GEDLING ACCESS ROAD: March opening date confirmed for £49m ‘Colliery Way’

Emily Sanchez
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GEDLING ACCESS ROAD: March opening date confirmed for £49m ‘Colliery Way’

The opening date for the delayed Gedling Access Road has now been officially confirmed

Colliery Way, as it will now be called, will finally open to traffic on March 22.

The £49 million road will link the A612 with Mapperley Plains and Nottinghamshire County Council say it will improve journey times, reduce congestion through Gedling Village and bring new homes, jobs and businesses to the area.

Works on the 3.8km of new road began in January 2020 and construction teams have since moved 512,000 cubic metres of earth, equivalent to 204 Olympic swimming pools, laid 45,816 tonnes of tarmac and installed 30 kilometres of drainage pipes and cable ducts. 

53,000 new trees being planted across the site, and ecological measures including seven badger tunnels, six amphibian crossings and seven bat hop-overs being constructed.

Traffic will be able to use the new road from midday on March 22. 

Councillor John Clarke MBE, leader of Gedling Borough Council, said: “We are very pleased that after so many years, the new road is here.

Construction on new Gedling Access Road
PICTURED: Construction began on the new Gedling Access Road at Lambley Lane back in 2020
Burton Road Junction with Gedling Access Road
The Burton Road junction with the A612 was closed so work could take place on the Gedling Access Road (PHOTO: Gedling Eye)

“The Colliery Way will contribute towards the ongoing housing development in the area, creating much needed new homes, with improved access to the Chase Farm development and improved access to our Gedling Country Park. This all directly contributes to the local economy through new jobs and more people moving into the area to live and work. 

“This road will also be welcomed by the residents of Gedling Village who will see a big reduction in through traffic, it will give them their village back, which is something we have been wanting to achieve for a long time. 

“The name of the road also ensures that the rich heritage of the former colliery, upon which this road will be built on, is not forgotten and it’s a fantastic symbol of the regeneration of the area alongside the very popular Gedling Country Park.”

Councillor Ben Bradley MP, leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “The Gedling Access Road has been in the pipeline for over 50 years and so I am extremely proud that we have delivered this project for the benefit of residents and motorists, not just in Gedling, but across Nottinghamshire also. 

“Colliery Way is much more than just a new road – it will provide access to new high-quality, low-cost homes to help people get on the property ladder and will bring about journey time savings and other safety and efficiency benefits worth at least £73 million.

Will Morlidge, Interim Chief Executive Officer at D2N2 LEP said: “It’s great to see Colliery Way ready to open to the public – high quality and reliable infrastructure is critical to giving businesses the confidence to invest in our area and therefore create further opportunities for the whole region to enjoy.”

“Residents and businesses in the area will see the many benefits of this new road for many years to come.” 

Neil Hodgson, group manager at Via East Midlands, said: “Via East Midlands is proud to have played a pivotal role over a number of years in designing, developing and managing the delivery of this major project alongside our partners. 

“To see the project complete in 2022 is testament to the time and commitment of our project team and we’re delighted to see the road open to traffic.”

Police search properties in Carlton and Netherfield as part of drugs and theft operation

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Police search properties in Carlton and Netherfield as part of drugs and theft operation


Police have conducted searches of properties in Carlton and Netherfield as part of a county-wide crackdown on organised crime.

Thirteen people have now been arrested following the operation that police say is ‘tackling organised criminality’.

A series of searches were carried out at addresses in Netherfield, Carlton, Broxtowe and Warsop as part of an investigation relating to illegal drugs.

Police conducted early morning raids at 11 properties on Thursday and Friday (March 10 and 11) and enquiries remain ongoing.

Nottinghamshire officers supported detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) and local teams remain in the area as they carry out enquiries and offer reassurance to residents.

The operation has overall resulted in nine men, aged 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 34, 36, 41 and 50 and four women, aged 24, 27, 36 and 48 being arrested on suspicion of various offences, including conspiracy to supply drugs, conspiracy to commit vehicle theft, robbery and money laundering offences.

