Parents and councillors are calling for traffic-calming measures near a school in Arnold amid fears over safety.
They want traffic measures put in place outside Killisick Junior School and along Killisick Road.
The route has been identified as ‘a hotspot’ by parents and it’s claimed cars often speed along the road, with families now calling on Nottinghamshire County Council to take urgent action.
In a petition, local people have called on the council to deliver traffic calming measures outside the school.
It also calls for electronic speed awareness signs and markings to help enforce a strict 20-mile speed limit.
A post on the petition page reads: “We believe that unless something is done to make the road outside Killisick Junior School safe then It will only be matter of time before a very serious or fatal accident occurs. “
PICTURED: Councillor Henry Wheeler
Gedling Borough Councillors Henry Wheeler and Marje Paling are also calling on Nottinghamshire County Council, who manager the borough’s roads, to act.
Mr Wheeler told Gedling Eye: “Residents have contacted both myself and Cllr Marje Paling about speeding in this area.
“Killisick Junior School is on a main bus route and is very straight and is subject to inconsiderate parking and very dangerous speeding motorists, who use Killisick Road like a race track.
“It’s time something was done to make this road safe. There is nothing on Killisick Road to slow speeding motorists down – and that is why we are taking action
“There have been many near misses and bumps.
“Children need to be able to cross this road safely and pedestrians and other road users should not be living in constant fear of law-breaking reckless driving. Enough is Enough.
“It’s time to act before someone is either seriously injured or a fatality occurs. It’s shouldn’t take a fatality before action is taken to improve road safety.”
A memorial woodland is being planned to honour victims of the coronavirus in Gedling borough.
The new woodland will be created on Carlton Hill Recreation Ground using young native British tree saplings, which have been sourced from Woodland Trust and other kind donations.
They hope to start transforming the site during National Tree Planting Week in late November.
Plans for the new woodland on Carlton Hill
The project’s chairperson, Val Green told Gedling Eye: “I wanted to provide a space where people can go for remembrance and reflection.
“I’d like to thank Gedling Borough Council and the Greenwood Community Forest for their help and support to date and to the individuals and organisations who have already offered help with the tree planting – including a group from Woodcraft.org.uk.”
A memorial rostrum and plaque will also be placed at the site and is currently in the design stage, along with an information board to show which species of trees have been planted.
The group are now hoping to attract sponsorship from local businesses for a number of benches they hope to place at the site later this year.
Any organisation or individual interested in contributing to this project, for example sponsoring a bench, please get in touch.
A man was arrested this morning by armed officers in connection with with a theft from a delivery driver in Woodthorpe.
Officers gained entry to a house in Vernon Road at around 3.45am this morning (17) and detained a suspect in an upstairs room before carrying out a search.
The arrest relates to a report of a delivery driver’s van keys being taken before van was stolen during an incident in Coronation Road on August 28, 2020.
A 24-year-old man remains in custody.
Detective Sergeant Lauren Morgan, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was an unprovoked incident which left the unsuspecting victim in great distress.
“Nottinghamshire Police takes a robust zero tolerance approach to theft and all reported incidents are investigated thoroughly.
“We will not tolerate these type of crimes in our communities and we will continue to work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice.”
Nottinghamshire County Council yesterday announced that the process of local government reorganisation in Nottinghamshire is now underway.
Here, their leader, Councillor Kay Cutts gives her reasons for requesting to make a move to a unitary authority, which would spell the end for Gedling Borough Council….
I have written a letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government seeking a formal invitation to submit proposals.
This follows the recent letter to the Government from the seven borough and district councils and the city council which asked for an invitation “to develop alternative proposals to a single, County-wide unitary Council.”
Over the coming weeks, myself and other Members will keep you informed of our plans and why this is the right thing to do for the people of Nottinghamshire.
The current “two-tier” structure of county and district/borough councils no longer serves the interests of residents and taxpayers, which is why all councils agree on the need for change.
The current structure is both wasteful and confusing. Having eight separate council headquarters, executives, senior managers, and some duplicated back-office functions is unnecessary and costs too much. A unitary system of local government would end this duplication and waste, and free up money to be spent on improving and protecting services.
The time is right for change and we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to simplify services, save more than £27m a year and improve the lives of Nottinghamshire residents.
PICTURED: Notts County Council have moved the plans to the next stage
The next steps include refreshing the strategic business case, which sets out the benefits of re-shaping local government in Nottinghamshire.
