28 new cases of Coronavirus have been recorded in Gedling borough ahead of the tier decision expected to be announced today.
The case figures are slightly up on the 22 recorded the day before.
The seven-day number of people testing positive for Coronavirus has continued to fall. 232 people tested positive which cover the seven-day period up to November 20 with a rolling rate of 196.9 per 100,000 people. This is down by 23. This figure shows the number of people with at least one positive COVID-19 test result in the rolling seven day period ending on the dates shown.
It is expected the government will announce which tier Gedling borough will fall into later today.
The new tier structure introduces tougher restrictions, with pubs now closed all together in tier 3 when previously they were allowed to offer alcohol with ‘substantial meals to customers.’
Plans to put up CCTV cameras at a park in Carlton and seven new dwellings in Ravenshead are among the planning applications that have been made this week across Gedling borough
Every week dozens of planning applications are submitted to the council – and the coronavirus pandemic has not changed that.
Here is the list of applications that have been submitted and validated by Gedling Borough Council in the last week.
Visit the council site HERE the links below to find out more and to have your say…
Leaders at Gedling Borough Council are calling for fair tier announcements, which are set to be revealed by the government tomorrow, after a 55% decrease in the number of coronavirus cases in the borough.
The leader and deputy leader of the council today thanked residents for their efforts, forbearance and for complying with the regulations and rules set out during the lockdown period.
They now hope that central government consider these new figures favourably when announcing what tier Gedling Borough goes into tomorrow (26).
The case figures, which can be viewed via a new dashboard created by Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Local Resilience Forum, indicate that due to the efforts and sacrifices made by residents and businesses, the borough, which during the peak had 438.5 cases per 100,000, has seen a dramatic decrease to 196.8 cases per 100,000 over the last four weeks.
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “I want to thank the residents of Gedling for their incredible efforts to get the rate of infection down in the borough.
“At the beginning of the second wave we had one of the highest rates in the country but we are now at a level lower than the national average and that is thanks to all of those people who have followed the rules and made so many sacrifices.
“We know we are not out of the woods yet and we are not getting complacent.
“We are working around the clock to support our colleagues at the NHS to get the vaccination programme launched in Gedling and we will do everything we can to help eradicate this terrible disease and get our borough up and running again.”
Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor Michael Payne said: “Thanks to the efforts of our local community, we now hope central government will give us a fair decision when it comes to setting out the tier restrictions for Gedling.
“Our residents have done everything asked of them and they will continue to do so to keep the rates down.
“Our businesses have already suffered irreversible hardship and for many, they will be watching the Prime Minister’s announcement tomorrow knowing that, depending on what tier they are in, it could well decide if they continue to exist or are forced close for good.”
New restrictions have been put in place on roads near Gedling Country Park after reports of parking chaos as people head to the green space in numbers during lockdown.
Nottinghamshire County Council is now appealing to visitors to park considerately and safely. following a high level of parking on nearby roads and on pavements and verges which has been obstructing access, blocking roads and footways and creating hazards for other road users.
PICTURED: Gedling Country Park (Photo: Gedling Eye)
The council said additional waiting restrictions have been introduced to manage the areas and signs are in place to alert motorists.
The signs are now in place on on Spring Lane, Hartland Drive and Seaton Way.
The restrictions mean that no one should park along these areas of the road when visiting the country park.
Councillor John Cottee, Chairman of Communities and Place Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “It’s great that more people are using local park for some exercise during lockdown but if you’re travelling there by car please be a considerate driver.
“We’ve listened to concerns from residents and park users and hope these measures will go some way to help tackle the dangerous and inconsiderate parking seen over recent weeks and provide safer access to the parks for everyone.”
This list contains only the roadworks considered to be most likely to cause delays on key routes as well as those involving road closures and temporary traffic lights.
The list is not exhaustive and does not feature some minor or emergency repairs that come up after publication.
Other roadworks may finish or start before schedule or be cancelled altogether.
All information is from Highways England, local authorities and utility companies.
