Bin collection rotas for over the Christmas and new year period in Gedling borough have been drawn up by the council.

There are changes to the way bins are normally collected, so it’s worth checking to make sure you’re not left with a mountain of rubbish or recycling.

You can find out more details here: https://www.gedling.gov.uk/rubbish/

Residents and business owners across Gedling borough are anxiously waiting to hear about changes to England’s three-tier system that are currently being reviewed by the Government.

Since the end of the second national lockdown on December 2, Gedling borough has been in Tier 3, the highest tier of coronavirus restrictions. This meant that our borough pubs, restaurants and attractions all remain closed.

It has already been announced that Greater London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire are moving into Tier 3, the highest level of restrictions.

It is not currently known if the borough, along with Nottinghamshire will be placed in different tiers once the Government review is over.

Health secretary Matt Hancock is expected to make a statement at 11:30 GMT.

The rules in each tier are as follows:

• in tier 1, the government will reinforce the importance that, where people can work from home, they should do so
• in tier 2, hospitality settings that serve alcohol must close, unless operating as restaurants. Hospitality venues can only serve alcohol with substantial meals
• in tier 3, hospitality will close except for delivery, drive-through and takeaway, hotels and other accommodation providers must close (except for specific exemptions, such as people staying for work purposes, where people are attending a funeral, or where they cannot return home) and indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, theatres and bowling allies must also close. Elite sport will be played without spectators. Organised outdoor sport can resume, but the Government will advise against higher risk contact sports

The seven-day case rate in the borough continues to rise with 236 cases reported up to December 11, which is 200.2 per 100,000 population.

With just nine days to go until the big day, Lidl has announced it’s slashing the prices of its Christmas veg to just 15p. 

The retailer is reducing the price of its British Carrots (1kg), British Parsnips (500g) British Mini Roasts (1.5kg), British Red Cabbage and the all-important British Brussels Sprouts (500g), which means savvy shoppers can pick up the full festive works for just 75p!

These brilliant bargains will be available in store from December 17 while stocks last.

Ryan McDonnell, chief commercial officer at Lidl GB, said: “This year more than ever, we want to ensure shoppers can enjoy the highest quality produce for the best value price.

“As we look forward to Christmas and the New Year our customers can rely on the fact we will never be beaten on price.”

The rate of coronavirus cases in Gedling borough has risen slightly, latest figures show.

Tuesday’s (December 16) update of the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of COVID-19 for every local authority area in England shows the borough has an infection rate of 184.1 per 100,000 people after 217 cases were recorded in a week.

The seven-day figure records new cases up to December 10 and is up on the previous week, when the rate stood at 163.7 after 193 new cases were recorded.

The data indicates that cases are rising across the borough, albeit at a slower pace than was seen before the second UK lockdown.

People will learn tomorrow (Thursday, 17) whether there are any changes in restrictions. Gedling borough has been in the very high alert Tier 3 category since the lifting of the national lockdown earlier this month.

It is expected that the borough will remain in tier three, which means pubs and restaurants in the area would remain closed over the Christmas period.

Rail passengers in Gedling borough will be hit by an above inflation fares rise for the first time in eight years, the Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed.

Ticket prices will increase by an average of 2.6% from March 1 next year, which is July’s Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation plus 1%.

The average increase across all fares will still be the lowest since 2017.

Season ticket holders have until February 28 to renew at existing prices and the cost of daily fares will stay the same until then too

Rail travel has been badly hit during the coronavirus crisis, and Rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said delaying the price rise from January “ensures passengers who need to travel have a better deal this year”.

Regulated fares make up about half of fares and include season tickets on most commuter routes. But operators are expected to match their rises for unregulated fares.

The rail minister said: “By setting fares sensibly, and with the lowest actual increase for four years, we are ensuring that taxpayers are not overburdened for their unprecedented contribution, ensuring investment is focused on keeping vital services running and protecting frontline jobs.”

The government took over rail franchise agreements from train operators in March, following the collapse in demand for travel caused by the virus crisis. This is expected to have cost about £10bn by mid-2021.

The government said the rise will help recover some of the significantly increased costs met by taxpayers to keep services running during the pandemic, Mr Heaton-Harris said.