People in the borough are being reminded that they only have a few weeks left to have their say on recently revised plans to scrap the Gedling constituency.
The Boundary Commissions for England has proposed changes to the constituency boundaries that would result in Gedling disappearing and its towns and villages being absorbed by existing constituencies.
Voters in Carlton and Netherfield would be included in an expanded Nottingham East and Carlton constituency and Arnold would become part of an expanded Sherwood constituency.
People have until December 11 to have their say on the current proposals which, if approved, would be put before MPs for a final approval next year.
PROPOSED: The boundary plans for the new Nottingham East and Carlton constituency
This review was launched as part of a bid to reduce the number of MPs across the country to 600.
Sam Hartley, secretary to the Boundary Commission for England, has urged the public to have their say again on the revised plans before the deadline.
He said: “The new map of the country we have published is, we think, close to the best set of Parliamentary constituencies we can achieve, based on the rules to which we work and the evidence given to us by citizens.”
Work has begun on a new scheme to provide 1,050 much-needed homes in Gedling.
Keepmoat Homes is starting work on the Chase Farm development which will see new high-quality housing being built on the 33-hectare site.
The first phase of the development will see Keepmoat Homes build 506, two, three, four and five bedroom, high specification family houses, which will create a new community with green corridors linking existing residential areas along Arnold Lane into Gedling Country Park.
The first release of homes for sale were made available in September, with the show-home due to be open late autumn; allowing prospective purchasers to see for themselves the quality of the homes on offer at Chase Farm. So far, 15 properties have been sold and over 1,300 customers have registered to find out more about the properties on sale.
The brownfield land at Chase Farm has long been identified as a site which will help Gedling Council meet the Borough’s housing needs, and the development is crucial in meeting the Council’s target of delivering 7,250 homes by 2028.
PLANS: The new estate being planned next to the country park
Working in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), Keepmoat Homes has gained approval on detailed planning for the first phase of 506 new homes and preliminary permission for the remaining 544 homes. The plans also identify a new primary school, health centre, local shops and public open space to provide services for the new residents and the wider community.
Included within the plans is land set aside for a park and ride site to ensure the residents and the surrounding local community can benefit from any future improvements to the transport network.
Additionally, Keepmoat Homes has committed £17 million of funding to help pay towards the costs of delivering the Gedling Access Road. The 3.8km new road will link Burton Joyce to Mapperley Top, was granted planning permission in December 2014 and is set for completion by 2020. Funding for the £40 million road has come from a mixture of public and private sector funding, which includes Nottinghamshire County Council, Gedling Borough Council, the HCA, Local Enterprise Partnership D2N2 and Keepmoat Homes.
The new road has been earmarked for development for more than 50 years as a means of diverting traffic away from Gedling Village, easing congestion, and bringing economic benefits to local residents by creating a new access road to employment zones.
Andrew Mason, Regional Managing Director of Keepmoat Homes East Midlands, said: “This expansive project is exactly the kind of development which is helping to ease the housing crisis whilst providing amenities that really transform and benefit local communities.
“We are also committed to leaving a lasting legacy in the long term, ensuring local people benefit by investing in training and employment, creating strong links with local schools and colleges and promoting volunteering in the area.
“We will create apprenticeships for local young people to help them gain qualifications in construction, whilst focusing on employing local small businesses to ensure the major investment in Gedling is re-invested back into the local economy.”
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “This is a very important milestone for Gedling and these new homes are essential for the borough. We are very pleased to be working with Keepmoat to ensure that we provide much needed new homes on brownfield sites that will boost the local economy and give back to the community through jobs. This is also an important step in getting the Gedling Access Road which will relieve the traffic going through Gedling Village and improve the transport connections in the area.”
With Christmas just around the corner a local farm is now offering residents the chance to get their hands on locally-grown trees and support a great cause at the same time.
Brook Farm in Linby offers training opportunities for people with disabilities.
The farm is now planning to raise funds by selling a selection of trees grown on council-owned land nearby. All the trees on sale have been nurtured by the service users who have disabilities.
Five to seven-foot spruce trees will be available for £25 and Nordmans are for sale for £40 from the farm.
There is also a Christmas event at the farm taking place this Saturday (November 25) from 10am to 4pm.
Attendees can enjoy mince pies and refreshments whilst browsing the crafts and pottery stalls, and children can visit a Christmas grotto with Santa.
Cllr Stuart Wallace, Chair of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Adult Social Care and Health Public Committee, said: “Many Christmas trees for sale in shops are imported from overseas, whereas Brooke Farm’s trees are either grown in the county or are from a UK source.
“The farm employs staff with mixed abilities and offers training to people with disabilities so buying one of their trees helps support a very good cause.”
