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Arnold Summer Fair date announced – but not everyone is happy

Justin Doddy
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Arnold Summer Fair date announced – but not everyone is happy

Gedling Borough Council (GBC) have released the date for this year’s Arnold summer fair which will take place on Saturday, June 24 from 11am until 5pm at Arnot Hill Park, Arnold.

This years event is described by GBC as a celebration of community and diversity – an inclusive and multicultural event featuring live music, creative workshops, performances, stalls and more.

Midlands Melanin Market will be bringing a range of stalls showcasing the works of African and Caribbean artists and makers and there will be a number of community and charity stalls, street food traders and arts and craft activities for residents to enjoy.

Skate Nottingham will also be holding a skate jam at the skate park at Arnot Hill Park for both new and experienced skaters to take part in.

GBC announced on their website that the multicultural themed celebration holds a particularly special significance this year as it coincides with the 75th Anniversary of the Windrush arrivals and will be an opportunity for residents to embrace diversity and celebrate the vibrant multicultural heritage of the area.

The announcement was immediately met with annoyance from one trader due to the short notice.

Mark Hammans announced his frustration on facebook regarding the short notice for the event. In a direct response to GBC’s facebook post Mark stated that ‘We have been in contact with your staff since Xmas for details of a summer event. You have delayed and delayed. Pathetic given we often take bookings up to a year in advance. Totally unacceptable”

Gedling Eye caught up with Mark regarding his comment and he was less than complimentary about GBC’s communication saying:

“We have had the same problem with GBC for years now its incompetence. I run Aid2Gambia and Arnold Carnival was always my favourite and we were very well supported.

“Always last minute decisions by the Council. I spoke to GBC about a stall for the Xmas light switch on 2 years on the trot, again virtually nothing back until the very last minute.

“We book some events a year in advance and June being a prime month for events there is a we don’t care attitude from the majority at GBC. I don’t know whether it is working from home where management have lost control or utter incompetence.

“I have had to book another event and cannot now make Arnold which does anger me as we usually have fantastic support. Aid2Gambia is wholly run by a couple of volunteers and it shows the contempt that the Council have for organisations like ours.”

We contacted GBC regarding Mark’s comments and a Gedling Borough Council Spokesperson told Gedling Eye that:

“The Arnold Summer Fair is a celebration of community and diversity and is an event we are organising with the support of local partners, charities and community groups.

“Details for some events may be delayed whilst plans are finalised with partners and budgets are approved. We already have a number of attendees booked to join us at the Arnold Summer Fair and have been in contact with previous stall holders for several months about the event.

“We have a long-running, positive relationship with many local groups and will continue to work closely with the local community and voluntary sector on events such as this.

“We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response following the announcement of the Arnold Summer Fair and hope the event will be enjoyed by everyone able to attend. “

The Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke MBE said;

“The Arnold Summer Fair is a fantastic opportunity for our communities to come together, celebrate our diversity, and enjoy a day filled with entertainment and culture.

“I’d like to encourage as many residents as possible to come and join us for this event, to find out more about our diverse communities and enjoy the variety of activities taking place here at one of our stunning parks.”

Stall holders and food traders can book a place at the event by visiting www.gedling.gov.uk/Arnold-Fair

The event takes place at the Green Flag Award winning Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 6LU

Hundreds of renters chasing properties in ‘crazy’ Gedling housing market

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Hundreds of renters chasing properties in ‘crazy’ Gedling housing market

Estate agents in the borough are getting hundreds of viewing requests for rental properties, it has been revealed.

The UK’s overheated housing market has left renters battling to secure viewings and find a place to live.

The high demand and low supply mean agents are bombarded with potential tenants whenever a new property goes on the market.

A spokesperson for Woo Properties, on Carlton Hill, Carlton, said: “It’s crazy.

“There are not enough properties for the number of people.

“We get hundreds of viewing requests for two-bed properties.

“People are staying put and not moving, and landlords are not putting houses up.”

A standard two-bed property will cost a renter on average £750 a month.

