A 37-year-old man appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court today charged with four counts of robbery.
Aaron Bent, of Maycroft Gardens, Carlton, is charged in connection with four incidents of robbery, all occurring in Alfreton Road.
One of the incidents is in connection with a report of robbery made to police in October last year, where £100 in cash was taken from a victim.
The further three incidents occurred in December 8-10, 2019 during which a watch, a games console and personal items were taken from victims.
Detective Sergeant Nigel Malik, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Robbery can have a devastating impact on victims and we are committed to ensuring that our communities are protected from those who wish to exploit people in this way.
“Nottinghamshire Police thoroughly investigates all reports of robbery and will always look to take appropriate action against those who commit such offences.
“If you are a victim of or witness a robbery, please contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or in an emergency, dial 999.”
In a letter to Mr Randall, Councillor Payne urged the MP to write to Prime Minister Boris Johnson requesting he reinstates the scheme during the summer holidays after accusing the government of ‘taking away’ the vouchers from needy families.
Mr Randall responded and highlighted that the government had put in place a £9m summer holidays activity and food programme offering meals and activities to thousands of children – including many in the borough.
He also reminded the councillor for Arnold North and Redhill that the scheme hadn’t been ‘taken away’ as vouchers hadn’t been offered over the summer previously.
In the letter the Gedling MP assured Mr Payne that the scheme was ‘under review’ and said ‘he would take a close interest in the matter.
He wrote: “I understand that, in these rapidly changing circumstances, Ministers are keeping the provision of free school meals under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly”
Free school meal vouchers are to now be offered in the summer
it was today announced About 1.3 million children in England will be able to claim free school meal vouchers during the holidays, following a campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford.
In a letter to MPs posted online on Monday, the Manchester United forward drew on his own experience of relying on free school meals and food banks while he was growing up.
The footballer had asked others to think about struggling parents who have had their “water turned off” during the coronavirus lockdown, and whose children have gone hungry.
‘All children eligible for free school meals in term time in England will benefit from the “Covid summer food fund”, Downing Street said.
Following today’s announcement, Councillor Payne posted another letter online, which was critical of the MP’s response to calls for vouchers to be reinstated.
He wrote: “It is disappointing that you gave no assurances you would take the actions requested [in the previous letter] – a missed opportunity to speak up for the 2,570 families with children attending schools in Gedling borough.
Mr Randall is yet to respond to Councillor Payne’s latest correspondence.
A woman is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court this morning charged with theft.
Ailee Mullins, 36 and Christopher Paulson, 61, both of Frobisher Gardens, Arnold, are both charged with theft in connection with an incident at the Homebase store on Mansfield Road in Daybrook.
Officers were called to the store in the early hours of Monday, June 15 after reports of intruders. Mullins and Paulson were arrested were arrested shortly after the incident was reported to the police.
PICTURED: Nottingham Magistrates’ Court
Inspector Chris Pearson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Mullins was remanded in custody pending her appearance at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court via video link today. Paulson was released on bail pending a court appearance at a later date.
“Nottinghamshire Police takes theft very seriously and understand the damaging impact it can have on businesses in our communities.
“We are now working closely with Homebase to help prevent further incidents of this nature. If you are a victim of theft, please do not hesitate to contact us on 101 or in an emergency, always dial 999.”
The ‘game-changing’ new park and ride due to be built on the outskirts of Arnold is set to feature its own access road, plans have revealed.
The new site will aim to tackle congestion on the A60, which has been described as ‘one of the most congested in the country’.
Plans have been drawn up for a new access road from the park and ride, which would speed up bus journeys and prevent the current roundabout becoming more congested.
However it is understood this has not yet received the funding needed.
Instead the £6 million which has been secured will be spent on: building the park and ride (£2.4 million); installing new bus lanes in Arnold and Bestwood (£2.3 million); and prioritising buses from the A60 Cross Street to Sir Robinson Way (£1.3 million).
The Redhill roundabout where the park and ride will be built joins the A60 (Mansfield Road) with the A614, which itself is due for a major upgrade, with six roundabouts further north receiving upgrades totalling £18 million.
Now, the park and ride scheme has received Government funding, as part of a £160 million funding package for more than 50 transport upgrades throughout Nottingham, Derby and Notts.
Among these are a new footbridge over the Trent, a £20 million worth of improvements for pedestrians and cyclists around the Broadmarsh, and a new cycle route from Derby to Nottingham.
Designs submitted to the Government as part of the successful bid show the new park and ride could be built in what is currently fields to the west of the roundabout.
If additional funding is secured, a new connecting road would then be built to the south, through more fields, before connecting with Bestwood Lodge Drive.
Whether or not the further funding is secured, significant improvements will be carried out on Queens Bower Road, including a new bus lane, and the traffic lights at the junction with Oxclose Lane would be altered to give buses priority.
One of the two lanes on Oxclose Lane would also be converted to a bus-only lane heading into the city, in an effort to further speed up journey times from the park and ride.
The plans are still at a relatively early stage, although the receipt of funding from the Government is a significant boost for the project.
Any of the £6 million which is not spent on the scheme is likely to have to be returned to the Government, known as clawback.
The deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council, councillor Michael Payne, has campaigned for the new park and ride for several years, and said he was ‘delighted’ with the development.
