Libraries across Gedling borough are giving residents the chance to learn a host of new skills this New Year.
The courses, being offered by Inspire Learning, are free to those in receipt of eligible benefits and include maths, English, ESOL, and ICT as well as accredited courses at levels 1 and 2.
There’s even courses to help people make improvements to their health and wellbeing, explore a new hobby, or interest, or spend quality time with the family whilst learning something new.
Available at local libraries and online, courses are offered alongside free careers and benefits advice to help people into training, employment, or to make that next career move.
People can also use their local Inspire library, free of charge, to support their learning with free bookable computers, free WiFi and quiet study spaces.
Renowned hypnotist Paul McKenna is hosting the world’s first mass online hypnosis to convert Gedling borough’s sprout haters to lovers of the vegetable this Christmas.
The 10-minute ‘Save Our Sprouts’ trance, which is available on Aldi’s YouTube channel, could see up thousands of sprouts saved from the bin on Christmas Day.
In the first ever mass hypnotism of this kind, McKenna hopes to use the power of mind over matter to help viewers create positive associations to the mini brassicas, eradicating previous fears and apprehension regarding sprout consumption.
The 58-year-old hypnotist said: “I was excited at the prospect of being part of a fun, festive project, with a good cause at its heart.
“This sprouts hypnosis is all about increasing food choices for Brits over Christmas, at a time that is all about enjoyment.
“Not only are sprouts an essential part of Christmas day, but they are also a great source of vitamins and minerals. Here’s to coming together as a nation to keep them on our Christmas dinner plates for good.”
To put the trance to the test, Aldi recruited two sprout hating members of the public to undergo hypnosis with Paul.
By asking that they imagine the texture and taste of their favourite food when eating brussels sprouts, Paul was able to refocus their brains to let go of previous negative thoughts towards the vegetable. After the session, which took approximately 15 minutes, both had been converted into sprout lovers, and happily ate them when offered.
Scott Garson, who works as a Finance Manager, said: “I’m shocked. I think the most surprising outcome of this experiment is that after eating one sprout, I went in for another. I never thought that I would like them, let alone want more! I just hope it lasts and it’s a merry sproutmas.”
Enoch Ogbonnaya, a student studying in London, said, of tasting the sprouts: “The flavour has changed…I don’t know how, but it has! My mum is going to be absolutely shocked, and she’s going to be buzzing. Now, when she puts brussel sprouts on the plate, I’ll ask for seconds.”
In a survey carried out by the discount supermarket giant, sprouts came at the bottom when participants were asked to rank their festive dinner items on preference.
Christmas dinner items in order of Brits’ preference:
1. Roast potatoes
2. Turkey
3. Yorkshire puddings
4. Stuffing
5. Pigs in Blankets
6. Parsnips
7. Carrots
8. Sprouts
Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK, said: “Sprouts are a polarising vegetable that has the nation divided.
“Not only will our online hypnosis help customers to enjoy every single element of their Christmas dinner, but it could also help to save millions of sprouts from being tossed in the bin.
“We hope that sprout haters up and down the country are encouraged to give the hypnosis a go.”
Developers want to tear down a former Virgin Media office block and build more than 80 homes between Sneinton and Colwick.
Nottingham City Council is to decide the proposals at a planning meeting on Wednesday, December 22. Planning officers have recommended approval is granted.
The site called Diamond Plaza in Daleside Road was used by Virgin Media as offices and a technical hub which supplied a large part of the East Midlands with fibre optic broadband services.
The offices have been vacant since December 2019, but the technical hub remains active.
Developers want to create 82 homes with parking and landscaping on the site.
The application proposes the demolition of the majority of the existing office buildings, but with the partial demolition of one of the buildings to allow for the retention of the technical hub.
PICTURED: Loxley House
The proposed redevelopment of the site would then comprise of 40 one and two-bed apartments in four-storey pitched roof buildings to the south-west of the site and 42 two and three-bed houses in two and three-storey pitched roof buildings on the remainder of the site.
The applicant proposes that the homes would be offered in a mix of shared ownership and affordable rent tenures.
Residents living in the area who have commented so far are mostly in favour of the application.
One said: “The principle of the residential development of this site is welcomed and we hope with time that a community will thrive. The project should in time become an asset to the area.”
Another added: “Overall I am supportive of the site being used for social housing and like the design. However, it is on a busy and noisy road with traffic continuing through the night.”
Councillors will need to consider whether the application is a loss of employment land. A decision will be made on December 22.
