Gedling police cracked down on underage drinking and antisocial behaviour blighting parts of the borough over the weekend.
Members of the Gedling North Neighbourhood Policing team have stopped youths aged under 16 caught drinking alcohol in Arnot Hill Park in Arnold.
Three teenagers were taken home by the officers and alcohol containers were seized as during the reassurance patrols.
Officers were also out and about in Calverton, preventing antisocial behaviour by moving on groups hanging around shops as part of their positive crime prevention activity on Friday night (27).
Early intervention patrols were also carried out around Arnold and Mapperley Top in licensed premises.
Licensing checks were conducted, working with door staff and management, while officers maintained a visible presence in these areas.
During this activity officers arrested a woman in Front Street, Arnold, for being drunk and disorderly.
Saturday night saw officers on foot patrols again around Mapperley Top and Arnold, engaging with licenced premises and being ready to deal with any emerging issues, and also in hot-spot areas around Calverton and Arnold to deter antisocial behaviour.
A man was arrested for being drunk and disorderly in the Front Street area of Arnold and officers also took action to break up a reported altercation in the street. No offences were disclosed.
Neighbourhood policing sergeant for Gedling North Stu Howe said: “As our recent activity demonstrates, our officers work extremely hard every day to not only keep their communities safe, but also to positively engage with and support our residents and businesses.”
Retailers across the UK have been accused of exploiting drivers by failing to fully reflect recent falls in wholesale fuel prices at the pumps.
The RAC, who carried out the research, said diesel drivers were being the hardest hit.
Over the nine-week period between mid-October and mid-December 2022, wholesale petrol costs fell by 23p per litre, but the average pump prices only decreased by 18p, following a peak of 166.54p at the end of October.
Supermarkets, which dominate fuel retailing in the UK, have been criticised for reducing their prices too slowly and not enough, with a 20p decrease over the same period.
The situation for diesel drivers was even worse, with wholesale prices dropping by 32p per litre over eight weeks, but average pump prices only fell by 20p per litre, peaking at 190.41p at the end of October.
Average supermarket diesel pump prices also decreased by 20p.
The RAC data reveals that price reductions have come to a halt this week as wholesale prices have started to rise again, leading to a return of fair retailer margins.
There are fears that retailers will increase their pump prices soon, despite there being no justification for doing so.
Retailers’ margins on petrol and diesel increased in 2022, with the average retailer margin on petrol at 13.5p per litre (supermarkets 10.8p), compared to 8.7p in 2021 (supermarkets 5.8p).
The average diesel margin last year was 10.3p (supermarkets 7.5p), up from 8.8p in 2021 (supermarkets 6p). Before the pandemic in 2019, average retailer margins were just 6.5p for petrol and 6.9p for diesel.
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams stated that “When wholesale prices increase, pump prices tend to rise very soon afterwards. Yet, when wholesale prices fall, it takes far longer for forecourt prices to come down.”
Williams went on to criticise supermarkets for not passing on wholesale price reductions quickly enough, and for not reducing diesel prices far enough.
He called for the government to focus on ensuring that retailers quickly pass on savings to drivers whenever there is a significant decrease in wholesale fuel prices.
The Competition and Markets Authority is currently investigating retail fuel pricing and has acknowledged the existence of ‘rocket and feather’ pricing.
The RAC has called for action to be taken for the benefit of consumers and businesses.
Pricing analysis – the ‘feather’ in action
Protestors have unveiled a satirical blue plaque today (28) claiming Gedling MP Tom Randall “voted to block a law requiring water companies to dump less raw sewage into our waterways and seas 20 Oct ‘21”.
Local protestors from Extinction Rebellion put up the blue plaques by the River Trent in Stoke Bardolph in a spoof ceremony as part of a national day of action called Dirty Water to highlight the shocking state of our waterways.
Arthur Williams, a lecturer from Carlton, and a member of Nottingham Extinction Rebellion said: “We’ve watched in horror as our rivers and seas have become open sewers since October 2021, when the government voted down a proposal to stop water companies pumping waste directly into our rivers.
“They justified this by claiming that the proposal was too expensive, despite the massive profits water companies have made over the years. These plaques shine a light on the government’s failure to protect our waterways, the natural world, and all of us.”
“The government’s failure to properly tackle the issue of sewage pollution has been hugely controversial. Last summer over a hundred beaches were closed to the public after a series of sewage discharges by water companies left the sand and sea contaminated with human sewage.”
An Extinction Rebellion Nottingham spokesperson said: “Some MP’s are claiming that if we didn’t allow this to happen sewage would flood into people’s homes. This is simply fear-mongering to cover up the fact they’ve failed to pass laws saying that the water companies have a responsibility to their customers and the environment, not just pocketing profits from selling us water.”
