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Gedling taxi operators ‘done out of’ £150k after council overcharged for licences

Joe Locker (LDR Reporter)
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Gedling taxi operators ‘done out of’ £150k after council overcharged for licences

Gedling Borough Council must pay back £150,000 to taxi operators in the area after a review found it had been overcharging for licences.

Conservative councillors in the opposition described the blunder as “embarrassing”.

The Labour-run council should have held separate accounts for drivers, vehicles and operators, however, during a Licensing Committee meeting on January 24, members were told that, historically, the council had not organised the accounts in this way.

An internal review was conducted last year, followed by another independent review by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), which found the council had been overcharging taxi operators.

It also found it had been undercharging for driver licences, which meant the council had been effectively subsidising this to the tune of more than £430,000.

Council officer Mike Hill, who was responsible for the report, told the committee: “It shows that the council has undercharged for driver licences between 2016/17 through to 2021/22, by £430,728.

“It has however overcharged for vehicle licences between 2016/17 through to 2021/22 for all but one year, which was 2017/18, in total the overcharge there is £124,186.

“The council has also overcharged for operator licences between the same period 2016/17 through to 2021/22, totalling £12,542.”

As a result the council is making arrangements for refunds, including interest, to be made.

It will cost the authority up to £150,000.

The council argued the undercharge had been subsidised by the authority itself, but members in the opposition stated operators themselves had been in fact subsidising by way of the overcharge.

Cllr Sam Smith (Con) said: “We need a better answer as to why this has been allowed to happen over six years.

“It has taken a taxi driver, that we as an authority licence, to bring this to our attention. That quite frankly is embarrassing.

“We are a service that we offer to those drivers and they should get it at a fair cost.

“It is not within their remit, we want them to go and drive residents around safely, not have to check that this authority is doing one of its basic requirements correctly.

“You say we are going to refund operators? Is it a one-off payment over six years?

“Operators have come and gone, do we have a list of operators that were in existence in that six year period? Will every single one of them get a refund even if they have closed now or are no longer licenced by us, we are not going to miss people who have been done out of money?”

Mr Hill replied: “We have subsidised the taxi licensing service overall, so it is not as if we have deliberately set out to do this.

“It was an error, we have admitted it was an error and we are endeavouring to put that right.”

Cllr Martin Smith (Con) added: “This phrase subsidise has been used a couple of times now.

“The council may well have been subsidising, but haven’t the operators been subsidising the service as well by the tune of £150,000?”

Chairwoman Cllr Marje Paling (Lab) responded to say this was correct and added: “That’s why we are putting it right”.

Operators will be contacted in due course.

Yellow lines earmarked for Gedling roads near school and woods following parking complaints from angry residents

Graham Finch
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Yellow lines earmarked for Gedling roads near school and woods following parking complaints from angry residents

Single and double yellow lines are to be painted along two roads in Gedling to solve the parking issues.

The lines will be introduced on Wood Lane and Yew Tree Lane in response to obstructive parking. 

Nottinghamshire County Council will now introduce single yellow lines along Wood Lane and double yellow lines at the Junction of Wood Lane and Yew Tree Lane following consistent complaints from residents about parking restricting visibility and movement in the area.

Parking issues have largely been caused by visitors to Carlton-le-Willows Academy and those visiting Gedling Woods.

PICTURED: The junction of Yew Tree Lane and Wood Lane in Gedling
Gedling House Woods
BLAMED: Many of those causing an obstruction in their cars had parked up to visit Gedling Woods, pictured

The single yellow lines will mean that vehicles cannot wait or park on the side of Wood Lane with the path between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday which will increase the safety of pupils walking to the academy. 

Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “We have listened to local residents who have told us that parking is a large issue in their area. 

“Wood Lane is a key route to access Carlton-Le-Willows Academy, both for vehicles and pedestrians, and it is important that everyone should be able to get to and from their place of education safely. 

Councillor Neil Clarke
PICTURED: Cllr Neil Clarke said local residents had told the council that parking was an issue

“It is great that people want to visit green spaces like Gedling Woods, however doing so should not put other road users at risk and it is our hope that these parking restrictions will improve safety in the area. 

“Our public consultation showed that there was good local support for the proposals. The single yellow lines will only be in operation in the daytime from Monday to Friday when the issues are most prevalent. 

“This will ensure the restrictions have the greatest impact in improving visibility and assisting young pedestrians without unduly impacting upon residents outside of the busy periods.”