The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has written to the leader of Gedling Borough Council and other district and borough authorities to assure them over suggested Government plans that their councils could be scrapped.
Councillor Ben Bradley MP (Con) penned the letter in response to concerns raised by Cllr Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), the leader of Ashfield District Council, following an alleged leak of the upcoming Levelling Up White Paper.
The apparent leak, reported by The Independent, suggested Whitehall plans to bring in top-down local government reorganisation (LGR) as part of its new devolution ‘County Deals’.
Reports suggested areas such as Nottinghamshire – which are governed in a two-tier system where district or borough authorities and county councils share service provision – could be reformed into a single-tier, unitary system.
This new system, the reports suggested, could involve proposals similar to the ‘super-council’ plans unsuccessfully attempted at length by former county council leader Kay Cutts (Con).
However, Cllr Bradley, who replaced Mrs Cutts as leader in May, confirmed on Friday (December 17) he has written to Cllr Zadrozny and all other district and borough leaders on the issue.
In the letter, the Mansfield MP provides assurances directly from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) that “top-down reorganisation” is off the cards.
The Government assurance states reorganisation of Nottinghamshire’s council structure is “not a pre-requisite” for the attempted devolution deal currently being sought by all authorities in the county.
And it adds reorganisation would be a ‘locally-led’ process requiring support across the board – something the proposals do not have.
PICTURED: Cllr Jon Clarke, leader of Gedling Borough Council has received a letter from NCC leader Ben Bradley
The Government did not, however, rule out LGR in other parts of the country.
Writing in the letter to leaders, Cllr Bradley said: “It looks likely the White Paper will lay out a number of options. Some of these may include LGR but Government has made it very clear there will not be ‘top-down reorganisation’.
“It seems possible different models of governance may come with different powers and/or funding.
“I imagine one such option will be a County Deal with all councils working together in their current structure, as we have proposed publicly.
“We all know Government has never been willing to force single-tier governance, and that the criteria as it stands would not enable that to happen in Nottinghamshire, given there is not a ‘good deal of local support’.
“When I was elected as leader of the county council I said LGR was not in our plans and I stand by that.”
Supporters of the changes say the current system “no longer serves the interests of residents and taxpayers”, with Kay Cutts previously describing having eight Nottinghamshire authorities as “wasteful and confusing”.
But the proposals, which could have led to what many described as a ‘super-council’, were unanimously opposed by district and borough leaders and described as “undemocratic”.
Objectors feared decision-making could be taken away from communities under the plans and also lead to job losses across the eight authorities.
Speaking following Cllr Bradley’s letter, Cllr Jason Zadrozny, who raised the initial concerns, welcomed the intervention.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I thank Ben for replying to my letter, setting out my opposition to leaked plans from Government to scrap councils like Ashfield.
“I welcome his opposition to his own Government but this will not go away.
“I will continue to pile pressure on both Ben and the Conservatives to use whatever influence they have to ensure plans to scrap local councils are consigned to the dustbin.”
A Government spokesperson has also since confirmed parts of the assurances in Cllr Bradley’s letter.
They said: “We do not comment on leaks. Work is progressing well on the Levelling Up White Paper, which will be published in January.
“There are no plans for top-down local government restructuring. Our approach is to empower local leaders.”
Pupils from Killisick Primary School brought tears of joy to the elderly by singing carols outside their Arnold care home.
Coppice Lodge, situated on Coppice Road is a residential and dementia care home.
The school choir sang Christmas carols from the care home gardens while residents listened from the comfort of the lounge.
Tonie Owen, a resident at Coppice Lodge, said: “It was so magical to see the children again, it really warmed my heart that they have taken the time to do this, it has made my year.”
Lifestyle Manager, Lorna Thornley, added: “It was an emotional afternoon as the residents loved it so much, they were all in tears, all the children and residents were waving to each other as they sang ‘We wish you a merry Christmas’, Silent Night’ and ‘King of all the world’.
PICTURED: Pupils from Killisick Primary School in Arnold sing to pensioners at Coppice Lodge care home
“Afterwards we gave the children hot chocolates and gingerbread men. We also presented them with a cheque for £200 which we have raised for the school to buy their own radio station equipment.”
Linsey Clark, Killisick Primary School head teacher, said: “Coppice Lodge has always supported our school, we can’t thank them enough for everything they do and this is just the icing on the cake. We cannot wait for the day that we can all come in and visit their wonderful residents again in person.”
From potholes to parking problems, it is fair to say residents across all council areas often have a problem or two to contend with.
