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Cheapest petrol near me: Unleaded prices across Gedling borough

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Cheapest petrol near me: Unleaded prices across Gedling borough

Unleaded prices are taken from petrolprices.com – and are correct to within the last three days.

Petrol prices have struck new record highs across Gedling borough.

Financial experts have warned that ‘at some point soon consumers will not be able to cope with even higher prices’ as the conflict in Ukraine helps to stoke the cost of living crisis further.

Data from Experian Catalist said the average cost of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts reached a new high of 153.50p on Thursday, up from 152.20p on Wednesday.

The RAC has urged for support from the Treasury as the figures also showed that the cost of diesel rose from 155.79p to a record 157.47p over the same period.

Oil prices have spiked due to concerns over the reliability of supplies since Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

It comes after the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached 5.5 per cent in January, although it is expected to accelerate once again.

Arnold

Sainsbury’s Arnold – 154.9p

Asda Arnold – 154.7p

BP Mansfield Road – 158.9p

Esso MFG Maid Marion Redhill – 157.9

Carlton

Texaco Burton Road – 159.0p

Texaco Westdale Lane East – 158.9

Mapperley

Co-op Mapperley – 153.9p

Netherfield

Morrisons – 154.9

NCC pension fund to sell around £6m in Russian assets but councillor asks why move was not made sooner

Anna Whittaker (LDR reporter)
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NCC pension fund to sell around £6m in Russian assets but councillor asks why move was not made sooner

Nottinghamshire County Council pension fund is selling around £6 million in Russian-based assets – but faced questions over why the move was not made sooner.

The Pension Fund Committee Chairman Councillor Eric Kerry (Con) made a statement following the “unprovoked and aggressive attack by Putin’s regime in Ukraine”.

Cllr Kerry (Con) said during the council’s meeting on March 10 that investment managers have been reviewing the £6.6bn pension fund and have found under 0.1 per cent of it – meaning less than around £6.6m – is invested in Russian assets.

The fund looks after the of retirement pots of 145,000 members, including council workers, teachers and police officers.

It has now formally asked investment managers to sell all Russian assets and suspend further purchases in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

It comes after the fund’s independent adviser wrote on February 25 that “despite the troubling events of the last few days” he did not advise any changes to the fund’s long-term strategy.

These comments were criticised by Councillor Lee Waters (Ashfield Ind) who said he found them “quite abhorrent”.

He said he was “shocked and dismayed” that the fund didn’t act sooner.

Cllr Waters said: “The fund analyst had predicted for months that a war was imminent, so why did the fund not act sooner to disinvest?

“As of September, we had £10m directly invested in BP, who had to dump parts of their Russian business, and £30m in Shell.

“Both BP and Shell have said that they are committed to pull out of Russia but as their businesses are so intrinsically linked to Russia, it will take many years to uncouple.

“Therefore, if you stand with the people of Ukraine I ask you to sell these holdings.

“By investing in this fossil fuel, this pension fund has blood on its hands.”

Cllr Kerry replied: “We were proactive when this started in finding out what the implications and options were.

“The timing of what we did reflected the knowledge we had at the time.

“We made the statement at absolutely the right time. If others chose to do it differently, that’s their choice.”

He added that the fund will “review our position as and when events take a substantive different turn and the isolation of the Russian economy is no longer deemed necessary by the international community”.

Mike Pringle (Lab) said: “It’s difficult to not politicise our investments in compared to what is happening, but any investments we have in fossil fuels is something that we realise we need to move away from.

“Any investment in fossil fuels is something we need to look at.

“I think we are doing it, do I think we’re doing it fast enough – no, I don’t.”

William Bourne, independent adviser to the fund, said: “Fossil fuels are part of the future for the next 20 or 30 years at least.

“Pretending fossil fuels don’t exist or trying to isolate them from the world, I am afraid I disagree with Cllr Waters on that point.

“It’s very hard for this committee to take action because we invest through funds and they are the ones who make decisions.

“I am not aware of any pension fund that actively sold Russian assets because they thought a war was coming.”

Watch as Nottinghamshire Police pursuit car thief who crashed into lamp post in Woodthorpe as Police Interceptors returns to Channel 5 tonight

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Watch as Nottinghamshire Police pursuit car thief who crashed into lamp post in Woodthorpe as Police Interceptors returns to Channel 5 tonight

Cops track down a stolen car and a runaway driver who takes a turn for the worst in Woodthorpe as Police Interceptors returns to television screens.

