More details about the routes will be revealed on the Gedling Round Table’s Facebook Page in the coming weeks: https://www.facebook.com/GedlingRT/
A spokesman for the Gedling Round Table said: “We’re excited to let you know Santa’s been in touch and said he’ll be joining us again this year with his sleigh.
“We’ve got him for an extra day this year so as well as our usual routes, we’ve extended our Gedling run to cover the new-build estate (Waldron Rd area).
“We will soon be sharing a link on our Facebook page to track Santa’s progress each evening that we’re out to save you standing in the cold/wet too long.”
A drug dealer has been jailed after he sped away from police in Mapperley and threw items from his car in a failed bid to evade arrest.
Jordan Grant, aged 29, was spotted in Westmoore Close by cops on patrol who recognised him.
When officers began a pursuit, Grant was seen throwing items from his car as he drove dangerously along residential streets. Mobile phones and a bag of coins were later recovered from the roadside.
PICTURED: Grant throwing items from his car during a police pursuitPICTURED: Jordan Grant (PHOTO: Notts Police)
Officers caught up with Grant after a foot chase when he abandoned his car by jumping out while the vehicle was still moving.
A bundle of heroin and cocaine was found in the glove box of the Ford Fusion car.
And during a later search of a property in Westmoore Close, officers discovered large quantities of heroin, cocaine and cannabis in his living room and kitchen, along with weighing scales and almost £6,000 in cash.
Grant, of Florence Avenue, Long Eaton, was jailed for a total of three-and-a-half years at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday (15) after being convicted of possession of Class A and Class B drugs with intent to supply, possession of Class A and Class B drugs, acquiring criminal property and breaching a suspended prison sentence.
He was also convicted of dangerous driving and banned from getting behind the wheel for a year.
Police Constable Ken Tinley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Grant knew he was in serious trouble when officers on patrol spotted him and he drove dangerously at excessive speeds – putting other road users and police officers at serious risk – as he tried to escape.
“His selfish actions were not unexpected given he was making a living dealing drugs.
“The use of drugs continues to cause huge damage to the lives of vulnerable people in our communities and as a force we continue to work hard every day to catch drug dealers and put them behind bars.
“I am pleased Grant has been locked up for his criminal activity and the desperate lengths he went to in a bid to escape arrest.”
Aldi customers can now order this year’s Christmas groceries from its Daybrook store via its Click & Collect service.
Christmas collection slots are now available to book via the Aldi website , so shoppers can order from a vast range of groceries online and select a one-hour collection window between the 20th and 23rd December.
Aldi announced the news locally earlier today that covers the Daybrook store, ” Shoppers can get everything they need for an amazing festive feast – including a range of Aldi’s fresh British meats, irresistible side dishes and mouth-watering desserts, such as its Specially Selected Roly Poly Free Range Turkey, Smoked Maple and Bourbon flavour ham and Goose Fat Roast Potatoes, as well as its award-winning Plant Menu No Turkey Crown and Specially Selected 24-month matured Christmas Pudding.”
“Customers can also stock up on Aldi’s range of Christmas treats – such as its Specially Selected Mince Pies, Luxury Florentines and Yule Log – ensuring the whole family is catered for this festive period.”
The Daybrook store offers Aldi’s Click & Collect service, where customers can have their shopping brought to their cars and loaded into their boots by Aldi colleagues at dedicated Click & Collect points in the store car park.
Plans to crackdown on noisy boy racers accused of treating parts of Gedling borough like a Grand Prix circuit have been welcomed.
Police have informed a local councillor that patrols will be stepped up over the weekend to help tackle the growing problem.
Cllr Jenny Hollingsworth, who represents Gedling on Gedling Borough Council, revealed that she had met with police this week and they had outlined what action would be taken.
In a social media post she wrote: “Police informed me this was an issue affecting areas across Nottinghamshire, from J27 of the M1, through Broxtowe and West Bridgford as well as Colwick around the industrial estate.
ACTION NEEDED: Boy racers are treating parts of Colwick Loop Road like a race track
Police informed her a new operation had been launched to focus on solving the problem.
Cllr Hollingsworth said: “Police have launched Operation Triplefin to tackle the issue and have been engaging with those organising the meets and are looking at all the options available to them.
“So far four cars have been seized and people have been prosecuted. A number of Section 59 orders have been issued where vehicles are being used in an antisocial way.
