Our readers from across the borough give their weekly take on the biggest issues impacting Gedling and beyond.
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Councils should spend our money on what matters
It really is time our councillors stopped wasting our hard earned rates on little used cycle ways , like the one planned for Colwick Loop Road, and fancy schemes which they have not thought through, got total public support for or costed all aimed at stopping the motorist.
I assume these councillors do not use cars at any time. Most likely they aren’t as daft as us and choose to live in West Bridgford where the roads are as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
I want to see these councillors concentrate on things that matter and where in my view council money should be spent such as educating our children, social care, filling potholes, putting roads and pavements into a good condition etc.
You cannot drive in a straight line down most roads across Gedling borough due to potholes but if you know how to weave from one side to the other you are ok!
When I moved the area back in 1982 it was a beautiful borough but successive borough and county councils have let it deteriorate.
Bob Homes
Carlton Hill
Don’t just pick on the elderly
I don’t agree with Beverley Adams at all (‘Give pensioners compulsory driving test’ – Letters 26/01/24).
A refresher driving course for all drivers after a certain period of time regardless of age would be a better idea than just pensioners.
We all think we are good drivers but are we really that good ?
Don’t just pick on the elderly, look at the statistics – bad drivers come from all age categories.
Raymond Ellis,
Address withheld
No more building on our green belt land
We don’t need expensive houses to attract even more people to Gedling borough; we need affordable starter homes and social housing built to a good standard. We need them for those who have grown up in our local towns and villages and wish to start their adult life by moving away from their parents into an affordable starter home of their own.
And yes, absolutely all new houses and buildings should be built with solar panels.
We should not be building on any more farm or green belt land. It is irreplaceable.
Please don’t build on any more of our beautiful green or fertile farmland Gedling Borough Council. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Actually, it seems as though most of it has already.
Linda Weeks,
Mapperley
Give us better alternatives to using roads
I must take issue with several concerns raised by environmentalist readers on your site recently. To give the impression that people without cars are ignored is wrong.
I agree with the creation of bus lanes to help those who either cannot or choose not to use a car but these should be seen as a short-term measure. These lanes are expensive to build and actually reduce the speed of other traffic when the aim should be to help the flow of all traffic.
There are other measures each small by themselves but adding up to a large amount in time and money, such as pedestrianisation, footbridges and crossing timings.
As for the current situation, I blame poor planning over several decades where the allowance of new and the conversion of buildings to house more residents without addressing the parking needs and traffic flow has led to pavement parking and overcrowded roads. Often local council objection is cancelled by a higher authority.
To imply that the government is locked into a fossil fuel economy is misleading when the present investment in alternatives such as wind and solar is colossal. The help with heat pumps, insulation and other more controversial schemes such as tidal barrages and nuclear power is also being actively pursued.
Why pick on cars? People use cars for work or to get to places where public transport is either non-existent or infrequent, the difficulties encountered with luggage and high cost when compared with carrying two or more passengers is also a factor. Car use will increase as the population increases, unless something radical happens like the ready availability of personal drones.
Finally, does anyone think a car driver would use our existing road network on a daily basis if there were a better alternative?
not a gedling borogh council issue as they have to cap in hand to the county council which is run by the conservatives as is west bridgeford with conserative mp,where gedling is getting nothing even though the mp is a conservative.local labour council being penalised for trying to help the locals in the borough achieve their requirements and pay their way.