss

Data loss can be catastrophic for businesses, leading to operational disruptions and damage to reputation. Remote database services mitigate this risk through regular backups and comprehensive disaster recovery plans. These preventive strategies ensure data is recoverable in the face of unforeseen events, maintaining business continuity.

Accessibility

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Ease of Access from Anywhere

Cloud technology has revolutionized database access, enabling connections from any location with internet connectivity. This global accessibility facilitates remote work arrangements and ensures that critical data is always within reach, regardless of geographic location.

Collaboration Among Teams

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Conclusion

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In conclusion, the shift toward far-flung database services is a testament to the dynamic nature of modern business. This version presents a robust framework for information control, ensuring that companies are correctly ready to navigate the complexities of the digital landscape. With their compelling advantages, remote database offerings stand poised to revolutionize how corporations perform, promising a future in which information-driven fulfillment isn’t simply workable but inevitable.

Gedling borough weather Tuesday, April 23

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Gedling borough weather Tuesday, April 23

The Met Office forecast a cloudy start to the day for Gedling borough residents with patchy outbreaks of light rain. Brighter conditions developing from midday with some sunny spells in the afternoon. Feeling breezy. Temperatures around average further inland. Maximum temperature 13 °C.

Remaining largely dry overnight with some clear spells. Remaining breezy towards the coast where continuing risk of isolated showers. Feeling chilly with some frost possible in rural areas. Minimum temperature 4 °C.

Tomorrow is forecast to be a mostly dry day with some good sunny spells, although perhaps becoming cloudier into the afternoon. Feeling cool with some patchy frost around first thing and again overnight. Maximum temperature 10 °C.

Wet wipes containing plastic that clogs up sewers to be banned across UK 

Emily Sanchez
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Wet wipes containing plastic that clogs up sewers to be banned across UK 

Wet wipes containing plastic are set to be banned from sale in the UK, it has been revealed.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay announced plans to introduce legislation before the summer recess in July following a long-running campaign to ban the products.

The law would make it illegal to sell or supply wet wipes containing plastic in England, with the rest of the UK set to follow by the autumn.

Wet wipes eventually break down into microplastics, which damage ecosystems and contribute to water pollution, and discarded wipes have increasingly littered Britain’s beaches.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Wet wipes containing plastic are polluting our waterways and causing microplastics to enter the environment. Defra will introduce legislation before the summer recess to crack down on this unnecessary source of pollution, following our successful single-use carrier bag charge and ban on microbeads in personal care products.   

“I have been clear that a step change is needed to protect our waterways from pollution. The ban builds on a raft of actions already taken to protect our waterways and hold water companies accountable – including accelerating investment, putting water company fines back into the environment and quadrupling the number of inspections of water company sites.

But Labour said the ban did not go far enough, committing to a “a full ban on the sale, supply and manufacture of plastic wet wipes”.

Shadow environment secretary Steve Reed said: “Plastic wet wipes clog up our sewers, kill wildlife and lead to sewage backing up into people’s homes.

“The Conservatives have broken their promises to act and are too weak to ban them outright.”

The party also pointed out that the Conservatives had first promised to ban wet wipes in 2018 as part of a crackdown on plastic waste.

Some businesses such as Boots, Aldi and Tesco have already moved to ban wet wipes containing plastics from their stores.

Steve Ager, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer at Boots, said:

Boots removed all wet wipes containing plastic from sale in stores and online last year as part of our long-standing commitment to sustainability and working with suppliers and customers to reduce the use of plastic.

We are pleased to see the government now taking action as a ban on all wet wipes containing plastic will have a much bigger impact than retailers taking action alone. We all have a collective responsibility to protect the environment and support a healthy planet.

Luke Emery, Plastics and Packaging Director at Aldi, said: “The removal of plastic from Aldi wet wipes two years ago has been positive for our customers and the environment.

“It has removed an estimated 7,000 tonnes of unnecessary plastic from the system and has been welcomed by Aldi shoppers. We support the introduction of this new legislation and the positive impact it will have for everyone.”

An 18-month transition period will start from when legislation is passed to allow businesses time to prepare. Following consultation with industry, the ban will not include the manufacture of these products, in line with other recent single-use plastic bans.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch tours Wilkins Group headquarters in Colwick

Gedling Eye
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Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch tours Wilkins Group headquarters in Colwick

Food packaging supplier Wilkins Group impressed the Secretary of State for Business and Trade with their efforts to reduce plastic in packaging during her whistle stop visit to Colwick.

Kemi Badenoch MP met with the firm’s directors and also had a tour of their factory and head office.

The Wilkins Group is the largest independently-run packaging supplier in the sector and employs over 300 people at its headquarters in Colwick.

The family-run firm also has manufacturing hubs in Colwick, Eastern Europe, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, China and USA.

Speaking after the visit, Badenoch said: “One of the most fascinating things for me was understanding how things that the Government have done, like full expensing, can help to keep businesses like The Wilkins Group, going.

“This Government is doing everything it can to make sure we keep manufacturing in the UK, especially in sensitive areas like food. I was really thrilled to see the fantastic operation The Wilkins Group have here in Colwick.”

The Business and Trade Secretary was joined on the visit by Gedling MP Tom Randall and Colwick’s County Councillor Mike Adams.

Mr Randall said: “A massive thank you to the Wilkins Group for investing in and expanding its Colwick head office and employing so many local people.

“Their feedback to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade during the visit will help shape the Government’s continued support for businesses.”

Calling all Millers fans: Carlton Town on brink of club history as they bid to reach Northern Premier League’s Premier Division for first time

Justin Doddy
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Calling all Millers fans: Carlton Town on brink of club history as they bid to reach Northern Premier League’s Premier Division for first time

What difference a year makes, this time last year The Millers were in the process of completing a great escape to stay up and 12 months later there is a real possibility that the club will make the playoffs for the first time since 2012 following three wins from four games in eight days.

Success in the playoffs would see The Millers reaching the Northern Premier League’s Premier Division for the first time in the club’s history.

Pictured: Millers sit 5th in the league table (Courtesy of Pitchero)

The 2 – 1 win against Consett on April 20 was The Millers tenth home win this season.

Alex Hardwicke talks to Carlton Town TV after the Consett win (Courtesy of CarltonTownTV)

The team require just two points from their last two games to cement their playoff place and a win on Tuesday April 23 against third placed Dunston under the lights at Stoke Lane will guarantee a play off position and a bumper crowd is expected.

Carlton Town also continue their community work in May when their season ends as they host a number of charity matches. The first charity match has been announced for May 5 as four teams will play for the Trophy For Peace in support of the Ukraine community.

The club have issued a statement on their website stating: ‘Admission is by way of a donation and there will be stalls and a raffle which will be drawn at 4.45pm in the Howard Mitchell Sportsbar. The event continues into the evening with the event moving across to the Raglan Road Irish bar on Derby road in Nottingham where further fund raising and entertainment will be on the menu. Anyone wanting to get involved with this event and support and help ease the suffering for the Ukraine victims in this war can ring Taz on 07411 748917.’


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