A road in Arnold is to close during the day for almost two weeks so it can be repaired.
A large section of Cross Street will be cut off to traffic between 8am and 5pm on weekdays between Monday, October 19 and Friday, October 30.
A number of side roads will also be closed from their junction with Cross Street for 20 metres. These are Furlong Street, Stanhope Road, James Street and Goodwood Avenue. Residents on these roads will be able to access Cross Street during working hours with the assistance of traffic marshals.
The repair work was due to be carried out in March but was delayed due to lockdown.
Councillor Payne said:”Before Covid-19 lockdown in March I secured repair works for a large section of Cross Street in Arnold, these works were due to be carried out just as Covid-19 lockdown came into force, which delayed the works significantly. I’m pleased the agreed works I argued for are now scheduled to go ahead in mid-October.
“Cross Street will be repaired between its junction with High Street and its junction with Galway Road. This stretch of road has long been in need of repair works and I’m pleased to have secured these improvements as the local County Councillor for Arnold North.”
The area impacted on Cross Street
He added: “I will continue to argue for further road repairs and improvements right across the communities I represent in Arnold, Redhill, Ernehale, Warren Hill, Bestwood Lodge Drive/Deer Park Drive, Mapperley Plains, Killisick & Woodthorpe.”
A council spokesman said: “Highways officers politely ask you to be patient and understanding if there is machinery situated or work being carried out at the junction of your residential street with Cross Street and you have to wait 5 to 10 minutes to access Cross Street or your road. The operatives carrying out the works will do their best to mitigate inconvenience but ask for your patience and understanding too.”
New homes will be built on a plot of land in Arnold which has been linked to severe flooding, after a decision was made to sell the land to developers.
After the county council chose a preferred developer, those housebuilders carried out checks on the land, which has now resulted in a lower price being negotiated.
Details of the price developers will pay has not been disclosed, nor has the amount knocked off the price.
The Rolleston Drive site has a long and complex history, and has consistently found itself at the centre of political rows.
Formerly a council depot, it was left derelict and targeted by vandals, before a major fire in 2017 gutted what was left of the buildings.
After that, it was concreted over with a slope, which nearby residents said caused water to ‘cascade’ down and exacerbate flooding.
As well as being an ‘eyesore’, the land has also been contentious, with Labour leaders in Gedling saying the Conservative-controlled county council was ‘dragging its heels’ over addressing the flooding.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives say Labour ‘did nothing’ with the site when they ran the county council up until 2017.
Now, Labour councillors who represent the area say they weren’t given all the facts about the sale before the decision was made.
Today (Wednesday, September 30), Nottinghamshire County Council – which is currently run by a Conservative coalition – voted to sell the land to developers.
But details about the price – and the reduction in price – which would usually have been shared with the local councillors, were not made available to the councillors for the area until after the meeting.
Michael Payne is the Labour councillor for the area where the new homes will be built.
He said: “I seriously hope that today’s decision means we’re now going to see some very real and visible progress, and put the site into some use after years of dither and delay by the county council on this issue.
PICTURED: Former MP Vernon Coaker campaigned to have the site issues resolved
“But ultimately, not sharing all the information with us about the sale, and how much they have reduced it by, shows a complete lack of respect for the residents.
“It has meant we were not able to express our direct views to the county council, ahead of the decision on behalf of the people we represent, for whom this site has been an ongoing nuisance for years and an eyesore in the community.”
Conservative councillor Chris Barnfather told the meeting today: “I’m very pleased to see this (development).
“The site has been a bone of contention for the local community for some time now.
“As an Arnold lad myself I used to walk past the old county workshops on my way to school. As a teenager, I walked past it with a girlfriend. As a young police officer I used to take Panda cars there to be serviced, but the site had long since fallen into disrepute and ill repair.
“Indeed under the last administration (when the county council was run by Labour) it sat and festered for four years with nothing at all happening to it.
“Then, of course, we had the fire. This administration acted swiftly to demolish the dilapidated buildings and make the site safe.
“Nonetheless it’s still been an eyesore for local residents.
“There were some flooding issues for local residents at the bottom of the site, and although ultimately they were found not to be as a result of this site directly, the very fact it sat there was clearly a blight on this community.”
A council report said: “The site had been openly marketed for sale for residential development in autumn 2019 with several offers being received on a like for like basis, all being conditional upon ground conditions (contamination and abnormal foundation depth), the grant of planning permission and Section 106 contributions.
“The cost of these would be deductible from the purchase price.
“The proposed purchaser has now completed their intrusive investigations into the site conditions and other abnormal factors as per the conditions of tender.
“These proposed additional works and costs have been studied by the council’s consultant advisers with the result that the purchase price has now been negotiated to a figure below that for which delegation was previously approved by committee so this report now seeks approval to proceed with the sale to the preferred bidder on the terms as set out in the exempt appendix to this report.”
