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East Midlands Railway in no train travel plea to Gedling borough passengers on rail strike dates

Gedling Eye Reporter
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East Midlands Railway in no train travel plea to Gedling borough passengers on rail strike dates

Rail users in Gedling borough are being urged not to travel by train during the next set of strike action dates.

East Midlands Railways is advising customers not to use its services as no trains will be operating in the borough during the latest strike action.

Strike action is planned on Thursday, August 18 and Saturday, August 20.

During both strike days no services will run from Burton Joyce, Carlton, Newstead or Netherfield stations.

Rail Replacement Bus (RRB) services will not be provided where lines are closed as there is not enough capacity to meet demand.  

Neil Grabham, customer services director for East Midlands Railway, said: “We are extremely disappointed that both RMT and TSSA have decided to opt for counterproductive strikes rather than working with the industry to find a deal that is acceptable for our people, our passengers and for taxpayers.

“As a result, there will be significant changes to our normal timetable, with differences between the timetables on Thursday, August 18 and Saturday, August 20. Some parts of our network will have no train services at all, and other lines will have a reduced level of service.

“I would urge all customers to think carefully about their journeys next week – and make alternative arrangements if possible.” 

A summary of EMR services each day is as follows: 

Thursday, August 18

  • EMR services will operate between 0730 and 1830 only

EMR Intercity

  • One Train Per Hour between Nottingham and London
  • One Train Per Hour between Sheffield and London

EMR Regional

  • One Train per Hour between Derby and Matlock
  • One Train per Hour between Derby and Nottingham
  • One Train per Hour between Leicester and Nottingham (Stopping Service)

All other lines of route will be closed.

Saturday, August 20

  • EMR services will operate between 0730 and 1830 only

EMR Intercity

  • One Train Per Hour between Nottingham and London
  • One Train Per Hour between Sheffield and London

EMR Regional

  • One Train per Hour between Derby and Matlock
  • One Train per Hour between Derby and Nottingham

All other lines of route will be closed.

There will be no Skegness Summer special services, as no trains will run to/from Skegness on this day. 

Why are railway workers going on strike?

Different unions representing different jobs across the rail industry have held strike action and are planning to stage more in the coming weeks due to one main reason – pay.

In 2021, the median salary for train and tram drivers was £59,189 per year, while other rail workers such as ticket collectors and guards get £33,310. Rail construction and maintenance workers which lay and repair tracks receive £34,998 on average.

The RMT union, which represents guards and signalling staff, has held talks with Network Rail, which owns the UK’s railway infrastructure, but again a pay deal is yet to be agreed, with the wage rises offered below the current rate of inflation.

The RMT also disagrees with plans by Network Rail to cut jobs, as the company tries to save £2bn over the next two years.

TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes said: ‘Our members are simply asking for basic fair treatment’

“They want not to be sacked from their jobs, a fair pay rise in the face of a cost-of-living-crisis and no race to the bottom on terms and conditions.

“No one takes strike action lightly, but we have been left with little choice. Our General Grades and Controllers are a force to be reckoned with. Without them the rail network does not run, it is that simple.

“Sadly, it now looks as though we are about to see yet more disruption on our railways this summer. It’s time bosses at the company told the government they must get a grip.

“Our door remains open but only if there is a meaningful offer on the table which will give our members the fair deal they deserve for keeping our rail network safe every day of the year.”

Council urge people not to have barbecues in Gedling borough parks in bid to prevent grass fires

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Council urge people not to have barbecues in Gedling borough parks in bid to prevent grass fires

Gedling Borough Council is urging people to refrain from taking barbecues to local parks and also take care with cigarettes in a bid to prevent fires during the UK heatwave.

The plea was issued on social media after Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue reminded residents they recently had to deal with exceptional amounts of incidents around the county during the last heatwave – including a significant fire in Blidworth.

The council put out a tweet to remind residents of the dangers.

It read: “We want to do what we can to prevent [fires] from happening so we are asking that visitors to our parks do not bring BBQs and take extra care when disposing of cigarettes.

“Let’s do our bit to keep everyone safe.“

Disposable barbecues, bonfires, cigarettes and broken bottles and glass on the ground are among the main causes of the thousands of grass fires recorded around the UK this summer.