Gedling MP Tom Randall today hit back telling Gedling Eye that blue plaques should be reserved for ‘commemorate historic events rather than fake news’.
He said: “Extinction Rebellion are ignoring the facts and are instead playing politics.
“The facts are that these: this Conservative Government has done more than any other Government to increase water quality. The storm overflow discharge reduction plan was introduced as part of the Environment Act and requires water companies to invest in infrastructure that will reduce the need for storm overflows. It was a Conservative Government that ramped up the monitoring of storm overflows – from 6% in 2013 to 90%, with 100% being monitored by the end of this year – that helps us better understand the issue and it is this Government that has increased funding for Environment Agency inspections. Fines from water companies are now ringfenced so that the money doesn’t go to the Treasury but stays with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for environmental projects.
“I’ve seen the Liberal Democrats’ tweet about this subject. They’ve got more front than Brighton: Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs voted against the Environment Act, which, quite frankly, is a disgrace. They offer words but this Government is taking action. The Environment Act is now law and is helping to reduce the use of storm overflows.”
About 100 Dirty Water blue plaques will be unveiled across England on Saturday.
A charity wanting to steam ahead with plans to renovate Gedling’s historic station building are hoping to win fresh funding to help pay for the project.
A planning application recently submitted revealed exciting new plans for the building on Shearing Hill.
They reveal the charity in charge of the project want to knock down the old gymnasium building, attached to the station, that was recently declared unsafe.
PICTURED: Former Gedling Station building and, inset, Francis Rodrigues
They want to then breathe life into the old station building by transforming it into a community hub. They also plan to generate revenue for the charity by creating commercial office space within the property.
To help pay for the project, the charity hopes to secure £250,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
They have also launched a bid for £75,000 from a local Community Infrastructure Levy.
The Community Infrastructure Levy is a charge which can be levied by local authorities on new development in their area. It is an important tool for local authorities to use to help them deliver the infrastructure needed to support development in their area.
The levy can be used to fund a very broad range of facilities including, but not limited to play areas, open spaces, parks and green spaces, cultural and sports facilities. Local authorities must spend the levy on infrastructure needed to support the development of their area, and they will decide what infrastructure is needed.
The public can have their say on who is awarded funds from the Levy through a consultation, which is taking place now. Details can be found HERE
The charity managing the station project is Gedling Youth & Community Hub. It’s chairman is Francis Rodrigues.
He wanted to thank the community for their support so far.
Francis Rodrigues, said: “There was huge public support to save the former youth club and station from residential development and the three local groups coming together reflect that support.”
“I would now ask all our brilliant supporters & volunteers to support our CIL application by completing the comments section on the consultation.”
Gedling station was originally built by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) and opened to goods traffic in 1874, passenger services began to use the station on 1 February 1876.
On 4 April 1960 Gedling Station was closed to passenger traffic and in 1967 the former station site was converted into a youth club.
Investments from various sources saw the former sidings converted into an outside football pitch.
A large gymnasium was also constructed on the front side of the station, although the main fabric of the old building remained in place beneath it (and continues to do so today).
The building operated successfully as a youth club for over 40 years and was finally closed in 2012, in large part due to the need for improvements in order to ensure that this historic building met modern health and safety standards.
The above is just a snippet of the history of Gedling Station to be found on www.gedlingyouth.co.uk.
Gedling police have reported a busy five days across parts of the borough this week.
The neighbourhood policing team have been out and about across the borough tackling issues affecting residents and businesses as part of a week of action highlighting how these local teams serve their community.
The focus comes as the Nottinghamshire Police has been supporting a national Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action, celebrating the vital work that neighbourhood officers, police community support officers and volunteers do all year round to protect the public and tackle issues that members of the public have said matter most to them.
Police attended Burton Joyce Primary School after concerns were raised about parkingOfficers attended the Netherfield Retail Park throughout the day to prevent crime
This week the neighbourhood teams have taken positive action to address various concerns including problem parking, shop theft and antisocial behaviour, speeding and road safety and bicycle theft.
As part of the week of action, the Gedling south neighbourhood policing team has given us an overview of what they’ve been up to:
On Monday – Officers attended Burton Joyce Primary School following concerns of parked vehicles causing an obstruction in Padley Lane. Police engaged with parents, were on hand to give advice as well as acting as a deterrent.
Tuesday – Officers attended the Netherfield Retail Park throughout the day to prevent crime, reassure the public and provide crime prevention advice to shops as part of ongoing work to tackle issues.
Wednesday – A speeding operation was carried out in Nottingham Road, Burton Joyce. Residents gave positive feedback about the policing presence. No speeding tickets had to be issued during the proactive road safety operation.