Wetherspoons has highlighted what it calls ‘the government’s serious pandemic response flaws’ in a special edition of their in-house magazine.
The chain, which operates pubs in Arnold and Carlton, has produced a 23 page online edition of Wetherspoon News, its pub magazine with articles from leading academics, doctors and other commentators, highlighting serious flaws in the government’s reaction to coronavirus.
Propel reports the publication will also be available in Wetherspoons pubs from December 3.
Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said current policies will cause the loss of ‘a million jobs’ in the industry.
PICTURED: Wetherspoons chief Tim Martin
He said: “When pubs reopened after the first lockdown in July, a sensible set of regulations was agreed between UK Hospitality, the civil service, local authorities and other interested parties.
These regulations worked well, trade slowly recovered from very low levels and transmissions of the virus in pubs, as verified by the test and trace system, were extremely low. However, since then, the rules have constantly changed, without consultation, on an arbitrary basis, causing mayhem, unemployment and economic dislocation across the hospitality industry.
No one in the government seems to have any experience of running a business – and their current policies seem destined to cause the loss of a million jobs in hospitality, with further ‘ripple effect’ job losses throughout the economy.”
He added: “The most disturbing aspect of government behaviour is its lack of candour. It is now purporting to end lockdown in December. However, for pubs on tier two and tier three, lockdown, in effect, continues and unprofitable trading is certain to continue for the indefinite future – combined with the impossibility of making plans in the face of capricious and unpredictable regulations.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today outlined his Winter Covid Plan which included details of a revised tier system.
Before lockdown, Gedling borough was placed in tier three along with the rest of Nottinghamshire.
Although tiers will remain when lockdown ends next Wednesday (December 2), the tier rules have now been strengthened to prevent the virus returning and also the need for further national lockdowns.
The lifting of the national lockdown from December 2, will see:
Non-essential shops, hairdressers, gyms and leisure facilities reopen across the whole of England
Collective worship, weddings and outdoor sports resuming, subject to social distancing, across the whole of England
The “rule of six” will return – meaning people will no longer be limited to seeing only one other person in outdoor public – across the whole of England
The previous 10pm curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants will be extended to 11pm, with last orders at 10pm.
In Tier 1 areas, people will be urged to work from home wherever possible.
Prime Minster Boris Johnson briefed MPs via video link due to having to isolate
In Tier 2 areas, pubs and bars must close unless they are serving substantial meals along with alcoholic drinks, which was previously a tier three restriction.
In Tier 3 areas all pubs, bars and restaurants must close except for delivery, takeaway and drive-through. Hotels and indoor entertainment venues must also close in these areas.
It is not known which tier Gedling borough will resume under but Mr Johnson this will be announced later this week and ‘probably on Thursday’.
He told MPs this afternoon that his plan “is designed to carry us safely to spring”, when it is hoped vaccines will be in place to help stop the spread of the virus.
Mr Johnson said: “By the spring these advances should reduce the need for the restrictions we have endured in 2020 and make the whole concept of a Covid lockdown redundant.”
The PM told MPs he was “sorry to say” more areas will fall into higher levels of restrictions than they were in previously, at least temporarily.
But, by abiding to the tougher tier restrictions and the use of rapid turnaround tests, areas should also be able to move down the scale more quickly’.
Mr Johnson said that by maintaining pressure on the virus using tougher restrictions will enable people to see more of their friends and family over Christmas.
A police officer was allegedly bitten on the arm while trying to arrest a man following reports of a domestic incident in Arnold .
Officers were called to Heddington Gardens at around 6.50pm on Sunday (November 22) following reports of a domestic incident.
It is claimed the officer was bitten on his right arm as he tried to detain a man at a property.
Police Sergeant Neil Langham is leading the investigation.
He said: “Whilst being restrained and handcuffed, he has bitten the right bicep of the attending officer, causing a visible injury.
“A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and breaching his electronic tag. He remains in police custody for questioning.
“Officer assaults are totally unacceptable.