New Gedling Borough Council Cabinet role created to support refugees, women and the disabled

Gedling Eye Reporter
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New Gedling Borough Council Cabinet role created to support refugees, women and the disabled

Gedling Borough Councillors have approved plans to create a new Portfolio Holder to support the borough’s diverse community and improve life chances.

Councillor Kathryn Fox has been appointed into the new cabinet role, which will focus on supporting refugees and the resettlement programme, championing women and the disabled as well as raising awareness of support for victims of domestic violence, abuse and hate crime.

Councillor Fox has been a Gedling Borough Councillor for 11 years and previously held the cabinet position of Portfolio Holder for Communities but stepped down from her role following the death of her husband. The mother of two has used her personal experience of loss to highlight the importance of providing support, especially to women and young children, who have had similar tragedies. 

Councillor Fox will be working with local organisations including We R Here, a support group for women who are fleeing domestic abuse or have suffered bereavement. One of her first tasks as the new Portfolio will be to raise the profile of this important service and help them get much needed funding. 

As well as the creation of this new role, there have also been changes to the Portfolio for Environment. Cllr Ron McCrossen will join his wife, Cllr Viv McCrossen on the cabinet as he replaces Cllr Peter Barnes who has been appointed the Mayor of Gedling for 2022/23. 

Councillor Kathryn Fox, Portfolio Holder for Diverse Communities and Life Chances said: “I am really pleased to be working with this very important portfolio. Our Leadership have recognised that we need to focus on supporting refugees and doing everything we can to champion the great women and people with disabilities in our diverse community. I know from personal experience what incredible support is out there for people, especially women, who have suffered loss or need help and I want to do everything I can to raise awareness of the great organisations, like We R Here who are doing so much for our residents.”

Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “It’s always useful to have a refresh of the way our Cabinet members are working and we could see that, whilst we have been doing some tremendous work to support refugees and help resettle families who have fled Ukraine, by creating this new role, we can do even more.

I know that Councillor Fox will do a tremendous job and help support some of our most vulnerable citizens and I am very pleased that she is back on the front bench alongside our other excellent Cabinet members who are working tirelessly to support people and improve lives.”  

Heatwave bin collections: Gedling borough residents asked to put their bins out by 6am

Gedling Eye
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Heatwave bin collections: Gedling borough residents asked to put their bins out by 6am

Households in Gedling borough are asked to present their bins by 6am on their usual day of collection in the remainder of this week, following the warning for extreme heat issued from now to Sunday.

Gedling Borough Council’s refuse crews will be starting their shifts earlier this week to beat the heat which means bins will be collected earlier on the day than usual.

Doing so will help protect the wellbeing of the waste crews, by allowing them to carry out their rounds in the cooler hours of the day.

Highs of 31 degrees Celsius are predicted for the county and the Met Office advises in its extreme heat Amber warning this week that some changes to working practices and daily routines are likely to be required.

Residents in Gedling want action as traffic woes continue despite completion of £49m Colliery Way bypass

Emily Sanchez
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Residents in Gedling want action as traffic woes continue despite completion of £49m Colliery Way bypass

Residents in Gedling say they are yet to benefit from the completion of the £49m Gedling Access Road (GAR), with the amount of cars and HGVs passing through their village continuing to make their lives ‘a nightmare’.

Those living in Gedling say that Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) made a commitment to reclassify the A Road Arnold Lane to a quieter B Road once the new bypass was completed in a bid to help tackle traffic and speeding – but they say they have seen no evidence of this classification change.

A weight limit of seven-and-a-half tonnes for HGVs was also set to be introduced in a bid to encourage them to use the new bypass rather than go through Gedling Village.

Arnold Lane
PICTURED: Arnold Lane (Google)
Colliery Way opening
Colliery Way was opened back in March

Terry Lock lives on Shearing Hill and is leading the call for action.

He told Gedling Eye: “We are still getting heavy traffic through the village despite the opening of the Gedling Access Road (GAR).

“We’ve not seen any benefit following the opening of the GAR and it’s making our lives a nightmare.

“Cars are still treating Arnold Lane as a racetrack and we were assured the completion of Gedling Access Road would stop all this but it’s just not happening.

“There is also meant to be a seven-and-a-half tonne limit introduced on lorries using Arnold Lane but this isn’t being reinforced. I see transporter lorries using the road all the time and they are way over the limit. It’s not being reinforced. They need to put cameras up.