When issues arise, it is best to report them to the council or whoever is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of roads, pavements and pathways in your local area.
Many do so, but others sometimes take to the app and website of FixMyStreet which sends the reported problem on to the relevant council on residents’ behalf in the hope of having it seen to.
Honing in on Gedling borough, here are eight problems that appear to be outstanding as reported by residents in the last few months.
Traffic lights at Victoria Road/Colwick Loop Road/Victoria Parkway badly timed.
This was reported on Sunday, October 17, 2021. The user complained that the traffic lights on Victoria Road don’t stay green long enough. They wrote: “I had to wait for two cycles of the lights to get out. When they went green, only 3 cars in front of me got out before the lights changed. In contrast all of the cars from the Retail Park and everything else on the Loop Road got through first time. Its been like this for years.”
Tree overgrown onto nearby roof of house
An overgrown tree was reported
The user complained that a tree that is rooted on Steedman Avenue needs cutting back, with all neighbours thinking the tree is an eyesore. They wrote: “There is constant bird excrement on the pavements and cars which are parked on driveways , a sticky sap is currently causing a problem with cars and windows being affected and the pavement is not passable where the tree is rooted.” They want a thorough cutback in line with other trees that have been given one on a more regular basis.
Speed Limit Sign not facing on coming traffic
On the B684 Lime Lane A614 End near Redhill it was reported that a speed limit sign was not facing on coming traffic.
Parking on pavement obscuring vision
This was reported on December 3 by an anonymous user in Arnold. They wrote: “I live off Dalton Drive and have to go out of the bottom onto Rolleston Drive in my car several times a day. Due to parked cars on the pavement on both sides of the road you are on a wing and a prayer as to whether anything is coming when you pull out. This is an accident waiting to happen.”
Very noisy manhole cover
A noisy manhole cover on Sandford Road in Carlton was reported on November 16th. The user reported that it had been looked at and some blue paint sprayed near it but no further action. “The noise is getting worse and I believe the road surface is slowly sinking.”
Inconsiderate and dangerous parking on Arno Vale Road
Back in November one user reported parking problems in Woodthorpe. They wrote: “I live at the junction of Whernside Road and Arno Vale Road. Cars regularly park across my drive making it difficult and dangerous to drive out of my drive. There are so many cars parking on Arno Vale Road often making it difficult for vehicles to pass, particularly large trucks and ambulances etc.
Overhanging bushes
On Tuesday, October 19 it was reported that overhanging bushes makes it hard to walk past to get to and from the bus stop on Victoria Park Way in Netherfield.
Street light not working
It was reported that the street light next to the lay-by on Broom Road in Calverton isn’t working. “The small LED’s work but the main light doesn’t which makes it very dark.”
A Netherfield charity is one of many to benefit from a round of council cash handouts awarded this week in tome for Christmas.
The Netherfield Forum has been handed £49,910 by Nottinghamshire County Council, with the money being used to covers some of the costs associated with converting a the town’s former GP practice on Forester Road into a wide-ranging community hub to provide a new youth centre.
Almost £900,000 is to be handed out in total to nearly 40 Nottinghamshire charities and projects which provide support to vulnerable people in their communities.£610,182 has been taken from the council’s from the Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery Fund and £282,817 from the Community Hub Food Plan Fund.
The cash handouts were approved during a council meeting of the Communities Committee on Wednesday.
Other charities across the borough have also benefitted from the festive funding.
£8,060 has been awarded to City Arts in Gedling. The funding will be used to pay for a co-ordinator to engage with and target between 80-120 residents, offering weekly sessions over a six-month period as part of a project for people over 55 who are isolated, lonely, and experiencing mental health issues.
Phoenix Farm Open Door Project, which runs The Ark Gedling will use their £7,279 to appoint a Covid Recovery Income Support Worker for 12 months providing 25 hours of support each week.
£25,000 will be paid to Gedling Borough Council and will fund project co-ordination and food costs, volunteer training and expenses as part of the Reconnecting through the Food Programme – a 12-month partnership to engage with 1,500 people by using food and nutrition to combat loneliness and isolation.
Councillor John Cottee, chairman of the Communities Committee, said he was delighted so many good causes in the borough would now receive the funding to continue with their invaluable work.
He said: “We have a great number of charities and organisations in Nottinghamshire that have gone above and beyond during the pandemic to provide a lifeline to the more vulnerable members of society who have needed support.