Nottinghamshire Police

Detective Inspector Mark Adas, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “Officers in Nottinghamshire and across the region are committed to working together to tackle serious and organised criminality, which we know can have a huge impact on communities.

“As part of this investigation and this action, thirteen people were brought into custody, which is a significant step forward in our investigation, which covers a wide range of offences.

“I want to thank the local teams for their assistance and helping to carry out this proactive work, and we continue to make enquiries in relation to this investigation.”

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for Gedling Chris Jury, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “As local teams, we are committed to working together with partners and taking proactive steps to tackle the issues that the local community tell us matter to them.

“This is a great example of officers acting directly on intelligence and has subsequently led to a significant number of arrests.

“As a local Neighbourhood Policing Inspector, I would urge anyone with information or concerns around criminality in their local area to contact police on 101, or speak to their local teams. This way, the information can be fed back to the right people and we can ensure resources are prioritised on the issues affecting the community most.”

Appeal launched to improve habitat for wildlife at Netherfield Lagoons nature reserve

David Bratton
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Appeal launched to improve habitat for wildlife at Netherfield Lagoons nature reserve

A group managing a popular nature reserve in Netherfield are appealing for donations to help improve the habitat for wildlife.

Gedling Conservation Trust, who manage Netherfield Lagoons, need extra funding to boost the habitat and also for making ongoing repairs.

They are currently hoping people will make donations so they can afford the following:

  • A barn owl nest box, post and installation. Cost: £200
  • A tawny owl nest box, post and installation. Cost: £180
  • 10 Black Bitumen Corrugated Roof Sheets to provide shelter for reptiles and small mammals. Cost: £75
  • Standard bird nest box. Cost £20 each
  • ‘Woodstone’ long-lasting bat boxes. Cost £50 each
  • Fence posts including installation. Cost: £15*
Netherfield_Lagoons
Lagoons appeal

A spokesman for Gedling Conservation Trust said: “Each year approximately 10% of the wooden fence posts need to be replaced. This work is essential to preserve the important conservation areas at the site where birds, mammals and invertebrates breed. Fence posts also provide perches for many birds, including green woodpeckers and cuckoos.

“Any help you are able to give to any of these appeals would be very much appreciated. 

“If you wish to donate to a specific item please let us know when you make your donation.  If you wish to fully fund a nest box it would be possible to have it personalised if you would like that.”

You can make a donation here: https://www.gedlingconservationtrust.org/support-us/

Man caught with drugs hidden in his underpants is jailed

Emily Sanchez
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Man caught with drugs hidden in his underpants is jailed

A man from Gedling was caught with drugs hidden in his underpants when he was searched by police following a vehicle stop.

More drugs were found on the floor where 29-year-old Richard Wigman was standing after the car he was driving was stopped by officers in Lillington Drive, Bulwell.

Wigman was arrested and forensic tests on drugs seized confirmed them to be cocaine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy.

A large quantity of cash and mobile phones were also found after Wigman was stopped at around 4pm on 5 November 2019.

Wigman, of Beckett Court, Gedling, went on to plead guilty to supplying a Class A drug and possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.

He was jailed for two years and four months when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Monday (March 7, 2022).

Inspector Christine Busuttil, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “The force continues to work relentlessly to identify those involved in the supply of illegal drugs in our county.

“Drug crime can have a significant harmful impact on individuals and communities and will never be tolerated by Nottinghamshire Police.

“Our priority is to remove drugs and dealers from our streets and I hope this sentencing sends a clear message to those who think this sort of criminal behaviour is acceptable – if you try and sell drugs, you can expect to be caught and expect to go to jail.”

The Bonington in Arnold plans charity film screening to raise funds for Ukrainian people

Gedling Eye Reporter
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The Bonington in Arnold plans charity film screening to raise funds for Ukrainian people

An Arnold cinema has organised a charity film screening to raise money to support the people of Ukraine.