The brand new episode sees PCs Ky and Lee out in the city when they were alerted to a car which was reported stolen from Bedale Road, Sherwood, the previous evening.

Sirens and lights on, they hot-footed it to where the car was believed to have been seen and tracked it down on the junction of Mapperley Road and Woodborough Road just after 2am on Sunday 11 October 2020. After attempting to pull over the driver, he failed to stop, and the highly trained armed pursuit officers got set to keep their eyes on the Renault Kadjar.

The driver, found to be Oreece Francis, led the officers onto Mansfield Road, where he reached speeds of 100mph in the 30mph speed limit zone. As well as this, he drove on the wrong side of the road, including on blind bends, and ran a number of red lights along Mansfield Road and Woodthorpe Drive, narrowly missing a pedestrian at the junction of Valley Road.

He subsequently lost control of the car and crashed into a lamp post near Thackeray’s Lane, Woodthorpe. However, this didn’t stop him.

Following the crash, he took off on foot and into the darkness of a nearby park. Suspecting he was in the park, officers and units, including dog handlers, surrounded the park and shortly after he was arrested.

As Francis was detained, officers were preparing to conduct a number of tests, including a breathalyser, when he became faint and suddenly collapsed. Officers provided immediate first aid, making sure he was getting air and checking for any injuries, and paramedics were called. Police remained with Francis as he received treatment at hospital.

A few hours later, he was recovering and was released from hospital so officers were able to continue their investigation.

The 29-year-old, of Canal Street, Nottingham city centre, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving and driving without insurance or a licence. Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on 25 November 2020, he was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

Superintendent Claire Rukas, who leads the force’s Operational Support Department, said: “It is great to once again see our officers’ work, efforts and the vast range of situations they come across showcased as Police Interceptors returns to our screens, including this particular arrest and sentence.

“Deciding to take off when officers try to stop you can not only make potential consequences more serious and raise our suspicions, but it can also cause a significant risk to the public and other road users.

“The road was wet from previous rainfall and we were in a heavily built up, 30mph section of the area. Driving in such a dangerous manner as Francis did is unacceptable and when this is the case it is important to bring the pursuit to a stop as soon as possible to stop him causing a danger to anyone else.

“Thankfully, it was the early hours and the roads were light on traffic. He lost control of the car and, arriving at that scene shortly after, the first thought is always for the driver’s safety.

“After realising he had ran off, officers continued their efforts on foot, and with some help from further units from across the force, we stopped Francis in his tracks by a nearby park. It was such a relief for the officers to get him off the roads. However, this quickly turned to concern after he appeared to become quite unwell. Despite him being a suspect in a serious incident and pursuit, we have a really important duty of care to anyone we came in to contact with, so it was imperative that we were able to get him the care he needed and ensure he was well.  Thankfully, after being seen to by paramedics he made a swift recovery.

“He has since appeared before a court and the custodial sentence he received was really pleasing to hear. I hope this sends a strong message to anyone who drives dangerously or drives off from us in such a manner that we are committed to keeping our roads safe. Pursuit drivers are highly trained so it is only a matter of time before our resources and skills catch up with offenders.”

As well as this, spotting agitated passengers in a car leads to a class A haul from the Knife Crime Team and the Interceptors break down the door of a suspected cannabis farm.

Catch all this and more at 8pm on Channel 5. 

Man appears in court after attempted burglary and car thefts in Woodthorpe

Emily Sanchez
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Man appears in court after attempted burglary and car thefts in Woodthorpe

A man has appeared in court following an attempted burglary and theft from a vehicle which both happened in Woodthorpe on the same evening.

Officers were called to reports that a suspect had attempted to open a car door in Breck Hill Road and that items, including a bag and a tyre pressure kit, had been found taken from another car shortly after.

Following this, officers were also made aware of two attempted burglaries on the same street.

Police have been investigating the incidents, which happened from around 6.40pm on Friday, February 18, 2022.

Mark Gibson, 29, of Bankwood Close, Aspley, has since been charged with two counts of attempted burglary with intent to steal, theft from a motor vehicle and vehicle interference.

Appearing at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Saturday 5 March 2022, he was remanded in custody to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on 4 April.