“Therefore, it goes without saying that I hope the funding we have approved this week will support and enable them to continue with their tireless efforts, which will ultimately improve the lives of so many in their communities.
“I would like to thank the charities and organisations who have taken the time to put together application bids for funding and would like to wish them every success for the future.”
The Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton has again been chosen as a the home of the borough’s walk-in vaccination site and will begin offering booster jabs from Monday (December 20).
The move is part of a huge drive to vaccinate the people of Gedling borough against Covid-19.
The new site will open at 1pm – 5pm on Monday, December 20 and will operate from 9am-5pm, 7 days a week following that.
The Richard Herrod Centre will be a walk-in site and is expected to administer up to 1,000 vaccines each day.
Existing appointment-only vaccination sites have also increased their appointments by thousands each day to allow people to get their jabs as soon as possible over the next three weeks.
It is estimated around 64 per cent of the population aged 12 and over in Gedling borough have had their third booster jab.
Amanda Sullivan, accountable officer at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG, said she hopes the opening of the site will help drive forward the booster programme even faster.
She said: As we know this is a convenient, local and well-known setting for the public to quickly receive their jab.
“Our teams have been working hard to increase the capacity of our sites so that we can protect the public as quickly as possible. We have thousands and thousands of additional bookable appointments available between now and New Year’s Eve and more get added each day. My simple message to the public is to get a booster and protect yourself, protect your loved ones, and make sure you have a safe and Covid-free Christmas.”
In a joint statement they said: “We’re delighted our Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton will be opening as a walk-in vaccination site from Monday to help drive the national effort to vaccinate people with boosters.
“We’re proud of the role Gedling Borough Council played in helping to administer first and second covid vaccinations to local residents.
“Our simple message now to the public is to get a booster and protect yourself, protect your loved ones, and make sure you have a safe and covid-free Christmas.”
All adults aged 18 and over are eligible for a booster jab, appointments can be booked through 119 or on the NHS website.
No appointment is needed for the new walk-in centres, but long queues might be encountered. The public are advised to wrap up warm.
Owners of a new pub due to take over the former TSB bank in Mapperley must wait another month before being able to plead their case for a controversial license application.
Staff behind ‘The Old Bank Mapperley’, on Plains Road, were initially scheduled to make their case for the license on Thursday (December 16), but the hearing at Gedling Borough Council has been postponed until January 13.
The council says the meeting was postponed “to allow sufficient time for all parties to prepare for the hearing” due to a large number of objections to the plans.
The application is requesting a license to turn the building into a bar and restaurant, coming as part of a wider redevelopment which also includes flats upstairs.
In its application, the pub’s owners propose standard operating hours of between 8am and 2am the following day, seven days a week, with the pub bidding to serve alcohol during the same period.
Owners hope to occasionally show plays, films, sport, live music, recorded music and dance performances.
And the venue states it will also bring in a CCTV recording system prior to opening and will train all members of staff in the sale of alcohol, stressing it will follow “all relevant legislation” on public safety and nuisance.
But as many as 23 written objections were submitted in regards to the plans, with several concerns raised.
PICTURED: The former TSB branch in Mapperley (IMAGE: Google)
Drawings for the pub show it could feature a beer garden to its rear, which several residents objected to on the grounds of “public nuisance”.
Terry Buttle, the council’s environmental health officer, also raised similar concerns.
In an objection letter, he said: “I have examined the plans submitted and I would like to object to the use of the outside area on the grounds of public nuisance.
“[This is] due to the potential noise levels from the use of the outside area, as these are likely to cause a public nuisance to nearby residential properties including those properties that have been proposed to the rear and above the premises.”
Others raised issues with the proposed opening times, stating no other venue stays open for alcohol sales until this hour and the majority are closed by midnight.
Objector Lynda Schippers, who lives on nearby Bonington Road, said: “The site of the premises is at the top of Bonington Road, which is a very quiet and peaceful place.
“We have a strong community spirit and a venue such as this is nothing but alarming.
“There is no other venue, restaurant, pub or bar that serves alcohol past 1am. The majority close at 12 midnight at the weekend and 11pm during the week, there is no demand for a 2am closing.”
She went on to raise noise concerns from, people leaving “at all hours”, as well as taxis driving around the area and the potential effects of alcohol on the “wrong kind of customers”.
In its submissions, the applicant said it will follow all “relevant legislation” to prevent public nuisance and will “liaise and cooperate” with responsible authorities.
It confirmed a ‘Challenge 21’ policy will be in place to prevent the sale of alcohol to underage drinkers.