“An injunction from the High Court is currently being considered and discussions continue with Broxtowe, Rushcliffe and Gedling Borough Councils on how to take this forward. If an injunction is obtained, the fine for breaking it would be £5,000.
The councillor said police are urging residents to get in touch if disturbances continue.
She added: “Extra police officers will be in the area over the weekend. Residents should continue to call 101 if disturbances continue so they can monitor the situation.”
Carlton East County Councillor Mike Adams has also been taking action.
He has also been working with police to try and tackle the problem and also regularly revealing stats around arrests and fines to speeding drivers via his Facebook and Twitter accounts.
He has also been speaking with site managers in Colwick, urging them to take steps to tackle the problem and make lives better for nearby residents.
One Colwick resident who didn’t want to be named told Gedling Eye: “I hope something is done soon; it is making our lives a misery. You can hear them using the Loop Road late into the night. The opening of the new access road has made it worse. It has created a Grand Prix circuit for them.”
Do you think this is a growing problem for Gedling borough? Let us know in the comments section below
A robber who violently attacked a 13-year-old schoolgirl at a park in Arnold after she refused to hand over her mobile phone has been jailed.
James Valentine, aged 21, approached the teenager while she was sat on swings in Queen’s Bower Recreation Ground, Arnold.
When she refused to give Valentine her phone he became aggressive – pulling her to the ground and kicking her in the stomach.
Valentine, of Heathfield Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, admitted robbery at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday (15 November 2022) and was locked up for four years.
JAILED: James Valentine received a four-year jail sentence
Detective Constable Shannon Hutchinson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This must have been a terrifying experience for the teenage victim, who will have believed she was in danger of being seriously hurt throughout the ordeal.
“In interviews with officers she described being extremely scared for her safety during the attack.
“So I am pleased Valentine has been brought before the courts and given such a significant prison sentence.”
The incident took place on 20 January 2022 when Valentine demanded the girl hand over her phone.
When she refused, he grabbed her by the hair, dragged her to the ground and kicked her in the stomach.
The victim then tried to get up, but Valentine grabbed her by her school tie and pulled her back to the ground.
He then seized the phone and ran off.
Police investigated the incident and were able to track down Valentine after carrying out house-to-house inquiries and studying CCTV.
Officers caught up with him in a pub in Sherwood, Nottingham, one week after the offence.
Det Con Hutchinson added: “The force will always respond robustly and decisively to every report we receive of robbery as we understand how much of a lasting impact this can have on victims.”
Royal Mail workers are to stage six more days of strike action in December, including on Christmas Eve – their busiest day of the year, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has confirmed.
The long-running dispute revolves around pay, jobs and conditions at the privately-owned firm.
The new strikes have been called for 9, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24 December, the busiest time of the year for deliveries.
In a statement, CWU said: “Britain’s Post Offices will see this year’s strikes continued into 2023 as workers fight a “dramatic” real-terms pay cut.”
“Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) – which represents Post Office workers – have voted in a national reballot by 91.24% on a 65.21% turnout to continue their industrial action.”
“There was also a 92.36% positive vote (also on a 65.21% turnout) for “action short of a strike”, which in essence means working to rule (no overtime, and so on).”
“The dispute centres around workers rejecting a pay freeze for 2021/22 and a pay offer of 5% with effect from April 1st 2022, with a £500 one-off lump sum.”
“In the context of RPI inflation now reaching 14.2%, this represents a dramatic real-terms pay cut for workers.”
“This is also despite the Post Office making £35 million in profits during the 2020/21 financial year and a subsequent £39 million for 2021/22.”
CWU Acting Deputy General Secretary (Postal) Andy Furey said: “This dispute has always been about a company having respect for dedicated public servants who, as key workers, provided unprecedented customer service during the pandemic.”
“The determination of these people hasn’t swayed, and nor has their sense of betrayal.”
“They won’t accept their living standards being smashed by people running a service that generated tens of millions of pounds in profit out of our members’ efforts.”
“There is more than enough money for a reasonable pay rise – implementing this real-terms pay cut has always been a management choice, not a necessity.”
“We urge management to see sense, get into real negotiations and cut a fair deal to avert these strikes.”
Councillors fear the further use of greenbelt land could lead to more flooding as Gedling Borough Council tries to meet its new housing targets.
During a meeting on November 16, Cllr Sam Smith (Con), who represents Trent Valley, questioned whether more greenbelt land needed to be “concreted” over for new homes.