The Bonington, on High Street, will screen Olga on Friday, March 18 at 4.30pm and 7.30pm.

The film tells the story of Olga, a talented and passionate 15-year-old Ukrainian gymnast exiled in Switzerland.

She is trying to make her place at the National Sports Centre. But the revolt of Euromaïdan breaks out in Kiev, suddenly involving her relatives.

While the young girl has to adapt to her new country and prepares the European Championships, the Ukrainian revolution enters her life and will shake everything up.

A spokesman for Bonington Conema said: “UK cinemas have united in support of Ukraine with a series of preview charity screenings of Olga, a new film about a young female Ukrainian gymnast forced to train in exile.

“From each ticket sold, a donation will be made to support Ukraine, with cinemas nominating which charity receives the donations on their behalf.

You can book tickets online here: https://www.boningtontheatre.co.uk/whatson/event/ukraine-fundraiser-olga-15.php

Cheapest petrol near me: Unleaded prices across Gedling borough

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Cheapest petrol near me: Unleaded prices across Gedling borough

Unleaded prices are taken from petrolprices.com – and are correct to within the last three days.

Petrol prices have struck new record highs across Gedling borough.

Financial experts have warned that ‘at some point soon consumers will not be able to cope with even higher prices’ as the conflict in Ukraine helps to stoke the cost of living crisis further.

Data from Experian Catalist said the average cost of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts reached a new high of 153.50p on Thursday, up from 152.20p on Wednesday.

The RAC has urged for support from the Treasury as the figures also showed that the cost of diesel rose from 155.79p to a record 157.47p over the same period.

Oil prices have spiked due to concerns over the reliability of supplies since Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

It comes after the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached 5.5 per cent in January, although it is expected to accelerate once again.

Arnold

Sainsbury’s Arnold – 154.9p

Asda Arnold – 154.7p

BP Mansfield Road – 158.9p

Esso MFG Maid Marion Redhill – 157.9

Carlton

Texaco Burton Road – 159.0p

Texaco Westdale Lane East – 158.9

Mapperley

Co-op Mapperley – 153.9p

Netherfield

Morrisons – 154.9

NCC pension fund to sell around £6m in Russian assets but councillor asks why move was not made sooner

Anna Whittaker (LDR reporter)
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NCC pension fund to sell around £6m in Russian assets but councillor asks why move was not made sooner

Nottinghamshire County Council pension fund is selling around £6 million in Russian-based assets – but faced questions over why the move was not made sooner.

The Pension Fund Committee Chairman Councillor Eric Kerry (Con) made a statement following the “unprovoked and aggressive attack by Putin’s regime in Ukraine”.

Cllr Kerry (Con) said during the council’s meeting on March 10 that investment managers have been reviewing the £6.6bn pension fund and have found under 0.1 per cent of it – meaning less than around £6.6m – is invested in Russian assets.

The fund looks after the of retirement pots of 145,000 members, including council workers, teachers and police officers.

It has now formally asked investment managers to sell all Russian assets and suspend further purchases in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

It comes after the fund’s independent adviser wrote on February 25 that “despite the troubling events of the last few days” he did not advise any changes to the fund’s long-term strategy.

These comments were criticised by Councillor Lee Waters (Ashfield Ind) who said he found them “quite abhorrent”.

He said he was “shocked and dismayed” that the fund didn’t act sooner.

Cllr Waters said: “The fund analyst had predicted for months that a war was imminent, so why did the fund not act sooner to disinvest?

“As of September, we had £10m directly invested in BP, who had to dump parts of their Russian business, and £30m in Shell.

“Both BP and Shell have said that they are committed to pull out of Russia but as their businesses are so intrinsically linked to Russia, it will take many years to uncouple.

“Therefore, if you stand with the people of Ukraine I ask you to sell these holdings.