January 25 – On this day: Plans unveiled for Chase Farm development and Stoke Lane floods at Burton Joyce

Gedling Eye Reporter
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January 25 – On this day: Plans unveiled for Chase Farm development and Stoke Lane floods at Burton Joyce

2016

Keepmoat Homes unveiled their plans for the first 506 properties which would be constructed on land off Arnold Lane at Chase Farm.

Chase_Farm
ARTIST IMPRESSION: Graphics showing how the new homes at the Chase Farm site would look was released

The developer was awaiting the green light from Gedling Borough Council’s planning committee and said the go-ahead could be received as early as February.

The plans revealed the new estate would be a mixture of 2, 3, 4 and 5 bedroom houses and two-bedroom apartments and would be built in two phases: with phase one being the first 506 dwellings and phase two being the remaining 587 dwellings.

Plans were made public that rare or special flora and fauna from the housing estate site would be moved into Gedling Country Park in order to preserve it before construction could begin.

2017

Police launched an investigation following a terrifying bank robbery on Mapperley Top.

A lone male, thought to be aged 17 to 18, walked into the RBS branch on Woodborough Road and threatened staff.

The suspect took cash before running down an alleyway towards a car park at the back of the premises.

No one was hurt but staff and customers were said to be very shaken by the incident.

2018

People were being invited to share their views on plans for a new medical centre in Netherfield.

The new medical centre would be built on land previously occupied by the Ashwell Street School on Meadow Road. The site has been empty since the former school building was demolished.

EARLY PLANS: An artist’s impression of the new medical centre proposed for Netherfield

The centre would replace the current surgery on Forester Street in the town and help cope with an increase in patients when the housing development on Teal Close is completed.

2019

A survey revealed that more than 90 percent of people in Gedling borough were in favour of keeping their local council, rather than scrapping it and replacing it with a ‘super council’ for all of the county.

Gedling Borough Council sent a survey to every household and business in Gedling to get their views.

Nottinghamshire County Council were proposing to scrap all seven district and borough councils, and the county council, replacing them with one single authority for the whole of Nottinghamshire.

Supporters said it could save £27 million a year, and would help streamline services.

But opponents, including Gedling Borough Council, said it would erode local decision making, and could cost a large amount to set up.

The plan was eventually shelved.

sid-swan-Arnold
PICTURED: SID the swan at the police station, left, and back on the water (PHOTO: Notts Police)

An injured swan is on the road to recovery after calling on local officers at a police station in Arnold for help.

The swan, which officers have named ‘SID’ made his way to the station in Arnot Hill Park this afternoon as he needed help for a poorly leg.

Sid is also a park resident and can often be spotted on the lake.

Once he had made his way to the station, Sid nestled down in the car park, and patiently awaited assistance from the boys in blue.

2020

Residents in Mapperley are celebrating after the council handed them the keys to Haywood Road Community Centre following a successful battle to save it from closure.

Local residents took over responsibility for managing the centre from Gedling Borough Council after councillors approved the plans.

Haywood Road community centre handover

Cabinet members agreed to transfer the lease of the centre to the Haywood Road Community Association (HRCA) subject to legal approval.

Residents lobbied the council to save the centre from closure back in January 2017, voicing their concerns about a lack of alternative community centres and the desire to retain the neighbouring green space.

Since then, the council has invested £20,000 into improving the centre and, most recently, made a successful joint funding bid with the HRCA from FCC Communities Foundation for a new £140,000 play area that opened in September 2019.

2021

Aerial footage from a drone revealed the extent of flooding caused by the River Trent at Burton Joyce.

This video showed flood waters near the village.

The flooding closed a section of Stoke Lane by Burton Joyce Station, with flood waters cutting off the route to Stoke Bardolph.

Police were warning parents to keep children away from the water’s edge after youngsters were spotted playing by the flooded river at Stoke Bardolph.

Officers issued the warning after spotting two young children very near to the water during patrols yesterday.

River levels had been rising at Stoke Bardolph and Burton Joyce, over recent weeks, with water flooding nearby fields and blocking off roads.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “Following a visit to the River Trent located at Stoke Bardolph, our officers observed two young children playing near to the water.

“Fortunately, they returned to their parents nearby.

2022

Sainsbury’s stores across Gedling borough said they would continue to ask staff and customers to wear face masks – despite the mandatory covering rule ending.