Detective Sergeant Andy Hall, of Nottinghamshire Police’s dedicated burglary team, said: “Officers have been working hard on their enquiries since these incidents. We know how deeply victims can be affected by having their homes and vehicles intruded, and items stolen, and we are committed to getting a result for them.

“Tackling burglaries and thefts is a priority for officers and as such work continues not only to investigate reported incidents, but also with our dedicated burglary teams to work proactively on preventing these incidents from happening.

“We have since charged a man in connection with these incidents, which is a positive step in our investigation, and we continue our work as this goes through the courts.”

NSPCC issues advice to Gedling borough parents with children worried about Russian invasion of Ukraine

Gedling Eye Reporter
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NSPCC issues advice to Gedling borough parents with children worried about Russian invasion of Ukraine

A leading children’s charity has issued advice to parents in the borough with children worried about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Fresh advice on how to talk to children about the conflict has been issued by Childline.

Shirin Khan, is NSPCC’s service head for Nottingham Childline.

She said: “In recent weeks, children and young people have been bombarded with constant coverage about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine be it online, on social media, TV, radio and in newspapers. All of which have brought the subject of war to the forefront of many children’s minds for the first time in their lives.

“We’ve spoken to a number of young people recently who have told us they’re worried that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could escalate into “World War Three”, who were concerned about attacks on British countries, and the use of “nuclear weapons”.

“Childline is always here to support young people, but here are a few ideas to help your child if they’re worried about the conflict.”

  • Reassure them it’s normal to feel scared, confused, or stressed that there is no control over international events.
  • It’s good to get the facts from trusted sources – Newsround and First News are great outlets for children, and far more objective and trustworthy than ‘doomscrolling’ through social media.
  • Remind them to take a break from the news or social media and do something relaxing or positive to get away from breaking news and notifications.
  • Most importantly, let them know they can always speak to you or a trusted adult about their concerns. If they’re not ready or comfortable doing that, they can share their feelings safely and anonymously with their peers on the moderated Childline message boards.

Counsellors are also available to offer help and support around the clock on 0800 1111, and online at www.childline.org.uk

Police plan to ‘increase visible presence’ in Arnold to help cut crime

Gedling Eye
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Police plan to ‘increase visible presence’ in Arnold to help cut crime

Gedling police teams have announced that two additional police constables and two more community support officers will be on patrol in the Arnold area later this month.

They say this is to provide ‘an increased visible presence’.

The additional officers will bolster the neighbourhood policing team’s ranks and its ongoing proactive work with partners to reduce crime in the area.

The new officers were announced by new neighbourhood policing inspector for the Gedling borough, Chris Jury, who has quickly set his sights on continuing to crack down on drug supply, antisocial behaviour and shop theft as current policing priorities.

Inspector Jury said: “I’m excited by the challenges ahead on the area.

“I have served on and supervised some excellent teams and worked with some fantastic people both inside and outside Nottinghamshire Police over the past 22 years and look forward to continuing that in my new role.

“It’s a demanding role but I’m not afraid of hard work and I am looking forward to working closely with councillors and local residents to make Gedling an even better place to live, work and spend time.

“I’d like to reassure residents that the police and our partners are all working collectively and pushing in the same direction to reduce crime and address issues reported to us.

“It’s one big team effort and we are constantly looking at what we can do to prevent crime and protect the public. There’s a lot of proactive work going on in the background as part of a long-term strategy to take positive action to tackle issues causing a real blight on our communities.

He added: “To help us reduce crime we need people to report issues to us so we can then investigate, build a clear picture of what’s happening and where and then determine where we need to target our resources to help people and prevent further incidents from occurring.

”Anyone who sees any suspicious activity in their area is advised to report it immediately by calling Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“If an incident is in progress call 999.Young people can also pass on information about crime completely anonymously, using a secure online form, through the youth service Fearless – which is a part of Crimestoppers.

“The Fearless website offers young people non-judgemental advice so they can make informed decisions about reporting crime. The service also engages with and educates young people about the consequences of their choices around crime.

Morrison’s and Co-op ban sale of Russian vodka in solidarity with Ukraine

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Morrison’s and Co-op ban sale of Russian vodka in solidarity with Ukraine

Supermarkets Morrison’s and Co-op have announced they will be pulling Russian-made vodkas from their shelves in Gedling borough as an act of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, following the country’s invasion.