The exact price paid, and the discount agreed, has not been disclosed by the county council, on the grounds of commercial sensitivity, but the county council said it was a ‘significant receipt’.
A further nine cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Gedling borough in the past 24 hours, according to figures released yesterday (September 30).
This brings the borough total to 513.
The figures represent the number of people with at least one lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 test result
There are new infections in all areas, with the biggest increase once again being in Nottingham City.
The borough recorded the fourth highest number of new cases in the city and county, with Nottingham City recording 43, Newark and Sherwood recording 14 and Bassetlaw recording 13.
Rushcliffe also recorded nine new cases, Ashfield and Broxtowe recorded eight and Mansfield recorded seven,
Gedling Borough Council is hoping to get the go ahead to transform a former railway line in Netherfield into a green cycle and walking route to a country park – with a tram line also being proposed too.
A report will be presented to council cabinet members next week will provide an update on work being carried out to bring to life plans for a new 3.5 kilometre greenway from Netherfield to Gedling Country Park.
The former railway mineral line near Netherfield has been designated as a potential cycle and walking route in the council’s development plan but it will need support from partners at Nottinghamshire County Council, Network Rail and Nottingham City Council in order to make it happen.
Initial work has been carried out to see if the route, which would start at Netherfield Railway Station and go as far as Gedling Country Park, is feasible. The findings from the study suggest that there are many benefits for residents if the route was to be created. The route could improve residents’ health and help improve connectivity within the borough and the city whilst reducing car traffic. The greenway would connect six existing parks and open spaces along the route to help create a green network between Gedling Country Park and Netherfield.
The study has also highlighted the potential for a tram extension next to the route, which could see transport links improved further but these proposals are part of a separate study and would need input from Nottingham City Council who are responsible for tram delivery across the Nottingham area.
The area in Netherfield, where the route is being proposed, has recently had a number of investments from Gedling Borough Council to help increase physical activity and improve community wellbeing. A new £72,000 cinder path, which was externally funded through FCC grant, was opened last year in the area and a new £73,000 children’s play area was opened on Ley Street, Netherfield in 2017 to encourage young people to be more active where they live.
The report highlights the benefits of the route for people’s health and well being and the amount it could save the NHS over the next few years by people being more active. The mineral line is also a significant historical artefact and would be used to highlight the borough’s rich heritage including its links with the former Gedling Colliery that is now the council’s flagship Gedling Country Park.
If approved, the report is proposing that officers from Gedling Borough Council continue to work with partners from Nottinghamshire County Council, Network Rail and Nottingham City Council to provide more details about a design, consult with residents and prepare a business plan for the project.
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “We have been looking at ways to do something creative with this railway line for several years and we are now at a point where we need to move this forward.
“The line is owned by Network Rail and as it is a pathway, Nottinghamshire County Council have the authority to get it built. We want to work with them and the City to produce a new walking and cycling route that will benefit our residents for years to come.
“This path will increase cycling and walking, reduce people travelling in cars and open up opportunities to connect our borough with, not only the city, but with our fantastic heritage. We want this to happen and we will work together to make it a reality. We have shown our commitment to the project by investing in the feasibility studies and we really hope that our colleagues can get on board with us and make this happen for the residents of Netherfield and in the surrounding areas.
If we can make this happen, it could also support our push for a Fourth Trent Bridge crossing nearby which could have a major impact to the local economy and bring much needed jobs and opportunities to Netherfield.”
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.
A group who help manage popular woodland in Gedling have explained why a large number of trees were felled earlier this week, which people believe is linked to the construction of the Gedling Access Road (GAR).
The Friends of Gedling House Woods have issued an explanation after people voiced their concerns and anger after discovering a large number of trees had been cut down in the woodland between Burton Road and Wood Lane.
Andy Newton is a committee member of The Friends of Gedling Woods and issued the explaination.
He said: “During the planning of the Gedling Access Road it was discovered that the fence that marks the edge of the woods is not in the right place.
“For about about 100m the fence follows a straight line when it should move about one metre into the woodland, creating a very slight deviation. This has been checked on Land Registry maps.
“The impact of this is that some mature sycamore trees are precisely on the boundary and lie the new fence to the GAR will be situated. They need removing.
“The GAR at the boundary point is in a cutting approximately 3-4m deep. Land constraints mean that the embankment is very steep at this point.
“A specialist arborist has advised that the spread of many of the boundary trees means that excavating the embankment will cut the main anchor roots of these trees and destabilise them.
PICTURED: Gedling Access Road from above
“Overhanging branches would in any case need to be removed. Not felling them would leave Gedling House Woods with a high risk that the trees would blow over in the wind in due course. Given that most lean away from the woods, they would fall into the GAR, damaging the new fence. After handover, the new fence –and, of course, the trees– would be the responsibility of Friends of Gedling House Woods.”