Private landlords are also facing increasing costs, with a selective license from Gedling Borough Council costing around £900.

James Roys, a director at David James, said of the rental market: “It’s a horrible place to be in right now. Not a nice market for tenants to be in.

“We’ve had in excess of 120 people fill out an application for a property, and if you have that number of applicants, ultimately you have to disappoint 119 people.

“A huge amount of work goes into it from an agent’s perspective, but it just feels like you’re spreading bad news and we don’t want to do that.

“It’s unprecedented demand, not in our 15 years of property management have we seen the demand of the last 18 months.”

Jack Dickens, property manager at Holden Copley, revealed most properties are snapped up in days.

He said: “Properties pretty much always go within the first week of being available.

“Compared to the last couple of days, the market has settled a bit.

“Two-bed properties were creeping up to around £795 a month but we have seen that settle now.

“At Holden Copley we do block viewings, and on average we get around 10 or 11 requests per block, but it can also be anywhere from 10 to 30.

But Josh did have some advice for prospective renters to increase their chances to secure a tenancy.

He added: “It is always good to show security to a landlord, whether that be previous landlord references or a good credit score.

“It is obviously different for younger letters who may not have those previous references available.”

The Vibe – your guide to what’s going on in Gedling borough (26 May – 1 June)

Justin Doddy
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The Vibe – your guide to what’s going on in Gedling borough (26 May – 1 June)

Here’s our latest round-up of latest events taking place from Friday 26 May to Thursday 1 June across the borough.

Friday, May 26

Miss Bella End – Balfour Conservative Club, Arnold

Members £5 Guests £7

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Calendar Girls – Bonington Theatre, Arnold, 7.30pm

24, 25, 26 & 27 May £10pp

The NANDA award-winning Blind Eye Productions present Calendar Girls, based on the Miramax motion-picture written by Juliette Towhidi and Tim Firth. The hilarious play is based on the true story of eleven W.I. members who famously posed nude for a calendar to raise money for Leukaemia Research!

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Peter Jones – Longbow, Arnold

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Lets 80’s – Top Spot, Carlton

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Saturday, May 27

Belgian Beer Tasting – The Abdication, Daybrook, 7.30pm

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Burton Joyce Comedy Club – Burton Joyce Village Hall

£12pp

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The Life of Brian – Mapperley Recreation & Social Club

Proceeds in aid of Hayward House & Cancer Research UK

Player of the Month Night – Papplewick & Linby CC

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Jo Mansfield – Top Spot, Carlton

Biddy – The Crossing Social Club, Carlton

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Radio Romantic – Calverton Working Men’s Club, Calverton

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Paul Michaels – Arnold Liberal Club, Arnold

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Sunday, May 28

Popmaster – The Nags Head, Carlton, 6.00pm

Registration by 5.30pm

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (12A) – Bonington Cinema, Arnold

Sun 28 May – Sat 3 Jun, Various Times £6.80pp

Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own…

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Heritage Walk by Paul Swift – Woodthorpe Plant Shop, 2.00pm

ROH Live: Sleeping Beauty (12A) *Encore Screening – Bonington Cinema, Arnold, 2.00pm

£15pp

The Sleeping Beauty holds a very special place in The Royal Ballet’s heart and history. It was the first performance given by the Company when the Royal Opera House reopened at Covent Garden in 1946 after World War II. In 2006, this original staging was revived and has been delighting audiences ever since. Frederick Ashton famously cited the pure classicism of Marius Petipa’s 19th-century ballet as a private lesson in the atmospheric art and craft of choreography. Be swept away by Tchaikovsky’s ravishing music and Oliver Messel’s sumptuous fairy-tale designs with this true gem from the classical ballet repertory.