Local people will have the opportunity to give their views on our vision for 21st century local government services for this county, a place which is vibrant and inclusive, aspirational and ambitious.
In the weeks to come, we will demonstrate the challenges facing local government and how we could significantly improve our ability to grow the local economy and deliver better outcomes for all our residents by adopting unitary status.
Councils have faced many years of financial difficulties and we need to find ways of spending less without reducing services. It is even more important that we do this now, because COVID-19 has made the financial circumstances of councils in Nottinghamshire worse. We must find ways of making our money go further and therefore, reducing duplication and waste through unitary local government just makes sense.
We’re expecting the Government to make reorganisation a condition for the devolution of more funds and powers from national level. It is expected that they will do this through Combined Authorities, where several councils collaborate and make joint decisions. Nottinghamshire needs more investment for things like infrastructure, skills, transport and housing, particularly as we recover from the impact of COVID-19. It is expected that only unitary authorities will be able to be part of a Combined Authority – we don’t want Nottinghamshire to miss out and get left behind!
With leaders in Leicestershire and Derbyshire also working towards reform, we can unlock the possibility of a regional devolution deal by establishing a mayoral combined authority for the East Midlands, bolstering our ability to attract much-needed Government investment.
Doing nothing isn’t an option. Residents want easy access to effective, joined-up services – and to be able to shape decisions that affect their communities.
The current set up is bureaucratic, expensive and confusing, so we must put residents first and shake up the system.
Unitary government for Nottinghamshire is the right thing to do. Put simply ……It is better, simpler and saves taxpayers’ money.
A number of pupils and teachers today to stay away from a school in Gedling yesterday after a staff member was diagnosed with coronavirus have been asked to return.
Selected year groups were asked to stay away from Carlton le Willows Academy yesterday as a precaution following the confirmed case.
Several teachers were also asked to self isolate
But after seeking further guidance, the school has invited them back.
A spokesman for Carlton le Willows Academy told Gedling Eye: “After seeking further guidance and clarification on what is deemed close contact, some teachers asked to self isolate yesterday have been advised it is safe for them to be back in school.
“As a result parents have now been informed that all year groups can return to school from today (17).”
Yesterday, headteacher Craig Weaver criticised the slow response from Public Health England following the confirmed case.
PICTURED: Carlton le Willows Headteacher Craig Weaver
Mr Weaver told Gedling Eye: “Carlton le Willows Academy has a raft of measures in place to ensure a Covid secure environment for all staff and students.
“On Tuesday, we were notified that a member of staff had tested positive to the virus and in line with national guidelines immediately contacted Public Health England.
“Unfortunately, they were slow in responding and also failed to give the clear and specific guidance that schools were promised on interpreting close contacts, leaving us having to make a public health call and decide which staff to send home.
“We had no option but to keep some year groups off school.”
Public Health England defended their actions after being contacted by this website.
A PHE spokesperson said: “We are aware that a small number of schools have encountered delays in receiving guidance at a local level on what steps they should take to manage a COVID-19 case.
“We are working closely with colleagues at the Department for Education to assist them in developing a solution to this problem which will enable schools to access the advice that they need in the most immediate way possible.”
Plans to abolish all top level councils in Nottinghamshire have moved to the next phase.
Conservative-controlled Nottinghamshire County Council will now write to the Government, asking for an invitation to progress with its plans.
The scheme, put forward by the Conservative-controlled county council, would see all the councils outside the city scrapped – including Gedling
They would be replaced with one super council, representing around 828,000 people.
There would then also be an elected mayor for the East Midlands.
Nottingham City Council has previously said it will put forward its own, rival proposal, which would see it expand into Rushcliffe, Gedling and Broxtowe.
Supporters of the county council’s plan today said it was the only way to bridge the gaps in council finances after years of Government cuts and now financial pressure from COVID.
But opponents said it could ‘spell the end of the historic county of Nottinghamshire’, and that it was an unwelcome distraction when the council should be concentrating on COVID.
Last week, a series of questions about the plan were put to the council by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, to which the county council replied: “no comment”.
The leader of the council today, September 16, was again repeatedly asked for answers to these questions during the meeting, but declined to answer.
Questions include:
Will council tax go up for areas like Rushcliffe which currently pay lower taxes than elsewhere?
Will residents be offered a local referendum on the plans?
PICTURED: Civic Centre in Arnot Hill Park
Can the county council guarantee the city council won’t expand into Rushcliffe, Gedling and Broxtowe?