Andy went on to explain that managing fallen trees be costly to the Friends group.
He said: “To deal with fallen trees in that situation would mean some considerable cost to FGHW, given the access issues from the GAR.
“Additionally, some of the trees close to the boundary are not in a good state. With two exceptions (one ash and one wild cherry) the trees are all self-seeded sycamore. These are not native species and were not originally part of the woodland.”
The group now plan to work with VIA East Midlands to replace the trees in the near future.
“We have assurances from VIA East Midlands that replanting will be more extensive than we first though, said Andy.
“Marginal hawthorn, rowan and hazel will form a low-level hedge-style boundary with the GAR just this side of the new fence. Additionally, we expect to plant a number of beech and oak trees in gaps caused by the felling, and to replace the wild cherry.
“At the moment, we are not in a position to determine how many trees and where they will be sited.
He added: “While felling trees is never welcome, the risks associated with leaving them and the offer of replanting with more appropriate species mean that removal of trees along the boundary line is the most acceptable solution.
Pay as you go contactless payments will now be accepted on Nottingham City Transport Gedling borough bus services after a successful trial.
Ahead of today’s launch (September 29), over 600 customers have been trialling the contactless system over the past month, where it achieved a 96% satisfaction score amongst the participants in a post-trial survey.
With exact cash fares required on all NCT bus routes, contactless offers a cashless way for adults to travel, with passengers simply tapping their contactless bank card or mobile device on the card reader as they board each bus and then take their seat.
The system automatically calculates the best fare for a customer based on their journeys each day, with customers travelling around Nottingham guaranteed never to pay more than the NCT all day ticket price. When leaving the bus, there’s no need to tap off either.
Overnight the system adds up all of the journeys a customer has made during the day and then deducts the money direct from a customer’s bank account.
Customers who use NCT Buses to the Outer Area, such as Loughborough and Southwell, can also make Nottingham Contactless payments and can check their prices and zones on the Nottingham Contactless website – www.nottinghamcontactless.co.uk
Contactless will now be available on buses in the borough
With no tickets issued on bus, customers who pay with a contactless card can view their transaction and journey details on the Nottingham Contactless website. Customers who pay for their journeys on their mobile phone or smart watch can check their Apple Pay or Google Pay account to view transaction details.
NCT Marketing and Communications Director, Nicola Tidy said, “The launch of adult pay as you go contactless payments on NCT buses offers our customers another cashless, convenient way to pay for their bus journeys. By simply tapping their contactless card or device on the bus each time they board, the contactless system does the hard work by adding up their journeys and charging customers based on their journeys during the day”.
This first phase of contactless payments is for adult pay as you go journeys, with contactless for other ticket types, such as students, groups, under 19s, short hops and even dog tickets to be made available in the next phase.
NCT are the first operator to offer contactless payments as part of the ‘Nottingham Contactless’ scheme, with the City Council’s Linkbus and NET trams to follow.
Once all operators are on board by early 2021, Nottingham Contactless will be the UK’s first multi-modal and multi-operator contactless system outside of London.
Full details about how to make contactless payments on NCT buses along with the prices, caps and zones for journeys and where to view transactions are available at www.nottinghamcontactless.co.uk
A sports car driver has had their fancy motor seized by police in Daybrook.
The motorist was first spotted by police doing some dodgy driving on Mansfield Road in Arnold.
He was then later found parked up on Sherbrook Road in Daybrook moments later by officers who ordered him out of the vehicle.
PICTURED: This Audi was seized in Daybrook
Police quickly discovered that the driver had already been banned from driving and shouldn’t have been behind the wheel at all!
A spokesman from Nottinghamshire Police said: “Officers attempted to talk to the driver at the roadside but he was in no mood to talk and tried to walk away from the cops. He was stopped, detained and searched were the cops found some class B drugs on him.
“This lovely motor has now been seized, whilst the driver has been reported for summons for all the offences.”
An alert has been issued after after a woman claimed she was scammed by two males offering driveway jet washes in Redhill.
The Neighbourhood Alert issued yesterday (September 28) warned residents to now be on their guard.
Two males knocked on woman’s door and offered to level, jet-wash and re-sand and seal her block-paving driveway.
It said the job wasn’t completed as agreed, her car was damaged during the work and they overcharged her – only accepting cash.
Bob Vaughan-Newton from Neighbourhood Watch in Gedling North said: “The woman felt intimidated, scammed and ultimately foolish but thankfully not too upset
“She said it was a lesson learned.
“I’m sure they have moved on to their next vulnerable target but please ensure that any vulnerable neighbours are aware.