This means that both Morrison’s and Co-op have delisted Russian Standard vodka and will no longer be selling the brand for the foreseeable future.

Other vodkas not made in Russia, such as Swedish Absolut, Latvian Stoli (formerly made in the Soviet Union but no longer tied to Russia), and British-owned Smirnoff, are not affected by the decision.

Morrisons Netherfield
PICTURED: Morrisons in Netherfield (PHOTO: Neil Slack Photography)

Wetherspoons also joined in this week, making the announcement that it would no longer sell Russian beer ‘in light of the current situation’.

Wetherspoons has since removed Russian lager Baltika from all 870 of its UK pubs, sending any stock they had previously ordered back to the distributor.

The Willowbrook pub in Gedling also announced this week that Russian vodka would no longer be for sale at the venue.

A spokesperson for the Co-op said: “In response to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces and as a sign of solidarity with the people of Ukraine we’ve taken the decision to remove from sale Russian-made vodka.”

They added that the decision was taken due to the fact that the brand was “overtly marketed as being Russian” and is produced in the country.

A spokesperson for Morrison’s said: “We have taken action on our vodka lines including de-listing Russian Standard. The product is longer available on our website and no further stock will be bought.”

Scout groups across Gedling respond to call for supplies to aid Ukrainian refugees in Poland

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Scout groups across Gedling respond to call for supplies to aid Ukrainian refugees in Poland

Scouts across Gedling have quickly responded to an urgent call to help support Ukrainian citizens displaced by the Russian invasion.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees were forced to flee Ukraine following the invasion by Russian, which began last week.

Many have now made their way into neighbouring Poland, which has opened its doors to them.

As a result, a Polish International Scout Group based on the border of Gedling, put out an appeal to their fellow Scouts to provide emergency relief supplies which they would distribute to the refugees where they are needed.

Beavers, Cubs and Scouts from across the Central Notts District, which comprises a majority of Gedling and part of Newark / Sherwood, have delivered several car loads of supplies in response to this call for assistance.

The aid – which includes medicine, dried food, bedding, nappies, hygiene products and clean underwear – was delivered to the HQ of the 45th Nottingham Scout Group on Edwards Lane, Bestwood. There, dozens of volunteers from the Polish Scouting community sorted and packed it all into boxes to be loaded for the journey and rapid distribution at the other end.

There was a second collection point in Nottingham City at Sneinton Library.

Both locations were piled high with donations, demonstrating the incredible sense of feeling around the current refugee crisis. All have now departing Nottingham for Poland, with a second run due to take place next week.

Tom Andrews, group Scout leader of the 1st Daybrook and Woodthorpe Scout Group said: “When we heard of the appeal by the Polish International Group and shared it with our young people and parents, the response was overwhelming.

“Scouting is a worldwide movement taking place in 216 countries worldwide. This is epitomised at the World Scout Jamborees where young people from across the world gather in one country every four years.

“The 2027 event is even due to take place in Poland. We as a group have provided two full cars’ worth of supplies, with the assistance of parents and pupils at the Good Shepherd School; and other groups from across the district have provided similar.

“This just shows the worldwide power of Scouting, and the sympathy to the plight of the millions of Ukrainians suffering as a result of the war.

“The effort put in by the organisers and volunteers of this shipment is absolutely phenomenal and on behalf of the Scout group I’d like to express my sincerest thanks to all those who are working to facilitate this”.

Those who wish to wish to donate to the Ukraine refugee crisis, the Disasters Emergency Committee are taking donations at https://donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

Bird flu outbreak at Newstead Abbey

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Bird flu outbreak at Newstead Abbey

An outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed at a popular Gedling borough tourist attraction. 

Nottinghamshire County Council says it is working with the DEFRA to control the outbreak at Newstead Abbey.

Bird flu is an infectious type of influenza which spreads among birds and can affect humans in very rare cases.

Visitors to the Abbey are now being urged not to interact with wild birds after a confirmed case of avian flu at the site.

A council spokesman said: “Newstead Abbey currently has positive cases of bird flu on site in wild birds.

“Residents and visitors are advised not to feed wild birds and not to touch or pick up any dead or sick birds that they find.

“Dog owners are also advised to keep their pets on a lead and take reasonable precautions to reduce exposure to wild waterfowl to minimise the risk of transferring the virus into bird keeping areas.