“The GAR is a great road but I’d invite councillors down to spend a day here to see that it’s not being used properly and that you are risking life and limb to get onto Shearing Hill from Wood Lane.

Villager Helen Southall shared similar views.

She told Gedling Eye she wished she had moved five years’ ago.

“We’ve been waiting years for this new road as we through it would change our lives – but it just hasn’t happened.

“They promised us the GAR would improve our lives but it hasn’t.

“Everything we’ve been waiting for just isn’t happening – we are getting the same amount of traffic through the village and we are just not benefitting.”

Gedling resident David Pick agreed the new road had made little difference to traffic in the village.

He said: “The volume of traffic is no different now to what it was before GAR.

“We were promised by NCC and various construction companies that the new Arnold Lane would be downgraded to some sort of idyllic traffic-free country road. Fortunately those of us that live around here did not believe a word of it, so we are not too disappointed.

“The emergency vehicles have started using our road again as opposed to Colliery Way and it seems so have HGVs. We had a huge car transporter go past this morning.”

Concerns have also been raised about Keepmoat Homes not opening up the road connecting Chase Farm with Colliery Way, meaning residents on the estate are still forced to use Arnold Lane to access and leave the estate – creating more traffic.

But Nottinghamshire County Council this week told Gedling Eye that the agreed actions prior to the construction of Colliery Way had now been carried out.

Gary Wood, head of Highways and Transport, said: “Upon opening, Colliery Way became the A6211. This resulted in classification changes on the wider network, including on Arnold Lane, Main Road, Shearing Hill and Burton Road (between Shearing Hill and Colwick Loop Road) which are all now unclassified roads. 

“The section of Colwick Loop Road from Netherfield Retail Park to the Burton Road junction is now the B686.

“These classification changes were included in the Statutory Orders confirmed prior to the construction of Colliery Way starting, and it may take some time for maps and other information to be updated.

“All wider road signage installed as part of the delivery of Colliery Way reflects the new road numbers and classifications.”

They also confirmed the weight limit on Shearing Hill and Arnold Lane had now been introduced.

“The 7.5t weight limit has been introduced and is enforceable, and a review of wider advanced signage is underway to further support this. 

“Enforcement of Weight Limits is carried out by Trading Standards and the new limits are now being enforced. It should be noted that vehicles over 7.5 tonnes can still drive into the weight limit zone if accessing premises.

“We know that residents living on the new Chase Farm development will be keen to know when access to the newer part of the estate will open, and this will be done once the roads have been adopted as public highway.”

Gedling Eye contacted Keepmoat Homes around plans to open up access from the estate.

A spokesperson from Keepmoat Homes, said: “The Colliery Way access from Chase Farm will open to construction traffic and personnel only from September.

“The access road is intended to alleviate traffic through the village and make a positive impact to the area, as all deliveries will be made via the new route.

“All residents at our Chase Farm development and surrounding areas will still travel via Arnold Lane for the foreseeable future.”

Got a local story for Gedling Eye? Give our news team a shout by emailing news@gedlingeye.co.uk

Woman allegedly threatened with ‘machete-style’ knife in Daybrook

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Woman allegedly threatened with ‘machete-style’ knife in Daybrook

A man has been arrested after a woman was allegedly threatened with a ‘machete-style’ knife in Daybrook.

Officers on routine patrol spotted a disturbance in Mansfield Road at around 1.30am on Friday (August 5). 

A 23-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of affray, possession of a bladed article and possession of cannabis. A machete-style knife was found nearby. 

Inspector Ben Lawrence, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Officers were very quickly on the scene of this incident and a suspect was taken into custody.

“Our priority is to keep people safe and, as a force, we remain determined to drive down knife crime in our communities.

“We will always treat incidents of this nature with the utmost seriousness and take swift action to investigate and track down suspects.

“The consequences of carrying a knife can be devastating which is why Nottinghamshire Police continues to work hard every day, working alongside its partners, to tackle the issue.

“This ongoing work includes targeting people who carry weapons on our streets as well as focusing on proactive preventative and educational work to prevent weapon-enabled crime and violence from happening in the first place.”

