Gedling Eye looks back at the highs and lows of 2023 across the borough, continuing from October to December…
OCTOBER
THERE was a bitter blow as Gedling borough again missed out on Levelling Up Fund cash to revamp towns
Gedling borough agonisingly missed out on £20m which would have paid to
revitalise towns and villages, it was been revealed. Five Nottinghamshire towns made the list. Clifton, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Mansfield, Newark and Worksop were all named by the Government on Sunday (October 1) and were awarded £20m which will be split
over 10 years as part of a new £1bn “levelling up” drive. The Government says the cash should be used to improve transport and connections, tackling crime, anti-social behaviour and making high streets more attractive.
A ‘DEVIOUS’ Mapperley pensioner was jailed for abducting and abusing boy
Tony Spilsbury, 76, approached the vulnerable boy in Bulwell marketplace and engaged him in conversation. He then asked the child to help him with his van before driving him to a secluded area of a nearby carpark and began his assault. Spilsbury, of Fernleigh Avenue, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault by touching. Although he was not convicted of a specific offence of child abduction, Spilsbury admitted to taking the boy as part of his guilty plea.
SEVEN people were arrested after two people were assaulted during a street fight in Mapperley.
Police say they were called to reports of a disturbance in Woodborough Road. Two people had to be taken to hospital after sustaining injuries during a fight in the street. The fight took place near the KFC restaurant on Woodborough Road. Shortly after the incident was reported, police identified and detained a group of suspects in Carlton Road, Bakersfield, and Lower Parliament Street, in Nottingham City Centre.
Six men and one woman were subsequently arrested on suspicion of affray, possession of a bladed article and possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply.
A 41-YEAR-OLD man was arrested on suspicion of acting as a gangmaster
without a licence after police carried out a raid of a farm in Calverton.
The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police and Immigration Enforcement carried out the operation and a Belgian national was arrested by the GLAA. Searches were also made by the GLAA of addresses in Lowdham and Nottingham in addition to the location in Calverton.
A PUB in Linby closed its doors for the last time blaming Covid and rising energy costs.
Owners of the Horse and Groom pub on Main Street took to social media to share the sad news. In the announcement they said: “Unfortunately due the ongoing impact of losses made due to Covid and the continued high cost of gas and electricity we have decided to cease trading”. The management team issued a “huge thank you” to everyone who had supported the pub over the last nine and a half years.
A GEDLING borough councillor resigned from the Labour Party over leader Sir Keir Starmer’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Councillor Russell Whiting, who represents Colwick on Gedling Borough Council, said in a social media post that he had resigned and was unhappy about the leader’s refusal to criticise Israel over cutting off food and water to over 2m people in Gaza and also on the order to evacuate 1m people in the area, giving them just 24 hours to leave.
A POPULAR recycling hub was axed at a supermarket chain in Arnold.
Sainbury’s closed the recycling point based at its superstore in Sir John Robinson Way.
A sign at the former hub site read: “The recycling centre is permanently closed. Your nearest tip is Calverton. CCTV is in operation and registrations will be passed on to the police of anyone flytipping.”. The recycling site had recently been targeted by flytippers in recent months. Back in July customers were left outraged by the amount of rubbish dumped at the store’s recycling point, with piles of bin bags, cardboard boxes and old clothes being dumped at the site.
NOVEMBER
A SECOND Gedling councillor resigned from Labour Party over refusal to call for Israel-Gaza ceasefire
A second Gedling Borough councillor has resigned from the Labour Party over their stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict. Councillor Des Gibbons, who represents Bestwood St Albans, said he will now stand as an independent.
A LAMBLEY Lane play area reopened for delighted children after £100k refurbishment
Lambley Lane Play Area underwent a six-week refurbishment to regenerate the site and add new and inclusive facilities. The new play area was designed to provide equipment for children up to the age of around 12 years old and includes a wheelchair-accessible roundabout, swings, slides a 30m long zip line, climbing frames, trampoline, basket swing, play panels and more.
THE FIRST floor of Arnold’s £4m AMP to become an Enterprise Centre.
Gedling Borough Council approved proposals to turn the upstairs of their £4m AMP in Arnold into a new business centre. The plan for an Enterprise Centre was approved by Cabinet members during a meeting on November 9. The AMP will now provide a number of lettable spaces ‘to support start up and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) businesses’ following the approval. The first floor of the AMP has been vacant since it was handed over to Gedling Borough Council following completion in October 2022.
PLANS for new Popeyes drive-thru near Netherfield were approved despite opposition.
Popeyes was granted permission to build a drive-through outlet near Netherfield despite road safety and litter worries from residents and councillors. Members of the planning committee at Gedling Borough Council approved the American fried chicken giant’s application for the new outlet on Magenta Way near Teal Park yesterday (29) with a majority of one.
DECEMBER
33 CARLTON businesses are now ‘Age Friendly’
There are currently 33 businesses signed up and proudly displaying the bright pink ‘We are Age Friendly Carlton’ logo so, if you see the logo on the door/window of a Carlton business, you can rest assured that you will be welcomed and have support available, should you need it. The Age Friendly movement was launched by the World Health Organization in 2005, with the mission of developing local strategies to support people to remain independent in older age.
A REDHILL Academy student became a British Ice Skating Champion
Redhill Academy lauded student, Jack Donovan as he became the Advanced Novice Boys British Ice Skating Champion. Jack finished his competition with 117.05 points, almost 20 points ahead of his nearest competitor, Edward Solovyov with 97.75 points. This marks Jack’s fifth win of 2023 and his third British Championship at the Advanced Novice level, having previously placed third in 2021 and second in 2022.
GEDLING Eye’s new campaign encouraging Gedling borough residents to buy locally over Christmas and beyond launched
We threw our support behind the amazing local businesses in the borough – and urged readers to do the same. The main aim was to promote all the fantastic traders in the borough and remind readers they can invest in their communities by investing in local businesses.
A CAR smashes into Carlton business after failing to stop for police.
A man was arrested after a car failed to stop for police and ploughed into a Carlton hair salon. The vehicle failed to stop and at around 12.50am and crashed into Image Hair Fashions business on Burton Road, Carlton.