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Ant Green – Richard Herrod Centre, Carlton, 9.00pm

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Funday Sunday – Crossing Social Club, Carlton, 2.00pm

Disney fancy dress theme

Cain Paisley & Henry John – The Pit @ Newstead, 3.00pm

Sunday Quiz Night – Larch Farm, Ravenshead

Sunday & Wednesday evenings

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Acoustic Sunday Session – The Abdication, Daybrook, 2.30pm

Sunday Quiz Night – Old Volunteer, Carlton

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Monday, May 29

Bike Night – Robin Hood @ Lambley, 6.00pm – 9,00pm

Catch-up Screenings: Super Mario Bros. Movie (PG)- Bonington Cinema, Arnold

Mon 29 – Wed 31 May, 10:30am

From Nintendo and Illumination comes The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the biggest film of the year!

A Brooklyn plumber travels through the Mushroom Kingdom with a princess named Peach and an anthropomorphic mushroom named Toad to find his brother and save the world from a ruthless fire-breathing Koopa named Bowser.

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Pub League Poker – The Brick Yard, Carlton

Free pint to the winner of the night for season 2, along with the cash pot from player buy ins (£5 a head) and 100 points on the leaderboard.

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Monday Quiz Night – Bread & Bitter, Mapperley

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Monday Quiz Night – Four Bells, Woodborough, 7.30pm

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Catch-up Screenings: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (12A) – Bonington Cinema

Mon 29 – Wed 31 May, Various Times

Starring Academy Award® Winner Jim Broadbent as Harold and Penelope Wilton as his wife Maureen, The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry tells the story of a man who leaves his seaside town in South Devon to deliver a message to an old friend.

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Family Fun Day – Vale Club, Colwick

Tuesday, May 30

Tuesday Pub Quiz – The Brickyard, Carlton

Booking advised due to popularity of event.

£2 buy in per person, £25 bar tab to be won and a rolling higher or lower jackpot

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Event Cinema: Exhibition on Screen: Tokyo Stories – Bonington Cinema, Arnold

Tue 30 May & Tue 6 Jun, Various Times

A thrilling encounter with one of the world’s great art capitals.

Based on a major exhibition at the Ashmolean in Oxford, Tokyo Stories spans 400 years of incredibly dynamic art – ranging from the delicate woodblock prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige, to Pop Art posters, contemporary photography, Manga, film, and brand-new artworks that were created on the streets.

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Bike Night – The Gleaners, Calverton

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Wednesday, May 31

Netherfield Market – St.George’s Centre, Netherfield, 10.00am – 2.00pm

Wednesday Quiz Night – Larch Farm, Ravenshead

Wednesday & Sunday evenings

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Thursday, June 1

Jazz Steps: Tom Ollendorff Trio – Bonington Theatre, Arnold, 7.30pm

£15pp

Tom Ollendorff has a distinctive guitar sound, blending virtuosic playing with sophisticated harmonic and melodic ideas. With long-standing trio partners, drummer Marc Michel and bassist Conor Chaplin, they form a “…very classy” (The Guardian) outfit. Tom’s music elegantly mixes graceful grooving songlike themes, baroque-style etudes and headlong fast-bop swing.

Thursday Quiz Night – The Gleaners, Calverton, 8.30pm

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Poker Night – The Abdication Micropub, Daybrook, 7.00pm

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DJ Scott, Throw Back Thursdays – Top Spot Club, Carlton, 8.00pm

Old School with some great tunes from Reggae, Ska, Northern Soul, Motown, 70’s and 80’s.

Plus 25% discount on all Drinks.

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Thursday Quiz Night – Sashas Bar, Arnold

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Thursday Quiz Night – The Vale Hotel, Woodthorpe, 8.00pm

Weekly quiz night in support of local food bank.

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Thursday Quiz Night – Gedling Inn, Gedling, 8.00pm

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All listings correct at time of going to press

Please contact venue to confirm availability and details

A quick word from ‘This is Gedling’ Magazine who sponsor The Vibe

Covering the whole of Gedlng borough ‘This is Gedling’ magazine is being distributed now – you can pick up a FREE copy at your local pub, club, venue, theatre, takeaway.

This is Gedling is a Not for Profit (NfP) community initiative that depends on the support of advertisers, contributors, readers and donors to continue to bring FREE borough news and general interest content to the all 46 square miles and 120k residents of Gedling borough.