Thursday – Officers attended the Netherfield Retail Park, armed with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology, with a view of deterring and identifying drivers who may be involved in criminality. This crime-fighting work included use of an Operation Reacher car – to help prevent crimes from happening in the first place. Two cars were seized during the operation, no-one was arrested. Members of the public were also engaged with and educated about the mobile ANPR technology and its use.
Friday – Preventing bicycle theft was a key theme of the day as officers attended the Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton to offer advice and engage with the public, giving out free bike locks and lights, supplied by Gedling Borough Council, to help improve cyclists’ safety and security.
Temporary Sergeant Dave Jennings said: “As a neighbourhood policing team we always strive to help people and make a positive difference in our communities. We want to make sure people feel safe and reassured and we will continue to work hard together to achieve those goals.”
Inspector Mark Stanley, District Commander for Gedling, added: “The week of action has provided just a snapshot of the neighbourhood policing work we do every day to keep the public safe, cut crime and improve people’s quality of life in areas affected by crime.
“Tackling a range of local issues is very much an ongoing challenge for us and this is something we are constantly working hard on all year-round to try and improve the situation and by working closely with our partners to support people and find solutions to problems.
“I’m pleased with the positive feedback we’ve received from members of the public, in recognition of our wider community-focused work, and I’d like to reassure them we will continue to do everything we can to keep them safe and combat criminality in the areas where they live.”
Regional airline Flybe has ceased trading for a second time, with all flights cancelled and passengers left stranded.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced the company had gone into administration and told those with booked Flybe flights not to travel to airports.
Passengers were emailed overnight and told not to turn up for check-in.
CAA consumer director Paul Smith said: “It is always sad to see an airline enter administration and we know that Flybe’s decision to stop trading will be distressing for all of its employees and customers.
“We urge passengers planning to fly with this airline not to go to the airport as all Flybe flights are cancelled. For the latest advice, Flybe customers should visit the Civil Aviation Authority’s website or our Twitter feed for more information.”
The airline confirmed the “sad” move on their Twitter feed, and confirmed that administrators had been brought in.
“We are sad to announce that Flybe has been placed into administration,” they tweeted.
“David Pike and Mike Pink of Interpath have been appointed administrators. Flybe has now ceased trading. All Flybe flights from and to the UK are cancelled and will not be rescheduled.”
Flybe had returned to the skies in April following an earlier collapse.
Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin has blamed people drinking at home for a slump in sales.
The pub chief, who has revealed that the chain’s sales are still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels, said far more people now drink in their homes rather than in pubs.
Wetherspoons, which runs 844 pubs in the UK and Ireland, said like-for-like sales surged by nearly 18% over the last three months of 2022, when compared with the same period in 2021.
However, sales still remained 2% lower than the equivalent pre-pandemic period in 2019.
Mr Martin, Wetherspoon’s chairman, told the PA news agency: “The aftermath of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions have been far more difficult than anyone thought.
“That is the picture for the whole pub and restaurant industry. People thought that after lockdown there would be a boom in people suffering from cabin fever but, instead, it has almost been the opposite situation as people have got in the habit of staying in.
“That’s the big thing that means sales are down on 2019. Things are improving now but it’s slow.”
The Wetherspoons chief was keen to stress that he feels the biggest threat to the hospitality industry is that pubs and restaurants are taxed unfairly, while supermarkets pay no VAT on food sales.
“The aftermath of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions have been far more difficult than anyone thought.”
Wetherspoons chairman Tim Martin
He said: “This issue has been exacerbated in recent years because supermarkets now trade next to pubs on every high street, and with a huge tax benefit which means they can lower the price of beer.
Supermarkets now take up about half of the pub industry’s beer volumes, whereas “hardly anyone drank at home” when Wetherspoon’s started trading in 1979, Mr Martin said.
He warned that the industry will “inevitably shrink” relative to supermarkets if it does not campaign strongly for tax equality.
Wetherspoon opened two pubs over the second half of 2022 and sold 10, which made about £2.9 million, and 35 pubs remain up for sale.
But Mr Martin added that he is “cautiously optimistic” about the company’s prospects for the financial year.
Work will take place over the weekend to repair level crossing barriers that have been causing a traffic nightmare in Netherfield.
The barriers by Carlton Station, on Victoria Road, have become stuck in the down position several times this week during morning rush hour.
The stuck barriers have resulted in tailbacks through the town, with motorists being held up for over half an hour. Commuters say the constant delays are causing them to be late taking their children to school and getting to work.