“By investing in this fossil fuel, this pension fund has blood on its hands.”

Cllr Kerry replied: “We were proactive when this started in finding out what the implications and options were.

“The timing of what we did reflected the knowledge we had at the time.

“We made the statement at absolutely the right time. If others chose to do it differently, that’s their choice.”

He added that the fund will “review our position as and when events take a substantive different turn and the isolation of the Russian economy is no longer deemed necessary by the international community”.

Mike Pringle (Lab) said: “It’s difficult to not politicise our investments in compared to what is happening, but any investments we have in fossil fuels is something that we realise we need to move away from.

“Any investment in fossil fuels is something we need to look at.

“I think we are doing it, do I think we’re doing it fast enough – no, I don’t.”

William Bourne, independent adviser to the fund, said: “Fossil fuels are part of the future for the next 20 or 30 years at least.

“Pretending fossil fuels don’t exist or trying to isolate them from the world, I am afraid I disagree with Cllr Waters on that point.

“It’s very hard for this committee to take action because we invest through funds and they are the ones who make decisions.

“I am not aware of any pension fund that actively sold Russian assets because they thought a war was coming.”

Watch as Nottinghamshire Police pursuit car thief who crashed into lamp post in Woodthorpe as Police Interceptors returns to Channel 5 tonight

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Watch as Nottinghamshire Police pursuit car thief who crashed into lamp post in Woodthorpe as Police Interceptors returns to Channel 5 tonight

Cops track down a stolen car and a runaway driver who takes a turn for the worst in Woodthorpe as Police Interceptors returns to television screens.

The brand new episode sees PCs Ky and Lee out in the city when they were alerted to a car which was reported stolen from Bedale Road, Sherwood, the previous evening.

Sirens and lights on, they hot-footed it to where the car was believed to have been seen and tracked it down on the junction of Mapperley Road and Woodborough Road just after 2am on Sunday 11 October 2020. After attempting to pull over the driver, he failed to stop, and the highly trained armed pursuit officers got set to keep their eyes on the Renault Kadjar.

The driver, found to be Oreece Francis, led the officers onto Mansfield Road, where he reached speeds of 100mph in the 30mph speed limit zone. As well as this, he drove on the wrong side of the road, including on blind bends, and ran a number of red lights along Mansfield Road and Woodthorpe Drive, narrowly missing a pedestrian at the junction of Valley Road.

He subsequently lost control of the car and crashed into a lamp post near Thackeray’s Lane, Woodthorpe. However, this didn’t stop him.

Following the crash, he took off on foot and into the darkness of a nearby park. Suspecting he was in the park, officers and units, including dog handlers, surrounded the park and shortly after he was arrested.

As Francis was detained, officers were preparing to conduct a number of tests, including a breathalyser, when he became faint and suddenly collapsed. Officers provided immediate first aid, making sure he was getting air and checking for any injuries, and paramedics were called. Police remained with Francis as he received treatment at hospital.

A few hours later, he was recovering and was released from hospital so officers were able to continue their investigation.

The 29-year-old, of Canal Street, Nottingham city centre, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving and driving without insurance or a licence. Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on 25 November 2020, he was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

Superintendent Claire Rukas, who leads the force’s Operational Support Department, said: “It is great to once again see our officers’ work, efforts and the vast range of situations they come across showcased as Police Interceptors returns to our screens, including this particular arrest and sentence.

“Deciding to take off when officers try to stop you can not only make potential consequences more serious and raise our suspicions, but it can also cause a significant risk to the public and other road users.

“The road was wet from previous rainfall and we were in a heavily built up, 30mph section of the area. Driving in such a dangerous manner as Francis did is unacceptable and when this is the case it is important to bring the pursuit to a stop as soon as possible to stop him causing a danger to anyone else.

“Thankfully, it was the early hours and the roads were light on traffic. He lost control of the car and, arriving at that scene shortly after, the first thought is always for the driver’s safety.