If you fancy a digital read, want to advertise or make a donation just follow the following link: https://thisisgedling.co.uk/our-magazine/

#thisisgedling #gedlingboroughlife

Gedling Miners Welfare FC announce Ruben Wiggins –Thomas as new manager.

Justin Doddy
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Gedling Miners Welfare FC announce Ruben Wiggins –Thomas as new manager.

Gedling Miners Welfare Football Club Chairman Vic Hulme has announced the appointment of Ruben Wiggins –Thomas as first team manager for the forthcoming season.

Vic said “Ruben has been with the club as a player and now transitions to management. In his time with the club, Ruben has been a model professional and we have no doubts he will bring the same professionalism to his new role.

“The committee unanimously made the choice as he deserves the opportunity to take up the new position.”

New Manager Ruben Wiggins –Thomas (Courtesy of GMW)

Vic continued by saying that “The club also wants to thank Andy Clerke for his efforts over the last five years at Plains Road. Andy has worked hard to improve the standards on and off the pitch and leaves the job due to an opportunity that has arisen elsewhere.

“It is with regret that we see him leave as he has become a part of the Gedling family; however, the club understands his decision and wishes him all the best in his new venture.”

Former Manager Andy Clerke (Courtesy of GMW)

Andy commented that he is delighted to see that one of the players he brought into the club has now been given the opportunity to replace him. He wishes Ruben every success in his new role.

How Arnold’s AMP traders work together to ‘generate more footfall’

Gedling Eye Reporter
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How Arnold’s AMP traders work together to ‘generate more footfall’

The collaboration between traders at Arnold’s AMP has seen business booming six months after the £4 million development opened.

The building opened on Friday November 18, 2022 and is the biggest investment the council have made to revitalise Arnold town centre and support local businesses.

Natalee Onyeche’s vegan beauty brand, Skin Solace, moved to the AMP in March and has welcomed many customers over the past few months.

She said: “We believe that collaboration with other businesses in the area is essential for the growth and success of our community.

“This collaborative approach has helped to generate more footfall in the AMP and fostered a sense of community among local businesses.”

An example of this cooperation can be seen between Taste First and Cleo’s Delicatessen, as the deli provides tapas board for the tasting sessions held at the wine shop.

The companies also still in communications with the council, who own the building.

Shop owners were grateful to have the opportunity to open as renting from the council is cheaper than doing so privately but members of the public feel council money could have been spent more beneficially.

James Carson owner of Taste First at AMP Arnold
James Carson owner of Taste First at AMP Arnold

James Carson, owner of the Taste First a wine shop, said: “There’s a big difference between private landlords, if you look in different areas rent is all double the price and we would have had to spend all our money opening.

“It was a risk to take but it is nice that the council is encouraging small businesses.”

Taste First offers wine tastings in-store, as well as at-home sessions and tasting vouchers.

James added: “We have lots of plans for the future and in the summer want to completely change the vibe, with live music events and even lunch menus.”

Cleo’s Delicatessen, co-owned by Chloe Cross and Theo Solomon, offers a variety of lunch items, including their popular salads, sandwiches and sweet treats.

Theo Solomon and Chloe Cross, owners of Cleo’s Deli at AMP in Arnold

The pair met in a deli and have been wanting to run their own for years.

Theo said: “It is nice that the council actually invests in the town.

“For us, it was great to be able to go into a building and set up from scratch rather than have to go and change a previous business.”

They are overwhelmed by the number of loyal customers and have been working long hours since opening but will be hiring new staff members this month.

However, one unit remains empty with the upstairs area also vacant.

Councillor Jenny Hollingsworth said: “We have some fantastic small independent businesses already open at The AMP and we’re in discussions with a prospective tenant to fill the last vacant unit.

“Our officers are also working pro-actively with landlords in the borough to encourage them to bring units back into use. 

“Plans for the top floor at The AMP have evolved due to the change in demand for large office space following the pandemic, but we are working to develop the space to better suit smaller businesses.