PICTURED: The crossings are next toCarlton Station (PHOTO: Gedling Eye)
Jemma Crow commutes each morning from Carlton. The 33-year-old said she had experienced problems with the crossings on a number of occasions over the past week.
“They need sorting,” she said.
“I missed my train today as I was on the wrong side of the tracks and had to watch it go past. The buses are also stuck in the traffic so there is no way you can get alternative transport. An Uber wouldn’t make it through either, so you’re just waiting for them to be opened.
“I am now having to stay late at work to make up the hours lost due to being late. It’s upsetting.
Mapperley resident Nick Goodwin described the barriers as ‘temperamental’
“It’s never been a problem before, just over the last few weeks,” he said.
“I work over on the industrial estate so cutting through Netherfield is quicker. It’s been a nightmare this week. I’ve been stuck in traffic for 25 minutes. Being late for work is stressful.”
Gedling Eye contacted Network Rail about the problem and they confirmed that work will take place on Saturday night to rectify the problem.
A spokesman said: “After inspecting the level crossing in Carlton, a thorough clean is needed to make sure it is in full working order and to stop these issues from happening.
“We will be clearing and cleaning the track underneath the road crossing overnight on Saturday. To allow this to happen, the road will be closed between 11pm on Saturday night and 8:30am on Sunday morning.
He added: “We’re sorry for the impact that this had on the community and we would like to thank everyone for bearing with us whilst we get this sorted.”
Supporters of a Mapperley hospice got behind it’s annual appeal this winter, raising an impressive £19,000.
Nottinghamshire Hospice’s Light up a Life appeal, which ran through November and December, encouraged people to make a donation in memory of someone special, share a dedication on the hospice tree, and attend a Light up a Life event to remember loved ones.
They could also donate £350 – the cost of a night of care – to light up the hospice’s historic cupola tower for a night in a colour of their choice, to celebrate the life of someone special.
REMEMBERED: Rita Redgate, left, pictured with husband Philip
Family and friends of Rita Redgate from Mapperley chose to light the tower blue in her memory on what would have been her 79th birthday.
Rita’s husband Philip and family members collected donations of nearly £1,000 at Rita’s funeral after she passed away last year.
They chose to support the hospice because Rita had been a regular at the Day Therapy unit before the pandemic and continued to receive support visits once the hospice was closed to visitors in lockdown.
Philip, who met Rita in Mapperley when he was 22 and she was 17, said she loved her weekly visits to the hospice.
“At first she was apprehensive about coming because of the stigma attached to the word hospice, but she quickly got to know people and the stigma disappeared,” he said.
“She looked forward to coming, she loved all the activities, especially crafting, and she made good friends at the hospice. The hospice was a big part of her life.”
Philip, who has two sons, four granddaughters and a great grandchild on the way, said: “Lighting the tower is a special way of remembering her on her birthday and of showing support for the hospice.”
Nottingham City Council also supported the appeal by lighting up the council house purple on one of the days.
Claire Herrick, Head of Fundraising at Nottinghamshire Hospice, said: “We’re so grateful to everyone who chose to support our appeal.
“Donations mean we can continue to provide crucial care to help families like Rita’s when they need us. With our help, more people with life limiting illnesses will be able to die in comfort, at home, surrounded by loved ones.”
If you’d like to support the hospice, there are lots of ways to get involved.Find out more here.
A new £18,500 CCTV Camera has been installed by Gedling Borough Council to offer reassurance to users of an Arnold park.
The camera has been installed at Killisick Recreation Ground, to hopefully reassure users of the recently refurbished play area and local schools, as well as to users of the nearby community centre and children’s centre.
High quality images from the camera are transmitted to, recorded, and monitored from the council’s central CCTV Control Room and will be used to help assist the Police with investigations. The council’s Community Safety Team and Neighbourhood Wardens will also use camera to assist with tackling anti-social behavior, fly tipping, graffiti and vandalism.
PICTURED: Killisick Recreation Ground
The camera is the latest investment in CCTV by Gedling Borough Council, following £90k worth of investment in existing equipment in Arnold, Calverton and Carlton. There are also plans for a further two CCTV cameras to be installed in Colwick using funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Safer Streets Fund.
Portfolio Holder for Public Protection, Councillor David Ellis said: “Our residents deserve to feel safe, no matter where they are in the borough, and by investing in new and improved CCTV, we’re able to offer that reassurance.
“A key priority for the council is to reduce antisocial behavior, crime and the fear of crime, and using high-quality CCTV like this is one of the ways we’re helping to deter crime.
“We’ve seen great results with our other CCTV cameras and we’re continuing to expand and improve equipment like this throughout the borough. I have no doubt that our residents will welcome this addition as we continue to support our communities and keep Gedling a fantastic place for everyone to enjoy.”