The Government said it would no longer legally mandate the wearing of face masks in shops and on public transport from January 27; a proof of vaccination or a recent negative test would also no longer be needed to enter nightclubs and larger venues.

However, Sainsbury’s, which has shops in Arnold, Mapperley and Colwick, revealed it would still be encouraging both shoppers and employees to mask up while in stores.

Morrisons, which has a store in Netherfield, said it would continue to follow the latest guidance by not expecting shoppers to put on a face covering.

Rod licence cash boost helps Calverton site produce more than half a million fish a year to restock our rivers

Emily Sanchez
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Rod licence cash boost helps Calverton site produce more than half a million fish a year to restock our rivers

Producing upwards of half a million fish each year, Calverton Fish Farm is the Environment Agency’s equivalent of an Amazon warehouse for fish restocking – and is once again preparing for the fast-approaching fish spawning season 

First opened in 1940, Calverton has gone on to become one of the largest freshwater fish rearing facilities in England, rearing nine freshwater species to boost fish stocks in rivers and stillwaters up and down the country.

It also aides the recovery of fish populations after pollution events, rears threatened species such as the crucian carp, and supports fisheries research and development. 

calverton-fish-farm
PICTURED: Environment Agency officers replenish fish stocks at Calverton Fish Farm (PHOTO:EA)

Calverton’s work stocking fisheries across England is one of many projects up and down the country fully funded by fishing licence income. Today (Tuesday 24 January 2022) the Environment Agency’s fisheries’ annual report reveals how nearly £22m in rod licence income – achieved through almost 935,000 fishing licence sales – has been spent during 2021 and 2022 to enhance and protect England’s fisheries.

Over the last year, the EA has worked with over 1000 partners including The Angling Trust, The Wild Trout Trust and the institute of Fisheries Management to improve fish stocks and habitats, provide new facilities for anglers and make fisheries more accessible. 

Funded by EA fishing licence income, the Angling Trust launched two new campaigns in 2022, including the ‘Get Fishing for Wellbeing’ and ‘We Fish as one’ projects offering advice to the public on how to start fishing and find mental health support near them; and encouraging people from all backgrounds to take up fishing. 

Heidi Stone, Environment Agency Fisheries Manager said: “Our annual report is our summary to you to show where we spent the money we receive.

“From improving fish habitats, to controlling threats from non-native species right through to making fishing more accessible, the EA has carried out some fantastic projects this year that will improve our fisheries and benefit anglers around the country.

“These are key examples of how we inject income from fishing licence fees directly back into fisheries – and I want to thank anglers for continuing to play their part and allowing us to invest in projects to help our environment flourish.” 

The EA enforcement teams continue to make sure anglers comply with regulations to protect fish stock. In 2021 to 2022, fisheries enforcement officers checked just over 41,000 fishing licences and successfully prosecuted nearly 730 anglers for fishing without a licence.

You must purchase a fishing licence to fish in England and Wales. Annual licences start from £30 and can be purchased online or by phone, more information can be found here.

Carlton Town handed cup semi-final tie against Stags at One Call Stadium

Gedling Eye
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Carlton Town handed cup semi-final tie against Stags at One Call Stadium

Carlton Town have been drawn away against Mansfield Town’s Under-21 side in the semi-final of the Notts FA Senior Cup

The Millers will play Stags under the floodlights at One Call Stadium next week.

The Stags announced that the tie will be played at their home ground next Tuesday (January 31), with kick-off at 7.45pm.

PICTURED: (L to r) Gary Clarke of Carlton Town, Forest Academy Chief Gary Brazil along with Millers’ Chief Mick Garton and Mark Birkett from the Nottinghamshire FA with the Notts FA trophy

Tickets for the match will be on sale in the stadium’s Sandy Pate Bar before kick-off.

The draw was carried out live on Notts TV last week by Nottingham Forest Academy Manager Gary Brazil and Carlton Town’s Gary Clarke.

The Millers played Mansfield Town last year in the cup final, winning 1-0 at Basford United’s ground.

Pundits will certainly be favouriting Stags this time around after they defeated Notts County in the tournament. The Millers are having a difficult season and are currently fighting relegation from the Northern Premier League.

TICKET PRICES:

Adult – £3

Concession & under-16 – £1

Could parts of County Hall be transformed into restaurants and luxury flats in the future?

Andrew Topping (Local Democracy Reporter)
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Could parts of County Hall be transformed into restaurants and luxury flats in the future?