His question came after he and fellow Trent Valley councillor Mike Adams had to assist people in Burton Joyce after the village flooded in October.
They fear more villages may be at risk of flooding if more housing is built on the greenbelt and green spaces, amid the drafting of the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan.
The plan sets out housing development sites across Broxtowe, Gedling, Nottingham and Rushcliffe up until 2038.
The four authorities are drawing up the plan together, and each council’s cabinet will then vote on a preferred approach document later this year before it is put to the public.
Cllr Sam Smith (Con), asked the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth and Economy, Jenny Hollingsworth (Lab), for comment on his concerns during a meeting of the full council.
Cllr Smith said: “My residents of Trent Valley and I are fed up with our greenbelt and green spaces being concreted over with yet more housing.
“We have all seen the negative impact and contribution that this has had on the recent flooding of Burton Joyce.
“Can the Cabinet member responsible for planning confirm that no land will be taken out of the Borough’s existing green belt to enable housing allocations as part of this Council’s contribution to the Greater [Nottingham] Strategic Plan?”
Cllr Hollingsworth replied to say Gedling Borough Council would fail to meet its housing requirements if greenbelt land is not used during the expansion of developments including nearby Teal Close, where hundreds of homes are proposed.
Speaking after the meeting Cllr Smith told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the playground at the new school in Teal Close needed to be “built-up” as otherwise children “would have needed armbands instead of skateboards”.
“You can only imagine what extra houses would do,” he added.
The flooding concerns come after Ashfield councillors also raised issue with the Top Wighay Farm site off the A611 Annesley Road bypass in Linby.
It is now understood 1,445 homes could be built on the land at Top Wighay between 2024 and 2038 if the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan is approved.
While the development sits in the Gedling Borough, it has caused concerns about its potential impact on Ashfield’s health services.
In her response Cllr Hollingsworth added: “The draft Greater Nottingham Preferred Strategic Approach Document was recently shared with a reconvened cross-party working group following approval by the joint advisory board on September 27.
“The meeting was used as an opportunity to explain the background to preparing the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan and talk through the content.
“Cllr Smith attended the working group in the absence of Cllr Adams so he should be familiar with the proposals.
“Most of the planned housing growth is already included in the existing local plans, however for clarity the approach document includes reference to the strategic sites carried forward from the aligned core strategy which have planning permission, but where works have either yet to start or a significant amount of development is still to take place.
“In line with the sustainability principles and the settlement hierarchy, set out in the preferred approach, as much housing is as feasible will be located within the adjoining main built-up area of Nottingham for Gedling Borough.
“Development continues at Teal Close, Netherfield and at Chase Farm site.
“In addition, strategic-scale releases for growth are proposed including an extension for Teal Close to accommodate 360 homes.
“The sub-regional centre of Hucknall is also an appropriate location for growth, and two sites which adjoin the Hucknall area are carried forward within the preferred approach document at Top Whighay Farm and land north of Papplewick Way.
“In addition an extension to the urban extension at Top Wighay Farm is proposed within the existing safeguarded land for 640 homes.
“The preferred approach does therefore propose the removal of land from the greenbelt at Teal Close, as it is not possible to meet our future housing requirements within the existing urban boundary and previously allocated land.
“The preferred approach document is supported by a comprehensive evidence-base.”
A detailed report is to be debated by the cabinet on December 8, seeking approval of Gedling’s portion the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan, before it will be sent for public consultation.
Cllr Smith added: “I’m disappointed land is going to be taken out of the greenbelt again but we will take part in the consultation.”
Work to create a pass that will allow an endangered species to make their way up the River Trent at Stoke Bardolph has been completed.
The £60,000 eel pass is now in place to help eels navigate their way over Stoke Bardolph Weir on the River Trent.
The new eel pass acts like a ladder enabling the eels to make their way over the weir. It follows one installed at Hazelford Weir in 2018. It’s part of a huge programme of work under way across Europe to help restore eel populations by restoring wetlands and removing barriers to the eels’ migration routes.
PICTURED: The weir at Stoke Bardolph
The European eel has an extraordinary life cycle. It starts as eggs in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and spends 18 months floating on ocean currents towards the coasts of Europe and North Africa. It enters rivers and lakes and spends anything from 5 to 20 years feeding and growing into adult eels before returning to complete the life cycle. Their amazing transatlantic journey is interrupted only when they come to obstructions, such as dams, weirs and lock gates.