“As well as investing in the building itself, we will also be holding specialist markets and events in the public area in front of the sites. These markets will help draw more people to the area and complement, rather than compete with, the existing market traders at Eagle Square.”

New £27k lease agreement for indoor bowls club

Justin Doddy
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New £27k lease agreement for indoor bowls club

Gedling Borough Council (GBC) have retrospectively approved a £27,000 lease agreement with Gedling Indoor Bowls Club (GIBC)

The approval relates to a 12-month lease with GIBC for the period April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 for the use of the Richard Herrod Centre with an annual rent set at £27,000.

Published documents including a report from the Head of Communications and Leisure dated March 10 recommended that ‘A 12 month lease is entered into with Gedling Indoor Bowls Club for 1 April
2023 to 31 March 2024 with annual rent set at £27,000′.

The decision was formerly made on May 10.

GBC website and published document(s) state:

‘Alongside many local community organisations GIBC has been adversely
affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Lockdown meant enforced closure of
the indoor bowls rink at Richard Herrod Centre that GIBC leases from the
Council. This affected the Club’s income significantly during that period.
The pandemic has also had an adverse effect on the confidence and
health of participants who previously attended the Club, resulting in a
reduced membership since 2019 of nearly 200 people. Nonetheless the
Club still has over 200 members as of January 2023 and other members of the public attending the venue via pay and play.’

The document(s) reveal a history of support for GIBC from GBC as follows:

Since 2021 Council officers have been has been engaging with GIBC to
understand the Club’s ongoing financial situation and other needs as a
Club. Support that has been offered to the Club by the Council during this period has included Covid-19 recovery support for GIBC, including £34,600 business grants (Covid business support grant and Covid business restart grant), 100% discretionary business rate relief and £20,250 rent reduction for October 2021 to September 2022.

This financial support by the Council has enabled GIBC to continue
operating during a very challenging period financially for the Club and
provided the opportunity for over 200 people to return to physical and
social activity after requirements to isolate and shield as a result of Covid19 came to an end. The Club has reported both the physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits of this return, including helping to address loneliness and isolation amongst the older Members.

The equalities implications in the published report advise that GIBC has 139 members who are residents of the Borough and the Club reports the majority are over 75 years old. Consultation with the Club Committee has identified that 95% of its members may stop bowling if the Club folded rather than participate elsewhere. If the Club decides to
close this will have a detrimental effect on some older and more vulnerable residents. Without the presence of GIBC the viability of Disability Bowls continuing to identify Richard Herrod at its base for participation may also be in doubt.

The ongoing financial support offered by this decision will enable the
Bowls Club to continue operations for a further 12 months offering health
and wellbeing benefits for both older people and those with a disability.

Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke MBE said to Gedling Eye that “We know how important the Gedling Indoor Bowls Club at the Richard Herrod Centre is, both for the club itself and the positive impact it has on the health and wellbeing of its members. The club provides physical and social activities, while also tackling issues such as loneliness and isolation.

“Like many other community organisations, the club faced significant challenges during the pandemic, resulting in a decline in membership and a strain on its finances. The council has recognised this when agreeing the new lease for the next year which supports the club as it considers how it needs to recover so it can overcome these challenges and continue to be a valuable asset to the community.”

The above information and full decision details published on May 10 are available on the GBC website – https://democracy.gedling.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=1406 .

Murder investigation launched after human remains found in field near Ravenshead

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Murder investigation launched after human remains found in field near Ravenshead

A murder investigation has been launched after human remains were found in a field near Ravenshead.

Specialist officers have been working alongside a team of scientists to determine who the person is and how they died.

On Wednesday, April 26, construction work was being carried out on farmland in Coxmoor Road when a member of the public came across some bones.

MISSING: Robin Barrows Spencer

Police were called to the scene and a large cordon was put in place while work was carried out to exhume the rest of the remains.

Extensive work including a post-mortem examination has been conducted by a team of scientists including an anthropologist.