The plan passed by 11 votes to eight today, with all Conservative coalition members voting in support, and Labour and the Ashfield Independents voting against.
The leader of the council, Conservative Kay Cutts, said: “The current two-tier structure of the county, district and borough councils no longer serves the interests of the residents and taxpayers.
“The current structure is both wasteful and confusing, having eight separate council headquarters, executives, senior managers, and some duplicated back office functions is unnecessary and costs far too much.
“A unitary system of local government (a super council) would end this waste and free up money to be spent on improving and protecting services.
“The time is right for change, and we have a once in a generation opportunity to simplify services and save more than £27 million a year to improve the lives of people in Nottinghamshire.
“We are expecting the Government to make reorganisation (a super council) a condition for devolution of more funds and power from the national level.
“It is expected they would do this by combined authorities where several councils collaborate and make joint decisions.
“With leaders in Leicestershire and Derbyshire also working towards reform, we can unlock the possibility of a regional devolution deal, by establishing a mayoral combined authority for the East Midlands.
“Doing nothing isn’t an option.”
Councillor Alan Rhodes is the leader of the Labour group, and said: “We are in the midst of a Covid-19 pandemic and a second wave, and a further lockdown remains a very real possibility.
“There should be one and only one priority occupying the minds of the leader, the Chief Executive and senior team now, and that priority should be keeping our Nottinghamshire residents safe by working in partnership with the city council, our district and borough councils and other appropriate professionals.
“Anything else is a distraction.
“That is what these proposals are; a divisive, self-serving distraction.
“At a time when people in our county are falling ill, and more will fall ill, when people are dying, and more will die, the political and professional leadership of this county council will be facing inwards, debating the future structure of local government.
“It is often said that leadership is about making the right choices and setting the right priorities at the right time.
“Your opportunity to show good leadership is here today Kay.
“Withdraw this report and these proposals until this pandemic is over and our people are safe.
“Do the right thing by the people of Nottinghamshire, or forever be remembered as someone who put her own selfish ambitions and her own vanity before the health and welfare of the people she was elected to represent.”
Councillor Jason Zadrozny is the leader of the Ashfield Independents, and also the leader of Ashfield District Council.
He said: “Many of our brave council staff took a risk every day during the pandemic. They were heroes.
“How are they now rewarded? The Conservatives are after their jobs in an arrogant power grab.
“These ruthless plans are an attack on the staff who put their lives at risk. It’s an insult.
“The proposed new council would be bigger than the whole of Cyprus. It would be bigger than Malta, Luxembourg and the Seychelles put together.
“It makes an absolute mockery of ‘local’ democracy.”
A rabbit who was abandoned and left for dead by fly-tippers has been given a new life and home in Arnold after being rescued by a police officer.
The white lop-eared rabbit was spotted by Inspector Marcus Oldroyd whilst out on a morning run in February.
He was left to fend for himself after he was callously thrown out by fly-tippers, who dumped a load of household waste on land near Newark.
The animal was taken to the RSPCA shelter in Radcliffe-on-Trent, where he was named after Operation Reacher, a proactive policing initiative which began in Bestwood during April 2018 to tackle serious and organised crime, and was led by Inspector Oldroyd.
Reacher then found a new home with the Ellis family in Arnold, where he also has a bunny best friend called ‘Honey’.
Louise Ellis, his new owner, said: “Reacher is doing absolutely fantastic and it’s such a pleasure to have him as part of the family.
“He has put on weight and is thoroughly enjoying his new life here with his housemate Honey.
“He’s such a cheeky character, very inquisitive and he loves his food, and it still shocks me to think that someone could be so cruel. We’re truly thankful that he survived the ordeal and that police found him.”
PICTURED: Reacher, right, with new pal, Honey
Inspector Marcus Oldroyd said: “It’s fantastic to hear Reacher rabbit is doing brilliantly in his new home, especially as we head into this very exciting time for the force in terms of Operation Reacher.
“He seems to have become quite the mascot, which is brilliant to see, especially given the conditions he was faced with when I found him.”
Work has been ongoing to expand the Operation Reacher model into each of Nottinghamshire Police’s neighbourhood teams, with Gedling being the first area outside of Bestwood to launch a Reacher team back in January.
Since launching, Operation Reacher has seen millions of pounds worth of drugs, hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of cash and hundreds of illegal vehicles taken off the county’s streets, alongside securing a number of significant convictions as a result.