Brooke Farm is a commercial enterprise growing vegetables and plants for sale to the general public.
The farm shop offers a range of home-grown produce for sale, including free range eggs, seasonal vegetables, salad and fruit, flowers and plants along with locally-sourced products such as bread, milk, preserves, pickles, cakes and biscuits.
It is located on Main Street, Linby, and is open Monday to Thursday 8am to 3.45pm, Friday 8am to 3.15pm and Saturday 8am to 3pm.
Grants of up to £50,000 are up for grabs for voluntary and community groups across Gedling borough.
Nottinghamshire County Council are inviting groups to apply for cash from a new funding stream set up to support grassroots projects throughout the area.
The Local Improvement Scheme 2018-21 was launched after councillors agreed to create a new, simpler way for local groups to access financial support for local schemes that contribute towards making Nottinghamshire a great place to live, work and visit.
Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “The County Council has a strong and proud track record of supporting community and voluntary groups in delivering valuable work – helping people to help themselves and enhance people’s pride of place in Nottinghamshire as a great place to live, work, visit and relax.
“The new Local Improvement Scheme brings together several previous funding schemes into one, allowing us to allocate funding in a more co-ordinated way, simplifying the process and reducing administration to ensure the maximum resource is available to make a real difference in our communities.
FUNDING: A grant was awarded last year to Friends of Gedling Country Park for their memorial park
One group to benefit from the fund so far is Friends of Gedling Country Park. Nottinghamshire County Council awarded the group £18,425 in capital funding back in April to create a permanent piece of art in the new memorial garden at Gedling Country Park.
Terry Lock, chair of the Friends of Gedling Country Park, said: “The memorial garden is an important project for us and our volunteers have been working hard to ensure it will be a place where all visitors feel welcome. Without the funding from Nottinghamshire County Council, this project may not have been possible.
“The local artist commissioned for the sculpture work visited local schools such as Lambley Primary and Christ the King secondary in Arnold to talk to pupils about how this artwork should look. It has really captured the imagination of local people of all ages and helped them learn new skills.
“It will be a real asset for the Country Park and leave a lasting legacy for the local children who have been involved in the project – something for them and their families to proudly reflect on.”
Full Local Improvement Scheme eligibity criteria and details of how to apply are available on the website.
The closing date for this round of funding is January 8, 2018.
Two young fighters from Arnold School of Boxing brought success to the club this month after securing victories in their recent bouts.
Jordan Bradley has been crowned elite East Midlands belt champion after beating Corby boxer Craig Brewin
The 26-year-old from Calverton traveled to Northamptonshire to take on Brewin and they remained evenly matched through a toe-to-toe battle for three rounds, with both giving there all.
At the end of the hard fought contest Jordan was announced the winner by a points decision. Jordan will now make first defense of his belt Nov 24th in Buxton.
Kory Harkin got a hard-fought win in Leicester earlier this month.
The 15-year-old from Arnold, who was taking part in only his 3rd contest, took on the more experienced Owen Shaw of Langwith ABC.
In first round Harkin started the slower and allowed Shaw to push forward, but after a talking to in the corner from ASOB coaches, Harkin came out flying in the second catching Shaw with some good shots and forced the Langwith boxer back .
The third round was a bit closer, with Harkin doing the slightly better work.
After a fantastic battle Harkin was declared the winner on a points verdict.
Young Harkin only took up boxing a year a go, so can be very proud of his performance.
Businesses and families in Gedling borough are being invited to help light up the skies around Mapperley this Christmas as part of a bid to raise funds for a local hospice.
Each night Nottinghamshire Hospice are planning to turn a historic tower attached to their Mapperley building into a beacon of hope throughout December as part of their Light Up A Night fundraising campaign.
Individuals and organisations can donate £300 and in return the charity will turn on the huge light at the top of their tower during the evening and dedicate it to the donor’s chosen loved one.
Last year the hospice raised more than £5,000 from its Light Up A Night appeal and with many of the nights already snapped up this year by families and firms, it is hoping to top that total this time round.
The tower in question is a Victorian cupola which sits atop the hospice’s building, in Woodborough Road, which was once home to John Dane Player – son of Nottingham businessman John Player.
It is believed that John Dane used the cupola as a private room, from where he would have looked out across Mapperley Park and taken in views of Nottingham and beyond.
He died in 1950 and the house became home to Nottinghamshire Hospice 30 years later. Its team of nurses now care for hundreds of local adults who have terminal and life-limiting illnesses, as well as their families and carers, every year.
Rowena Naylor-Morrell, CEO of Nottinghamshire Hospice, said: “We’re very proud of the legacy of our hospice, which is full of many treasures dating back to the days when it was one of the finest residences in Nottingham, and our wonderful cupola is, appropriately, its crowning glory.