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident 50 of 5 August 2022, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Last known portrait of DH Lawrence is now on display at Newstead Abbey

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Last known portrait of DH Lawrence is now on display at Newstead Abbey

A portrait of famous writer DH Lawrence, which is thought to be the last one painted while he was alive, has been brought permanently to Nottingham and put on public display for the first time.

Through generous external grant funding and public donations, Nottingham City Museums has been able to buy the last-known portrait painting of the controversial author from a private collector in the US.

The portrait was painted by the Dutch artist Joep Nicolas in 1929 and has now been put on display at Newstead Abbey.

Nicolas was the brother-in-law of novelist Aldous Huxley, who was a friend of Lawrence.

In 1929, while travelling from Spain to Germany, Lawrence stayed at Huxley’s home in Suresnes, France.

Nicolas was also staying and took the opportunity to paint Lawrence’s portrait.

Lawrence died the following year after earlier diagnoses of tuberculosis and malaria.

A spokesperson for Nottingham City Council, which owns Nottingham Museums, said it managed to buy the painting with funding from the V&A, Arts Council England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, from the city council, said: “It is fundamental to Nottinghamshire’s cultural importance and we believe it will mean a great deal to many people.

“It is also a celebration of Nottingham’s rebellious literary history.

“We are showcasing this collection piece at Newstead Abbey and Gardens, so it can be enjoyed by as many visitors and local residents as possible in the future.”

DH Lawrence, who was from Eastwood, was best known for his novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover, among other works.

The book was famously unpublished in the UK until 1960 for fear of prosecution over its explicit content.

Aside from this, Lawrence was a prolific author of novels, short stories, poems and essays.

Although he enjoyed some success and recognition during his lifetime, he also faced controversy and censorship because of the way his work portrayed sexuality and relationships.

Over time public and critical understanding of Lawrence’s work changed and he is now one of the most significant authors of 20th century literature and his works are celebrated worldwide.

The planned roadworks and road changes in Gedling borough over the next few weeks

Gedling Eye Reporter
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The planned roadworks and road changes in Gedling borough over the next few weeks

A number of roadworks, and changes to the roads, are set to take place on Gedling borough’s roads during the next few weeks.

The roadworks and road changes include things such as speed alterations, repair works and changing the layout of the roads. 

Most of the roadworks are being undertaken by Nottinghamshire County Council while a couple are being led by Severn Trent Water.

These are the roadworks and closures you need to know about…

Arno Vale Road, Woodthorpe

15 August – 26 August

Responsibility for works: Cadent

Burton Road, Carlton

14 August – 14 August

Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Gedling Road, Arnold

11 August – 11 August

Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Westdale Lane West, Mapperley

13 August – 13 August

Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Bestwood Lodge Drive, Arnold

10 August – 17 August

Responsibility for works: CITYFIBRE METRO NETWORKS LTD

Chandos Street, Netherfield

11 August – 12 August

Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Cocker Beck, Lambley

12 August – 12 August

Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Coningsby Road, Woodthorpe

15 August – 22 August

Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Lambley Lane, Burton Joyce

15 August – 16 August

Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Longdale Lane, Ravenshead

11 August – 12 August

Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water000013113528

Longdale Lane, Ravenshead

16 August – 16 August

Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Maidens Dale, Arnold

17 August – 30 August

Responsibility for works: CITYFIBRE METRO NETWORKS LTD

Park Avenue, Woodborough

10 August – 12 August

Roadworks, Delays possible

Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Ploughman Avenue, Woodborough

10 August – 12 August

Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Porchester Road, Mapperley

15 August – 15 August

Responsibility for works: Severn Trent Water

Smalls Croft, Woodborough

10 August – 12 August

Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Vernon Crescent, Ravenshead

17 August – 19 August

Whites Croft, Woodborough

10 August – 12 August

Responsibility for works: Nottinghamshire County Council

Wood Lane, Gedling

11 August – 11 August

Responsibility for works: Openreach

Cost of living crisis: Gedling Borough councillors say they are being ‘bombarded’ with pleas for support and advice from residents

Andrew Topping (Local Democracy Reporter)
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Cost of living crisis: Gedling Borough councillors say they are being ‘bombarded’ with pleas for support and advice from residents

Struggling residents concerned about the cost of living crisis are ‘bombarding’ Gedling borough councillors with pleas for support and advice.

Elected members fear the situation is only going to get worse as recession looks increasingly likely – and they struggle to find the money to fund wage rises for council staff.