These barriers are part of the reason that the European Eel, once thriving across Europe and the UK, is currently classified as ‘critically endangered’. Numbers of the eels, which have also been impacted by climate change, destruction of habitats and illegal fishing, have declined by around 90% over the past 40 years.
The Canal and River Trust teamed up with the Environment Agency, EDF and Uniper to create the pass.
Richard Bennett, Canal & River Trust heritage & environment manager, said: “We’re so pleased to give the eels a helping hand as they make their incredible journey and enable them to extend their reach in our waterways right here in the East Midlands.
“Eels are such an important part of what makes our waterways so special. They feed on water bugs and dead and decaying animals – helping to recycle nutrients – and are also an important food source for some of our best loved species such as otters and herons.
“The River Trent provides vital habitats for so many species and this project will make it even more important as we hopefully see many more eels making their way up the river.”
Matt Buck, Fisheries Specialist at the Environment Agency, said: “The eel pass at Stoke Bardolph Weir will improve access for eels and enable them to reach habitats suitable for them to grow, which will increase their chances of returning to the sea to spawn in subsequent years. The initiative will also benefit local biodiversity and help to boost eel numbers.
“As well as re-opening rivers to fish migration and protecting ecologically important and sometimes endangered species like salmon, shad and eels – fish passes are an amazing opportunity to engage people with the river and reconnect them with the life within it.”
Flood alerts are in place for several areas across Gedling borough.
The Environment Agency says they expect river levels to rise as a result of persistent heavy rainfall.
They say flooding of roads and farmland is possible between 9:00am and 13:00pm today.
An EA spokesman said: “Areas most at risk are low-lying agricultural land, roads and footpaths. Further rainfall is forecast over the next 12 hours. River levels may begin to rise at 9:00am this morning as a consequence of intense rainfall.
“We are closely monitoring the situation.
They added: “Please plan driving routes to avoid low-lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded and avoid contact with flood water.”
Flood alerts have been issued for Burton Joyce, parts of Gedling, Lambley and Netherfield.
As the cost of living crisis takes its toll, families and households across Gedling borough find themselves facing the terrifying prospect of a winter without warmth.
As more and more people struggle to pay their energy bills, Gedling Borough Council and community partners have set up essential warm spaces across the borough in a bid to ensure no one goes without during this uncertain time.
A council spokesman said: “Warm spaces are initiatives set up to create places within the local community where people can come together, socialise, stay warm and in some cases have hot refreshments during the winter months.
“Alongside council venues, many of our valued Community Partners are also offering warm spaces as well as other services and support in local venues across the borough.
All venues listed below are free to attend unless otherwise stated. Some may ask for a small voluntary donations.
Main Street Methodist church, on the corner of Carlton Hill and Cromwell Street, NG4 1EE
Open: Tues/Fri 12pm-2.45pm
Contact: 0303 040 1110
Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Community Centre
91 Carlton Hill, NG4 1FP
Open: Thurs 1:30pm -3pm
The church is also open all day, every day and whilst there are not activities outside of our usual service times, it is a warm, quiet space for people to just sit if they wish. Fully accessible, Wi-Fi, activities include bingo, cards games, dominos, newspapers and magazines, other social activities
Men in Sheds supports older men in search of a hobby and those who want to socialise, share and learn new skills all in the welcoming setting of a workshop.
Equipment and tools are provided and volunteers are there for support. Members take part in the day-to-day running of the shed and decide on activities they want to follow including woodworking, skills sharing and socialising.
Community Kitchen: Every Saturday 12:15pm to 13.30pm. Seniors Tea: First Saturday in every month 14:30pm-16:30pm. Community Cinema: Third Tuesday of every month 7:30pm Community Kitchen: A warm welcome and friendly chat is always available . Seniors Tea: Games, Quizzes, and Sing Along. Community Cinema: Different film each month, chance to meet new people and watch a good old movie with friends
WiFi available £1 per session. Refreshments available. Providing lite bites and hot affordable meals also tea and coffee. TV and sky sports available Board games, pool, darts, dominoes and other games.
Contact 0115 808 4191
St Alban’s Community Kitchen. (WSM)
Emmanuel Church Bestwood, 10 Church View Cl, Arnold, Nottingham NG5 9QP
Open: Tues 3pm-6pm
Small donations welcome for a three course sit down menu of soup, main, desert and refreshments. Takeaway option available. Activities for adults and children also on offer