“Not only can you see the whole of the city centre and beyond when you’re up in the tower, when it’s lit up at night it acts like a beacon of hope that can be seen by people for miles around.
“We had an incredible response to our Light Up A Night campaign last year from individuals who wanted to remember a loved one or companies who choose to spread some festive cheer at Christmas.
“A number of nights are already accounted for but we’re hoping to hear from other people who want to light up our tower for a night and help ensure our patients receive the care they need this Christmas.”
The hospice will publicise who is lighting up the tower on each chosen day on its social media platforms, although people can stay anonymous if they wish.
To find out more about its Light Up the Night events, contact the fundraising team on 0115 910 1008 or email fundraising@nottshospice.org
Budding stars of the future are being invited to enter a talent contest being organised by a group of Carlton musicians.
The Music Makers Award is aimed at musicians aged between 16-19 who play an instrument or sing to a high standard and live in or are educated in Nottinghamshire.
The contest is organised annually by Carlton Male Voice Choir who decided it wanted to strengthen its links with young musicians locally and give them the opportunity to display their talents.
The winner of the contest will win a cash prize and will also get the opportunity to play with the choir during a performance at Albert Hall in Nottingham next year.
Rick Morrish, from the choir, said: “Thanks to sponsors John and Sue Brydon, the prize for 2018 has been increased to £1,000 and the choir looks forward to the winner appearing at its showpiece Festival Concert at the Albert Hall on 28th April.
Residents have been called upon to voice their opinion on a new neighbourhood plan set to shape the future of Calverton.
Neighbourhood plans aim to give local people more say and influence about what goes on in their area.
Now villagers are to decide if the Neighbourhood Plan for Calverton is to be used when making decisions about future development in the village.
The referendum will be held in the village on Thursday, November 30, 2017. People can vote will between 7am and 10pm, either at the Methodist Church on Collyer Road or the Parish Council Room on Main Street depending where voters live in the village.
Residents will be asked to decide on this question”Do you want Gedling Borough Council (GBC) to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Calverton to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”
If the majority votes “YES” then it would mean that local opinion about planning and the nature of development would require additional consideration and more of the money (Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) paid by developers for building in the village would be available to fund local amenities.
If the Plan is rejected, CIL money could be used by GBC for schemes in other parts of the borough rather than in Calverton.
WhatsApp users in Gedling borough are being warned about a spoof texts and emails that claims “their subscription is ending soon” – but it’s a scam to steal bank details.
Scam-busters Action Fraud say that the texts and emails encourage users who receive the message to click on a link to verify their account and then purchase lifetime subscription for 99p. The link takes the victim to a screen that then asks them to submit their bank details, which can be used by fraudsters to take funds out of the account.
Long term users of WhatsApp will remember paying a 0.99p annual fee to use the messaging service. In 2016, this was scrapped by Facebook who took over running of the company after buying it for £11.4bn.
Now scammers hope that those who remember paying a 99p fee could be duped into believing the service has gone back to a subscription model and submit their bank details.
SCAM: The fake email being sent to WhatsApp users claiming their subscription is due to expire
This isnt the first scam of its kind to attempt to trick WhatsApp users. Last year users were being tricked into downloading a fake ‘gold’ version of WhatsApp which infected Android devices with malware.
A spokesman for Action Fraud said: “If you receive one of these emails or text messages, do not click on any links. Instead, delete it and report it to us. If you have clicked on one of the links, run antivirus software to ensure your device has not been infected with malware.”
The Mayor of Gedling is to serve food and cook for a 1,000 people this weekend to raise money to pay for urgent repairs at her local church.
Mayor of Gedling, Cllr Viv McCrossen, will be serving the food at the Church of the Good Shepherd’s annual Christmas Fair from 10.30am to 2.30pm on Saturday, November 25 .
The event, organised by the church in Woodthorpe where Cllr McCrossen is a parishioner, will also have a free Santa’s grotto with small gift, chestnuts roasting outside, craft stalls, toy corner, teddy bear tombola, Indian snacks, homemade cakes and jams, and lots more.
Nottinghamshire Fire Service will also be in attendance with a fire truck for the young children to see up close.
The money raised will go towards the urgent repairs needed at the church.
Mayor of Gedling, Cllr McCrossen said: “I do this every year and it’s a lovely community event that gets local people together for an important cause and everybody is welcome.
“I’ll be swapping the normal mayoral duties for a day-long stint in a hot kitchen so make sure you come along, try my cooking and raise some money for our beautiful church.”
Cllr McCrossen has been a lifelong parishioner of the Good Shepherd and has helped throughout the decades, including establishing the scout group at the Church.