Michael Payne Gedling
CONCERNS: Michael Payne said he was worried we were entering a recession (PHOTO: Neil Slack Photography)

The Bank of England today confirmed interest rates will rise to 1.75 per cent – the highest in 27 years – amid rising inflationary pressure.

It warned the recession could begin in the autumn, fuelled by is creating more increases in gas and electricity prices.

Ofgem has announced the energy price cap will now be reviewed every three months, rather than every six, meaning more frequent increases in household bills.

Gedling councillors spoke out during a cabinet meeting on Thursday (August 4), calling for more action from the Government to prevent the situation from worsening.

They say local people are struggling to afford food, clothes and bills – and Government Mininsters should draw up a plan for economic growth.

Councillor Michael Payne (Lab), deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council, said: “We’re heading towards a recession, and I’m seriously concerned about that.

“Councillors have inboxes full of people who are struggling to buy school uniforms, to fill the tank in their cars, to pay heating bills and to buy their weekly shop.

“If we don’t have a plan for growth nationally, public services, businesses and residents are going to feel the strain.

“I find it really, really concerning that we’re back in the position [of a recession] and that, after 12 years, the country is no further forward on our economy position. How’s that going to affect the people in Gedling?”

Cllr John Clarke (Lab), the council’s leader, added: “We’re getting bombarded with questions asking, ‘how do we deal with this?’.

“I know it’s awfully political, but it has to be. It just isn’t fair – there are people out there who are really struggling with this.”

Concerns have also been voiced about how the council will fund a proposed pay rise to help its own staff with rising bills.

The authority had budgeted for a proposed three per cent staff pay award in 2022 – costing a total of around £420,000.

However, it has been met with an alternative proposal of about £1,925 as a flat rate for all staff members – equating to a seven per cent rise on average and more than double the authority’s budget.

Part of this will be offset by a projected £46,500 underspend for the first quarter of 2022/23, which will be put into a contingency pot to address inflationary pressure.

This would be joined by £250,000 previously put into this pot for the same reason, although the council says it would need other underspends to “absorb” pay rises of that size.

“This is the biggest area of concern we’ve got – the whole cost-of-living issue – and we’re having to carefully monitor that with real close scrutiny,” a council spokesperson added.

“It won’t be until the winter months when this truly comes to the fore.”

In response to concerns over the cost of living, a Government spokesperson said Whitehall is taking a “balanced approach and recognises “people are struggling with rising prices”.

The spokesman added: “We are protecting the eight million most vulnerable families with at least £1,200 of direct payments this year. All households will receive the £400 energy payments and 80 per cent will get the £150 Council Tax rebate.

“Through our £37bn package we have also saved the typical employee over £330 a year through a tax cut, allowing people on Universal Credit to keep £1,000 more of what they earn and in April we significantly increased the National Living Wage to £9.50.”

Gedling Borough Council launches consultation over sale of land for housing in Arnold

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Gedling Borough Council launches consultation over sale of land for housing in Arnold

Gedling Borough Council has announced plans to consult on the sale of land owned by the authority near Killisick Lane in Arnold that has been allocated for housing, subject to a consultation.

The council’s Local Plan included the site in its allocation for much needed new homes in the borough including an allocation for affordable homes on the site, subject to the usual planning permissions being granted.  

The land, which is currently uncultivated and overgrown, could be sold along with other privately owned pieces of land in the same area. 

If sold, the revenue generated would be used to improve essential council services as well as be reinvested in The Hobbucks Nature Reserve, adjacent to the land. 

A consultation will be launched to get the views of local residents before any decision is made. Residents can have their say when the council publicly advertises its notice of intention to sell the land, this is a statutory requirement to ensure people can comment on the matter. 

Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke MBE said:“We wanted to seek the views of nearby residents before we make any decision on what steps we take next.

“The land is suitable for much needed new homes, including affordable homes, and the money made from the sale would be reinvested back into council services. We have a well-established nature reserve on the nearby Hobbucks site and we have been clear that this open space will be protected and enhanced, using some of the revenue from any proposed sale. 

We have to strike a balance with providing open spaces, creating more homes and balancing our budget, which is harder than ever as we see less and less government funding which is why we need to look at assets like council owned land. We want local residents to read the proposals and have their say and we will take all comments into consideration before we make any decisions.”

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