They can now reveal the remains are that of a male skeleton, with an estimated age of death of between the ages of 40 to 60 years old and estimated height / stature of between 5’ 41/4” and 5’ 61/2.

Police originally believed the body could be that of Robin Barrows Spencer, a local man who was reported missing by his mother in June 2004.

He was 47 years old at the time he went missing and a murder investigation was launched in 2006 surrounding his disappearance.

His body has never been recovered but a number of arrests were made at the time. However, no one has ever been prosecuted.

Extensive DNA tests, including DNA from family members, have been conducted and the body is not Robin Barrows Spencer. His family have been kept well-informed throughout the investigation.

At this moment in time, the body cannot be identified, and more work needs to be carried out on the remains.

This includes radiocarbon dating testing which will attempt to determine when the individual died. The results of which can take up to several months.

A team of detectives are now following a number of lines of inquiry.

This includes examining the Missing Person database, analysis of clothing recovered from the scene, further consultation with experts to assist in identifying the man, plus additional tests to find out how the person died.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin said: “It is important to remember this is not just a collection of bones in a field. This is someone’s loved one whose family will have undoubtedly been waiting many years for answers.

“His family are at the forefront of our minds and that is why we have been meticulous in our decision making by ensuring we were at the scene in Coxmoor Road for three weeks to ensure we can gather as much evidence as possible.

“It is imperative that we can provide his family with all the answers they need and that the work we do now can ensure those responsible for his death are brought to justice.

“This will obviously be distressing for the local community to hear as at this moment in time we cannot provide identification.

“What I can say is that we have a team of detectives working extremely hard alongside a team of scientists to gather as much detail as possible to help us identify the person.

“At this stage we believe the man was murdered due to the injuries sustained. This includes trauma to parts of skeleton, which are undergoing further analysis. 

“We also believe he was buried at this site so no one could find him. It is also possible that the burial site is also not the place where his murder occurred.

“However, we keep an open mind. We also know this is not a murder that has happened recently.

“We know this because it takes a number of years for the body to decompose to bone.

“The radiocarbon dating would help provide a scientific date range for date of death and could provide a minimum timeframe that the body has been buried.

“We have a team of dedicated detectives now working on this case and would really like to hear from members of the public.

“Today we appeal for the public to come forward.

“Any information you may have about who this person might be, or anything you may have heard then we would ask you to get in touch.

“This murder may have happened some time ago, but times have changed and so have loyalties.

“We have set up a dedicated phone line and online portal direct to the incident room for anyone with information to contact us; or you can call Crimestoppers which is completely anonymous.

“We have already eliminated a number of people who are known to be missing.

“We are determined to use all our investigative skills to identify this man and find those responsible for his murder.”

Superintendent for the County, Claire Rukas said: “There has been some rumour and speculation and I would like to take this opportunity to address this.

“There is nothing to indicate there are any other bodies buried at the site. This is a single grave with a single deceased person in it.

“We have carried out extensive work over the last three weeks at the site to ensure that no stone was left unturned.

“We know the woods around Coxmoor Road are a popular walking spot. We know the discovery of human remains will be alarming, but the public have nothing to be afraid of and they are safe to use.

“We would also like to thank the public for their patience. The cordon was lifted last week, and the road has been reopened.

“This is a rare and unusual case, and we hope the community will come forward and provide us with as much information as they can.

“As always, we will keep you updated as this complex investigation develops.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room by clicking the online link below https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM22E48-PO1

Alternatively you can call our incident room on 0800 096 0095.

Arnold: Residents say town’s potholes are damaging their cars

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Arnold: Residents say town’s potholes are damaging their cars

Arnold motorists have taken to social media to express their anger about the damage potholes are causing across the town.

After one resident uploaded an image of a pothole in the Arnold community group, many others chipped in to share their experiences, as well as the financial ramifications.

Potholes in the borough are the responsibility of Nottinghamshire County Council.

