Plans to extend Gedling Country Park were announced last night at a full council meeting.
Councillors were summoned together to approve the new budget that includes funding for a ‘Green Lung’, which will see an extension to the country park being created to connect with the nearby Digby Park
Money will also be made available to fund free bulky waste for pensioners, invest in flood prevention, create new public toilets and tackle Climate Change.
The budget, presented by the leader of the council, Councillor John Clarke and deputy leader, Councillor Michael Payne, set out the programme of projects for the next year.
They revealed that the cost of responding to the coronavirus outbreak has, so far, cost the council nearly £4 million and the government funding, so far, has left the council with a £415,000 funding gap which could rise to nearly £1 million that will need to be found by savings or cuts in other services.
Since 2010, grants from Government to the council have been cut by 65% (£5.8m) and for the last two years, The leaders said that Gedling Borough Council has become the worst affected council in England in terms of core spending power, facing a reduction of 20.2% in funding since 2015/16.
Despite the uncertainty around the future funding of the council’s essential services, Councillors did approve a programme of investments aimed at improving the lives of residents and supporting businesses to grow in the borough, they include investment in new toilets at King George V playing field in Arnold, which will include Changing Places toilets.
They also approved plans for free a bulky waste collection for all pensioners all year round, which is on top of the free bulky waste collection that will still be maintained fo fall households in the early months of every year.
£50,000 was also approved for investment in flood alleviation and the creation of a new Climate Change Reduction Officer to help the council meet its target of becoming Carbon Neutral by 2030.
Other plans approved at the budget council included:
- Investment in enterprise units at Calverton
- Investment in Hazelford Way industrial units in Newstead village
- Investment in Lambley Lane Changing Rooms and pitch renovation
- Further investment to improve Bonington Theatre & Cinema
- Construction of a Sand Martin Bank and two Bird Hides at Gedling Country Park to provide a sustainable nesting habitat for Sand Martins.
- Funding to provide a secure unit to store equipment at Carlton Cemetery.
- The creation of a Tree Management Officer role.
Deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor Michael Payne said: “We have announced a series of ambitious projects in this year’s budget that will focus on the health and wellbeing of our residents, provide growth and, in spite of the ongoing severe cuts to our funding, will do everything it can to meet the needs of our residents and businesses while ensuring we balance our books. It won’t be easy but we have shown that, thanks to the continued hard work of our staff, we can deliver on our promises and we will deliver a budget full of ambition for the future.”
The Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “Our administration has presented a budget to the council that sets out our vision for Gedling and supports our mission to serve people and improve lives.
“Even in the face of a global pandemic with all the challenges we’ve faced locally, by working with our local communities and our partners we are still delivering on this vision.
“In spite of ongoing government cuts and the uncertainty over future funding, we are very proud to continue to invest in our borough. Work has already started on regenerating Arnold town centre and Carlton Square and we are now announcing further investment in green projects like the Green Lung at Digby Park and a new Climate Change Officer who will help drive our ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030.”
So effectively closing Arnold lane for the residents of Gedling,
Create new public toilets? Is this a joke? You’ve just shut the last surviving ones in Carlton on Cavendish Road so where will the new ones go? Oh surprise me…Arnold ? You say you provide extra bins. It’s utter cobblers. Extra one at Carlton Square Junction…..in lieu of the one you’ve taken from the bus stop? It’s complete utter cobblers. It’s all just total money wasting. Wouldn’t need to extend the Country Pk st a cost of thousands if you took down the fences, removed the 6 cattle and let it be a real park that you can use ALL of it for heavens sake and not just 10%. We want safer streets, better lit streets, cleaner streets, ones with drains that are not full and don’t drain water away, pavements that are not over grown and still covered in last autumns rotting leaves and umpteen weeds. You really have no idea do you. It’s still about what you and your cronies want, decide upon in your freebie little lunch hours over a glass of wine and you still have no idea whatsoever what your constituents want, what’s in their best interests do you? So don’t try to impress me with some grand scheme of a bigger park that’s going to benefit me when the damn thing is already not dog friendly now. What I really want is better roads like I have mentioned. Try really listening to folk. Bah!
And it’s PERCY, damned auto spell. Let’s make homes for SandMartins whilst we destroy the habitat of thousands of species by running a huge great road through countless acres of green belt and a local Wood. Yeah, Sand Martins…of course. And yes Arnold gets a new toilet at the expense of Carltons. Great move. My moneys on Arnold gets their new (just another refurb again really) 3 million Market area before Carlton Square eh? You couldn’t write this s*** could you. GBC are so so biased towards Arnold it smacks you in the chops.