If anyone finds dead swans, geese or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, they should report them to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77.”

Gedling deputy leader defends Council Tax rise and calls on opposition leader to step down

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Gedling deputy leader defends Council Tax rise and calls on opposition leader to step down

The deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council was drawn into a heated debate on Council Tax after he was accused of delivering a plan that put  ‘a burden’ on taxpayers.

Cllr Michael Payne (Lab) called on councillors on Thursday, March 3, to accept a 2.89 per cent Council Tax increase, which equates to £5 extra for a Band D property – around 42p a month.

He said unprecedented government cuts – which make the authority one of the worst funded in the country – meant Gedling borough was under “incredible pressure”.

But he said an “ambitious programme” was on the table for borough residents as part of its budget, including new CCTV cameras and a brand-new Arnold Market.

Cllr Michael Adams, leader of the opposition Conservative Group, criticised the budget plans put forward by the Labour-run authority.

He said: “We are increasing this council tax by the highest percentage before a referendum is required, in a council which has the 26th highest Council Tax Band D rate out of 303 councils.

“If we are increasing Council Tax again what benefit are the residents of Gedling getting from that? Are they getting anything new or services upgraded?”

He said he found some of the proposals on the table “a little unambitious in its target”.

He added: “The concern I have with this Gedling plan is the money has disappeared and you don’t have the ability to fulfil some of the plan.”

Cllr Payne responded with a series of points and called on Cllr Adams to give up his post as opposition leader.

He said: “How utterly disingenuous and in the gutter almost it is of you to parade around and saying that Gedling Borough Council has the highest Council Tax rate out of all authorities in England and we are 26th.

“What you don’t go on to explain to the hard-working taxpayers that pay their Council Tax through us as a billing authority is only eight per cent of Council Tax comes to Gedling Borough Council and a whopping 75 per cent goes to Nottinghamshire County Council that you are in charge of.”

He said the rest goes to the fire service and police.

He added: “What are residents in this borough getting from the small increase – a brand-new Arnold Market, they are getting investment in Gedling Country Park, additional CCTV cameras and additional investment in street cleaning and leisure centres and a council tax reduction scheme that protects 4,700 families in the borough.

“Just on Arnold Market – how dare you sit there tonight and say that there is a burden on taxpayers – the taxpayers in Gedling would not have to the foot the bill if your government got off its backside and started giving us some money from the Levelling Up funding.”

The budget for 2022/23 was passed by councillors at the meeting. An amendment made by the Liberal Democrats to provide a free bulky waste service for people under 65 with disabilities was denied.

Currently, there is a free bulky waste collection for residents over 65.

Cllr Payne said the local authority would look into the proposal but could not accept it at present as it had not been properly costed.

Some of the proposals for the year 2022/23 include:

-Three CCTV cameras (£65,000) with final locations to be determined as part of ongoing work to reduce crime and disorder.

-Colwick Rectory Play Area Refurbishment (£100,000) – a refurbishment of the play area funded by an external grant.

-St Mary’s Play Area Refurbishment (£100,000) – a scheme to refurbish a play area subject to securing suitable external funding.

-Car park resurfacing (£65,000) – A combination of resurfacing and fencing works to improve the condition of the Hallams Lane car park in Arnold and the Haywood Road South car park in Mapperley.

-Holocaust Memorial and Cherry Tree Memorial and Reflection Circle (£35,000) – a space in Gedling Country Park to allow residents to reflect upon the impact of the Holocaust and provide a Memorial and Reflection Circle to allow residents to remember residents who have lost their lives.

-Flood alleviation works (£60,000) – schemes to address flooding issues in the Bentwell Avenue lagoon and to refurbish Colwick Meadow pumps.

Some of the savings and cuts  for the next three years include:

– Plans to review the price and structure of its gym and swimming pool memberships for leisure centres in Arnold, Calverton, Redhill, and Carlton.

– A price review of Bonington Theatre, Arnold, as well as reviewing operations at the Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton. The authority also wants to increase swim school sessions.

– There are also plans for a garden waste service fee increase to generate an extra £24,000 and a review of fees at cemeteries to generate an extra £1,000.

– There are also plans for a vacancy freeze for one year.

In total, the savings will come from income generation and cuts and efficiencies totalling £545,000.

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