“Every day, our officers put themselves at risk to help protect the safety of the public and sadly, that can sometimes lead to incidents where police are injured.
“We take these incidents very seriously and will ensure that they are investigated thoroughly. Appropriate action will then be taken against those who are found to be guilty of such offences.
“Thankfully, the officers in this incident were not seriously hurt.”
Pubs and restaurants in Gedling borough could bear the brunt in a revised tier system being drawn up for after lockdown which would allow local churches, gyms, shops and cinemas to reopen.
The new Covid Winter Plan is set to be announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson later today at 3.30pm, with a new tier system included.
The Daily Telegraph has today reported that the new measures are expected to be tougher than those put in place prior to lockdown.
Gedling borough had been in tier three before country-wide restrictions were introduced on November 5.
Under the old tiers, pubs in tier three could still remain open if they could operate as restaurants, while in tier two they could keep trading as normal but customers could not mix indoors with anyone from another household.
The 10pm curfew for hospitality is expected to be scrapped and instead last orders will be called at 10pm with an hour’s drinking up time before a new curfew time of 11pm. But this concession will be of little use to any borough pubs and restaurants placed under tier three.
It is still hoped that these restrictions could be relaxed for Christmas, allowing most pubs and restaurants to trade.
Camra’s national chairman Nik Antona CAMRA today slammed the plans, calling them a ‘kick in the teeth’ to publicans.
He said: “Publicans across the country will be angry this morning, and they have every right to be.
PICTURED: Nik Antona called the new restrictions a ‘kick in the teeth’ for publicans
Once again, the hospitality sector is being singled out for further restrictions without evidence. This is a blow to the vast majority of publicans who have invested money and time into making their premises COVID-secure, and for the consumers that were using pubs to socialise safely.
“CAMRA is particularly dismayed to see the extension of the ‘substantial meal’ requirement to pubs in Tier 2. Yet again, decision makers are punishing wet-led, community pubs.
“Publicans now face an excruciating wait for further details on which areas will sit in which Tier – and after that many will have to make agonising decisions about the future of their businesses.
“If the Government wishes to continue with these unfair and un-evidenced plans, it must announce a proper, sector-specific support package or we will see mass pub closures and mass job losses as communities lose their beloved locals forever.”
While there is bad news for Gedling borough’s pubs, other restrictions could be lighter than under the old tier system.
It is expected that it will be announced that all borough shops will be allowed to open in all tiers, together with gyms and places of worship, while recreational sport, including golf, tennis and organised team sports can resume.
Cinemas like The Bonington will only be allowed to reopen in tiers one and two, and the advice to “work from home if you can” will remain in place.
It won’t be known until later in the week which tier will be enforced at the end of lockdown on December 2.
MPs are expected to be briefed later this week and also have their say before a final decision is taken.
Passengers using cabs in Gedling borough will now be able to easily find out if their taxi driver’s licence is genuine and valid following the introduction of new safety measures.
QR codes on vehicle plates and drivers badges will make it simple to verify that the cab licence hasn’t expired or been faked.
Gedling Borough Council‘s new QR code security feature will be rolled out on all future licence applications and renewals.
The QR code can be accessed using a smart phone camera. The code will take the user to a secure website that will show them the vehicle and driver details, expiry date of the licence and verify the licence is valid.
The QR codes will make it easier for council inspectors to check the taxi driver’s licence is valid
The council say the QR codes are being introduced as an added security measure, making it easier for licencing officers to check licences are valid, while offering an additional layer of peace of mind for passengers to know the vehicle and driver they are using are correctly licenced.
It will also make it more difficult for taxi licences and plates to be counterfeited.
“These new QR codes will allow passengers to be reassured that their drivers are correctly licenced and their vehicles are safe to enter. As more and more people can now use QR codes quickly and easily using their phone cameras, this will improve safety standards and make it easier for our licencing enforcement teams to inspect.
He added: “Our drivers have also welcomed this additional security check which they can use to show that their details are up to date and it also makes it more difficult for counterfeit licences to be created.”