Now, the force is preparing for dedicated Reacher teams to be introduced across all 12 neighbourhood policing area across Nottinghamshire from Monday 5 October 2020.
Their job will be to proactively build links with their local communities, guide people away from a life of crime as well as pursue and disrupt the people in those communities who cause most harm.
Inspector Oldroyd added: “Having seen the success of the Reacher teams in Bestwood and Gedling since their launch, and also having had a number of cars for the initiative arrive in June, it’s great to finally be nearing the county-wide launch which we’ve been working hard towards, and also to see this major investment in our communities come to fruition.
“As part of the expansion, each of the remaining neighbourhood teams will be joined by a team of six new officers, each led by a sergeant and an Operation Reacher car. So, if you make a living from crime, expect a visit from our teams soon.
“People who routinely engage in serious criminality are a blight on the lives of people across the county and I can’t wait for our new Operation Reacher teams to increase the pressure on them by joining the rest of neighbourhoods policing family and adding to their great work.”
The areas worst hit by coronavirus in Gedling borough have been revealed in a new map.
Updated interactive data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) include all deaths where Covid-19 was the underlying cause, or was mentioned on the death certificate as a contributory factor.
It covers the period between March 1 and July 31.
You can find the interactive map below, where you can enter your postcode.
The geographical sections used by the ONS are small areas in Gedling borough which have a similarly sized population and do not necessarily correlate with wards or other political boundaries.
The worst affected area in Gedling borough is Woodthorpe and Arno Vale, which recorded 21 deaths during the five-month period.
18 people died during the same period in Gedling South, with 17of those deaths being recorded in April – at the height of the pandemic.
14 deaths were recorded in Gedling North.
Redhill recorded 8 deaths, Arnold Town recorded 6 deaths, 3 people died in Daybrook and 8 people died as a result of the virus on Plains Estate.
A man was assaulted and a bike stolen during a knife-point robbery in Arnold
Police are appealing for witnesses and information after the victim was approached by three young men in Bond Street at around 7.15pm yesterday (Tuesday 15).
The victim, who was cycling with another man, was reportedly struck over the head with a piece of wood, before having his bike, bag and house keys taken.
When the second man attempted to intervene, he is said to have been threatened with a large knife.
Officers would like to speak to anyone who witnessed what happened.
Detective Sergeant Charlotte Henson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a frightening incident that would have caused considerable distress to the victims.
“I am determined to find and arrest those responsible as quickly as possible. If you have any information please call us on 101 quoting incident number 702 of 15 September.”
The headteacher at a school in Gedling has criticised Public Health England after they were slow to respond once notified that a staff member had been diagnosed with coronavirus.
Craig Weaver, who is headteacher at Carlton le Willows school, said Public Health England ‘failed to give clear and specific advice’ after contact was made.
Mr Weaver told Gedling Eye: “Carlton le Willows Academy has a raft of measures in place to ensure a Covid secure environment for all staff and students.
“Yesterday afternoon we were notified that a member of staff had tested positive to the virus and in line with national guidelines immediately contacted Public Health England.
“Unfortunately, they were slow in responding and also failed to give the clear and specific guidance that schools were promised on interpreting close contacts, leaving us having to make a public health call and decide which staff to send home.
“With others self-isolating and struggling to access tests it is proving impossible to staff classes.
“Today we had no option but to keep some year groups off school.
PICTURED: Carlton Le Willows Academy in Gedling
“This was a very prudent and cautious approach to ensure the continued safety of everybody within school and give us time to seek further clarification.
“On the re-opening of schools the Government assured school leaders that in the event of positive cases, specific guidance would be given by local health protection teams.
“It is wholly unsatisfactory that mitigating measures are in place in schools, yet staffing of those schools is hampered by unclear advice and delays in testing.
“This will of course not just be an issue for Carlton le Willows but for schools across the country. What we have experienced is woefully inadequate. Schools need joined-up government, where specific advice and resources are easily accessible and in a timely fashion.
He added: “We will be keeping our parents/carers informed of all developments.”
Public Health England responded after being contacted by Gedling Eye.
A PHE spokesperson said: “We are aware that a small number of schools have encountered delays in receiving guidance at a local level on what steps they should take to manage a COVID-19 case.
“We are working closely with colleagues at the Department for Education to assist them in developing a solution to this problem which will enable schools to access the advice that they need in the most immediate way possible.”