“After realising he had ran off, officers continued their efforts on foot, and with some help from further units from across the force, we stopped Francis in his tracks by a nearby park. It was such a relief for the officers to get him off the roads. However, this quickly turned to concern after he appeared to become quite unwell. Despite him being a suspect in a serious incident and pursuit, we have a really important duty of care to anyone we came in to contact with, so it was imperative that we were able to get him the care he needed and ensure he was well.  Thankfully, after being seen to by paramedics he made a swift recovery.

“He has since appeared before a court and the custodial sentence he received was really pleasing to hear. I hope this sends a strong message to anyone who drives dangerously or drives off from us in such a manner that we are committed to keeping our roads safe. Pursuit drivers are highly trained so it is only a matter of time before our resources and skills catch up with offenders.”

As well as this, spotting agitated passengers in a car leads to a class A haul from the Knife Crime Team and the Interceptors break down the door of a suspected cannabis farm.

Catch all this and more at 8pm on Channel 5. 

Man appears in court after attempted burglary and car thefts in Woodthorpe

Emily Sanchez
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Man appears in court after attempted burglary and car thefts in Woodthorpe

A man has appeared in court following an attempted burglary and theft from a vehicle which both happened in Woodthorpe on the same evening.

Officers were called to reports that a suspect had attempted to open a car door in Breck Hill Road and that items, including a bag and a tyre pressure kit, had been found taken from another car shortly after.

Following this, officers were also made aware of two attempted burglaries on the same street.

Police have been investigating the incidents, which happened from around 6.40pm on Friday, February 18, 2022.

Mark Gibson, 29, of Bankwood Close, Aspley, has since been charged with two counts of attempted burglary with intent to steal, theft from a motor vehicle and vehicle interference.

Appearing at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Saturday 5 March 2022, he was remanded in custody to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on 4 April.

Detective Sergeant Andy Hall, of Nottinghamshire Police’s dedicated burglary team, said: “Officers have been working hard on their enquiries since these incidents. We know how deeply victims can be affected by having their homes and vehicles intruded, and items stolen, and we are committed to getting a result for them.

“Tackling burglaries and thefts is a priority for officers and as such work continues not only to investigate reported incidents, but also with our dedicated burglary teams to work proactively on preventing these incidents from happening.

“We have since charged a man in connection with these incidents, which is a positive step in our investigation, and we continue our work as this goes through the courts.”

NSPCC issues advice to Gedling borough parents with children worried about Russian invasion of Ukraine

Gedling Eye Reporter
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NSPCC issues advice to Gedling borough parents with children worried about Russian invasion of Ukraine

A leading children’s charity has issued advice to parents in the borough with children worried about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Fresh advice on how to talk to children about the conflict has been issued by Childline.

Shirin Khan, is NSPCC’s service head for Nottingham Childline.

She said: “In recent weeks, children and young people have been bombarded with constant coverage about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine be it online, on social media, TV, radio and in newspapers. All of which have brought the subject of war to the forefront of many children’s minds for the first time in their lives.

“We’ve spoken to a number of young people recently who have told us they’re worried that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could escalate into “World War Three”, who were concerned about attacks on British countries, and the use of “nuclear weapons”.

“Childline is always here to support young people, but here are a few ideas to help your child if they’re worried about the conflict.”

  • Reassure them it’s normal to feel scared, confused, or stressed that there is no control over international events.
  • It’s good to get the facts from trusted sources – Newsround and First News are great outlets for children, and far more objective and trustworthy than ‘doomscrolling’ through social media.
  • Remind them to take a break from the news or social media and do something relaxing or positive to get away from breaking news and notifications.
  • Most importantly, let them know they can always speak to you or a trusted adult about their concerns. If they’re not ready or comfortable doing that, they can share their feelings safely and anonymously with their peers on the moderated Childline message boards.

Counsellors are also available to offer help and support around the clock on 0800 1111, and online at www.childline.org.uk

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