Opposition councillors have called for a strong scrutiny process to be provided over potential plans to sell off at least part of County Hall.

Senior Conservative councillors last week confirmed some of the historic Nottinghamshire County Council headquarters could be vacated in the future.

It comes as part of a wider review of the authority’s office estate, with the West Bridgford building touted for potential luxury flats, bars or restaurants.

A potential move to the new £15.7m Top Wighay Farm building, near Hucknall and Linby, has also been put forward.

This is amid an expected £50m cost over ten years to bring County Hall up to modern standards.

No decision has been made yet but the next steps are expected to become clear in March.

Now councillors have met for the first time since the Tory administration revealed its plans and have asked for assurances the proposals will be properly scrutinised.

A report presented to the council’s overview committee on Tuesday (January 24) outlined the wider review but included no firm proposals for County Hall.

However, Councillor Keith Girling (Con), cabinet member for asset management, last week confirmed his preference is to leave at least part of the building.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We’re looking at all options but County Hall would make for an incredible building and a community area.

“If we’ve got luxury flats above and a good area below, with bars and restaurants looking out on the river, it would really lift this place and regenerate it.”

It led to senior Tories being accused of having “pre-empted” the decision and “undermining” the scrutiny process.

Cllr Kate Foale is the leader of the Labour Group at the county council.

Speaking in the overview committee on Tuesday (January 24), she said: “Can we be absolutely sure that there are no plans firmed up to sell County Hall?

“The difficulty we’ve got is that what is in this report is quite different to what the Conservatives are saying both publicly and privately.

“Can we please have a public assurance that this has not yet been agreed upon and that, when the business case comes, it will be an open and scrutinised decision?”

Cllr Steve Carr (Lib Dem), who represents Bramcote and Beeston North, added: “It really does not help when the leader of the council and the portfolio holder appear in the media virtually announcing the demise of County Hall.

“[They have announced it] being turned into restaurants and luxury flats before this committee has even sat down to discuss the report.

“It’s just not right that this is pre-empted in this way.”

In the meeting, council officers confirmed the proposals are subject to business cases being drawn up for each council building.

This will include plans for the future of County Hall – including how it could be reused in the future – and these business cases will be presented for scrutiny.

Derek Higton, service director for place and communities, said: “There will be further opportunities for members to examine and explore the various business cases. This includes County Hall.”

Cllr Girling added: “I can assure you no decision has been made on the future of this or any building.”

The purpose-built headquarters hosts various council functions, including offices for staff and councillors as well as the debating chamber.

Speaking last week, Cllr Girling confirmed the new Top Wighay building could be constructed to accommodate these facilities.

He added a long-term relocation would put the authority “in the heart of the county”  and close to where services are used most.

The proposals are due before the overview committee again on March 23.

Arnold mental health hospital remains in special measures over patient safety concerns

Emily Sanchez
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Arnold mental health hospital remains in special measures over patient safety concerns

An Arnold mental health hospital has remained in special measures after inspectors raised concerns about patient safety. Priory Hospital Arnold retained its rating of inadequate rating after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited its premises in August.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out this unannounced inspection, due to concerns received regarding incidents that had occurred at the hospital.

Priory Hospital Arnold, run by Partnerships in Care Limited provides acute mental health services for adults on Newstead and Bestwood wards. As well as a psychiatric intensive care unit on Rufford and Clumber wards.

Following this latest CQC inspection, the hospital remains rated inadequate overall, and for being safe and well-led. Responsive and effective remain rated as requires improvement. The rating for caring has declined from good to requires improvement.

The service was placed in special measures following an inspection in March 2021 and remained in special measures following two further inspections in June 2021 and December 2021.

Following this latest inspection in August, the service will remain in special measures which means it will be closely monitored and re-inspected to assess whether improvements have been made. If insufficient improvements are made, CQC will not hesitate to take further action. 

Greg Rielly, CQC deputy director in the Midlands, said: “During our August inspection of Priory Hospital Arnold, we were concerned that people’s safety was still an issue following several previous inspections, where areas of improvement have been highlighted to the provider. Although some improvements have been made, these had not been fully embedded, and the service wasn’t improving fast enough to mitigate any risks to people and support their recovery.

“Although we found the service minimised the use of restrictive practices, this wasn’t always handled well. Additionally, staff didn’t manage items which could put people at risk or learn from previous incidents where people had been harmed through access to items which should have been safely stored to keep them safe.