Francesca Trivigno was dropping her children at school last Monday (15), when she struck a pothole. She said: “I turned onto Kingswell Avenue just off Gedling Road to park up to take my girls to school at Arnold View when I went over the pothole at about 2mph.

“It caused a blowout on my back left tyre and damaged both my front suspension wishbone arms that need replacing. My back tyre was only nine months old and I had suspension wishbone arms replaced just over a year ago!

“I want some sort of compensation back for the repairs. I pay road tax, council tax and insurance for the roads just to be in a state all the time.”

The government allocated another £200m to potholes in their spring budget, which will be distributed among local authorities responsible for highways. Of this £200m, Nottinghamshire will receive just over £3.3m.

Stacy Sharp has also fallen victim to pothole damage, which caused a snapped passenger side spring on her partner’s van. She said: “It happened in Jenned Road, Arnold. It’s going to cost £150 plus VAT.

“The council expect people to pay out for repairs in the crisis when we can barely afford food, but we need transport for work so have no choice.”

In March of this year, the LGA reported that the government spent 31 times more per mile on maintaining motorways and A roads last year than they did on funding councils to repair local roads.

A highways manager from Nottinghamshire County Council said: “Two potholes on Jenned Road have been inspected and will be repaired. We have no reports of potholes on Kingswell Avenue but are aware of some on Gedling Road at it junction with Kingswell Avenue.

“We have invested significantly in improving the condition of our roads in Nottinghamshire and have moved towards a ‘right first time’ approach with a focus on large scale road surface repairs, following our Highways Services Review.

“In 2022, we completed over 332,000m2 of quality resurfacing across Nottinghamshire, which equates to approximately 41 miles of road receiving high-quality, long-lasting surfacing repairs. Whilst we have made significant progress, with almost 3000 miles of road to maintain, we cannot repair all the County’s roads immediately.

Nottingham City Transport: Firm aims to break even after almost £1m loss caused by soaring gas prices

Joe Locker (LDR Reporter)
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Nottingham City Transport: Firm aims to break even after almost £1m loss caused by soaring gas prices

Nottingham bus company NCT has reported a loss of almost £1 million after being hit by a “poisonous cocktail” of rising gas prices caused by the war in Ukraine and long-last impacts from the Covid pandemic.

The company has increased its fare prices, with the anticipation it will become profitable again by the end of March 2025.

NCT runs the majority of bus services running throughout Gedling borough

It first hit problems in March 2020, when the country was ordered into lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

44 bus Gedling

Before this, multiple award-winning NCT says one million passengers were using its services every week, the highest use per head of population outside London and Brighton.

But at the height of lockdown usage plummeted to 10 per cent.

Towards the end of June 2020, the Government encouraged bus companies to reinstate services, propped up by grants.

However, in an interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service on May 19, Mr Astill said “no one had anticipated war in Europe”, which caused some of its costs to soar.

“The Government continues to support the industry but the other unforeseen factor was war in Europe which no one anticipated,” he said.

“Half our fleet now runs on biogas. We are a green operator, half the fleet meets the ultra-low emissions standard.

“But nobody saw the price of gas trebling. You do things with the best intentions, then something like that happens.

“It was a poisonous cocktail, really. That all explains why we made the loss that we did last [financial] year.

“It was a loss, but it was about a minus two per cent margin, so manageable within our cash reserves, but in the medium to long-term that is not sustainable.”

NCT was established as an arms-length Nottingham City Council company in 1986, and through this arrangement, the authority receives a small dividend.

The company is not profit-driven, and typically aims for a profit margin between five and eight per cent each year, with much of this going back into services.

Mr Astill says it has been “financially well-managed for 20 years and before.”

According to documents published on Companies House, NCT made post-tax profits of £4.3m in the 52 weeks to March 28, 2020, before the pandemic.

In the next 52-week period, up to March 27, 2021, post-tax profits dropped to £1.5m.

The following year, up to March 26, 2022, NCT reported a post-tax loss of £416,000.

Up to and including the 2021/22 financial year, NCT says at an operational level its revenue had been matching its costs.