“There was a lack of training for staff to support people with a personality disorder. The provider hadn’t met its aim of providing training for staff since our previous inspection. This meant that people didn’t receive a consistent approach from staff which had an impact on their care.”

“People using the service weren’t always treated with kindness and compassion by non-regular staff. Although we did hear, regular staff who knew people well were supportive, as well as kind and compassionate.

“We will continue to monitor the service closely and if sufficient improvements are not made and embedded, we will not hesitate to further use our enforcement powers to ensure people receive the safe and appropriate care they deserve.”

A Priory spokesman told the BBC: “We are obviously disappointed by this report, but since the inspection five months ago, we have worked extremely hard to implement a comprehensive action plan that addresses all areas raised with us by the CQC.

What inspectors found during the inspection:

  • There was not sufficient improvement to the safety of people since a previous inspection in February 2020, where the rating for safe has remained inadequate.
  • The governance processes and the way the service was consistently led did not always ensure that people remained safe.
  • People privacy and dignity was not always protected. This was primarily towards women who used the service where sanitary bins were not routinely available and led to women having to hand used items for sanitary use directly to staff.
  • The environment and furniture required improvement. People said that furniture was poor and not fit for purpose.
  • People said there was not enough to do and were bored. There were concerns about access to psychological therapies and that activities were not age appropriate.

However, inspectors also found: 

  • The provider actively involved people and families in care decisions.
  • Staff developed holistic, recovery-oriented care plans informed by a comprehensive assessment. They provided a range of treatments suitable to the needs of the people and in line with national guidance about best practice. Staff engaged in clinical audit to evaluate the quality of care they provided.
  • The provider managed medicines well and followed good practice with regards to safeguarding.
  • The service managed beds well so that a bed was always available locally to a person who would benefit from admission and people were discharged promptly once their condition warranted this.
  • Managers ensured that staff received supervision and an appraisal, and mandatory training was mostly up to date.

You can read the full report on the CQC website HERE

Man dies after car crashes into wall in Calverton

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Man dies after car crashes into wall in Calverton

A man has died after the vehicle he was driving crashed into a wall in Calverton.

Nottinghamshire Police told the BBC that officers were called to Main Street in the village just after 20:00 GMT on Friday (20).

There were reports that a man had suffered a possible medical episode before the crash.

Nottinghamshire Police’s Road Policing and Serious Collision Investigation Unit said that the 51-year-old driver involved in the crash was pronounced dead at the scene.

DARTS: Gedling Club continue their unbeaten run at the top of the table.

Justin Doddy
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DARTS: Gedling Club continue their unbeaten run at the top of the table.

RESULTS January 18

The Gedling Club moved 5 points clear in the Lowdham & District Village Men’s Darts League with a 5 – 1 win at home against the Cross Keys, Epperstone.

The team continue to dominate the league while also having the five highest finishes of the league.

Five of the eight teams are based on the borough so if you want to get involved or know more, you can visit the league Facebook page here .

No EMR services from any Notts station on two days next week as strikes continue

Graham Finch
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No EMR services from any Notts station on two days next week as strikes continue

There will be no East Midlands Railway (EMR) services running across Nottinghamshire for two days next week as strike action continues.

EMR will not be operating any services on Wednesday, February 1, and Friday, February 3 due to industrial action taken by members of the ASLEF union and train drivers with the RMT union. 

This strike action specifically affects train drivers and EMR says they will now be unable to operate any trains during the action. The industrial action will also affect other train operating companies and their services across the country.

The train firm says that customers who have purchased an Advance, Off-Peak, or Anytime ticket for the days affected may travel on the day before the date on the ticket, or up to and including, Tuesday, February 7.

If customers choose not to travel on the days around the strike action, they can receive a full refund from the point they purchased the tickets. No administration fee will be charged.

EMR services on the days around the strike action are not affected and will run as normal. 

Customers are advised to check the EMR website, information in stations and social media for the latest advice and information.

Will Rogers, Managing Director at East Midlands Railway, said: “As a result of strike action being taken by members of the ASLEF union and the RMT union we are not able to run any services on Wednesday, 1 February, and Friday, 3 February.

“Customers with an Advance, Off-peak or Anytime ticket who are affected by the strike can use their ticket either on the day before the date on the ticket, or up to and including, Tuesday, 7 February. Customers can also travel on an alternate date or get a refund. More details are on our website.”

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