However, in the 2022/23 financial year, which ended in March, the loss increased to “just shy” of £1m on a turnover of £55m.

NCT is plannning on increasing its average bus fare by 9.6 per cent, which is below the current inflation rate of 10.1 per cent.

A standard single will rise from £2.50 to £2.80, for example, while an adult all day ticket will rise from £4.70 to £5.20.

However the £2 adult single ticket offer, which is funded by the Government, will remain in place until the end of October.

The rising prices are “an important factor” in helping NCT break even, the company says, alongside fuel prices falling back in line.

Patronage is now at 88 per cent, up 13 per cent over the previous year.

“Our target this year is to break even and back into profit in 2024/25,” Mr Astill said when questioned over any potential cuts to services in the future.

“Patronage is still coming back, we are up 13 per cent on the same time last year, so things are returning to normal slowly.

“What we are not quite sure of yet is what the new normal is.

“I am confident without being blasé about it, because we are a commercial business.

“We have been doing this a long, long time and we have the expertise within the business to tailor our network to the demand that is there.

“We might be a bit smaller, I don’t know, but I believe we can be a commercial business.

“Our network and our patronage is large enough to sustain a commercial business, even if we are at 90 per cent of what we were back in 2019.”

Calls for further scrutiny of £4.3m council spend to open up Top Wighay site

Andrew Topping (Local Democracy Reporter)
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Calls for further scrutiny of £4.3m council spend to open up Top Wighay site

An opposition group has called for extra checks on a Nottinghamshire County Council decision to spend £4.3m to help start development at the major Top Wighay Farm project.

The council approved a delegated decision on May 10 outlining how the cash will unlock the land for hundreds of houses, a new council office and other community facilities like a school.

Delegated decisions are taken outside of public council meetings, meaning they are not debated in public.

A report on the plan said the major site, near Hucknall and Linby, was on track for new development with housebuilder Vistry likely to submit detailed plans next month.

And it confirmed construction and building work on the site is expected to cost the council £4.078m during this year and the next financial year.

This includes a road and roundabout into the site to allow several new projects to take shape.

A further £305,012 will fund professional fees for the wider Top Wighay project.

This includes costs for all stages of development and planning, as well as site surveys and costs to the authority’s contractor Arc Partnership.

However, the Independent Alliance opposition group has now ‘called in’ the decision and claimed the Conservative-led authority is not being “transparent”.

To ‘call in’ a decision means the contents of the report and the decision itself could be reviewed and debated by one of the council’s scrutiny committees.

This can happen when some councillors fear there are issues with the decision, the reasons it was taken or the impact it may have.

In a letter to Marjorie Toward, the council’s monitoring officer, the group said council reports included “no detail other than general costings on how this money will be spent”.

It also said there was “no guarantee this work will be carried out on budget” or details of how the spending ties in with the £15.7m budget for a planned new council office building on the land.

The letter, penned by Cllr Dave Shaw (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall West, was also signed by Cllrs John Wilmott, Lee Waters and Tom Hollis (all Ash Ind) and Steve Carr (Lib Dem).

In the letter, Cllr Shaw said: “It is our view that a key decision made that is spending over £4m of taxpayer’s money should be made with all facts being considered by all councillors and therefore the council is not being transparent.

“It is not clear whether the £4,38m is part of the overall £15.7m that has been budgeted for the [new office] project.

“It is our collective view that costs relating to Top Wighay are spiralling out of control and this call-in is necessary before any more public money is wasted.”

In response, the authority confirmed the £4.3m is included in the wider £15.7m budget for the new Top Wighay building.

The council did not provide a comment addressing the group’s specific points but said the call-in is currently being reviewed by Ms Toward and the democratic services department.

Further details on whether a scrutiny committee meeting is likely to be called to review the decision will be confirmed once the letter has been assessed by officers.

Once complete, the wider site is expected to feature the new council building, a school and at least 805 homes.

However, more than 600 further homes could also be built on the land – which falls in the Gedling borough – under separate plans to extend the site in the future.

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