He wrote to transport secretary Grant Shapps back in November supporting the scheme, saying: “I’m very aware that local residents are extremely concerned about traffic related issues, particularly in relation to congestion on the A60 Mansfield Road from Daybrook through Redhill towards Leapool Island and I strongly believe these proposals will help address some of these concerns, just as they will have a positive impact for those travelling in and out of the borough and the wider Nottingham conurbation.”
Speaking about the award of the funding, he said: “Any investment to help reduce congestion, improve safety and improve air quality along the busy stretch of the A60 Mansfield Road through Redhill and Arnold is hugely welcome.
“The creation of a bus park and ride facility at Leapool Roundabout in Redhill will help boost the local economy and hopefully begin to alleviate severe congestion at peak times. “I’ve long argued for such investment and I’m pleased to see this project move one step closer to fruition.“I will continue to work with local residents in Redhill and Arnold to ensure their feedback and views are heard by the County Council as the finer details of the scheme are brought forward.”
Councillor John Cottee, is the highways chief at Nottinghamshire County Council and said: “We are delighted that the City Council has been successful in being awarded the Transforming Cities funding and we are looking forward to working with them to deliver real sustainable transport solutions for the people of Nottinghamshire.
“This package provides real transport alternatives and options for county residents on what is at best a very congested highway corridor.”
The leader of Gedling Borough Council John Clarke said he had first raised the issue with former transport secretary John Prescott back in the 90s.
He said: “We welcome the news of the approval of the Redhill Park and Ride following the campaigning from our deputy leader and others.
“One of the council’s main priorities is to promote a more sustainable environment in our borough, which includes improving infrastructure and connectivity.
“The council has provided funding for the Nottingham Transport Cities Fund to support projects, such as the new Redhill Park and Ride, that provide more sustainable transport links to reduce congestion and improve air quality in the borough.”Categories: Transport
A man has been arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment following an incident at an address in Gedling in the early hours of this morning.
Officers were called to Besecar Avenue at around 1am on Monday (June 15) to a report of the incident within a residential property in the area.
Detective Constable Marie Platt is leading the investigation.
She said: “Officers were quickly on the scene following a call in the early hours of the morning where concerns were raised for the safety of a man and a number of others who were within the property at the time of the call.
Police were called to the address at 1am this morning
“Officers carefully engaged with the occupants of the address for more than four hours before recovering two knives and arresting the man as part of their enquiries.”
No-one was injured during the incident.
Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 25 of 15 June 2020.
A local conservationist is calling on Gedling Borough Council to stop accepting future planning applications from a major house builder until it does more to protect wildlife at its latest development in Netherfield .
Mark Glover, who is a trustee of Gedling Conservation Trust, wants the council to take action against Persimmon Homes, who are currently working on the new Rivendell development on Teal Close, until they do more to protect ecology at the site.
The developer is expecting two planning decisions to be approved by the council this week on the next stage of the development, which will lead to a further 300 homes being built.
It is estimated over 800 homes will be built at the site over the next few years.
Mr Glover claims the house builder’s future activities will potentially threaten an important area of wildlife because they have failed to comply with an existing and legally binding Section 106 planning agreement.
A Section 106 is a legal agreement between an applicant seeking planning permission and the local planning authority, which is used to mitigate the impact of new homes on the local community and infrastructure.
PICTURED: Mark Glover, left,
It is claimed that as part of the agreement to develop Teal Close, Persimmon would create an ecology committee and also ecology management plan to protect wildlife at the site.
Mr Glover claims neither a plan or committee are currently in place.
Mark told Gedling Eye: “Since the original planning permission was granted for development of the Teal Close site back in 2013, an area designated for an ecology park and football pitches has evolved into an important area for wildlife including ‘red list’ and priority conservation species.
“The original habitat surveys that formed part of the planning application were carried out more than seven years ago and are now redundant.
“The failure of Persimmon Homes to comply with the S106 planning agreement by not forming an ecology committee and producing a management plan is clear and blatant. I simply do not understand why Gedling Borough Council has not enforced this legally binding agreement which was triggered when building the houses at the site began.
“Loss of biodiversity is a national crisis and local authorities such as Gedling Borough Council have a statutory duty to take action to protect and enhance it.
“The council still has an opportunity to help remedy this situation and I sincerely hope it will take action and prevent an act of environmental vandalism.
He added: “It is a great shame that a company as rich as Persimmon Homes does not contribute more towards protecting the natural environment and, equally, that planning authorities such as Gedling are incapable of ensuring they carry out this function.”
Gedling Borough Council today responded to Mr Glover’s comments.
A spokesman said: “We have been working actively with Persimmon Homes to set up a unique Ecology Committee to provide a forum for the local community to discuss the management of the Ecology Park at Teal Close. The responsibility for establishing the Ecology Committee rests with Persimmon Homes but the council has ensured consultation takes place with members of the group, which includes the Gedling Conservation Trust.
“The first face to face meeting of the Ecology Committee was held in July 2019 and the council has played an active role in helping draft the terms and conditions of the group, which are now being finalised, in continued consultation with its members, including Gedling Conservation Trust.
“The council expects the next meeting of the Ecology Committee to take place next month and continues to be firmly committed to working with all members of the group and the local community to further progress plans for the Ecology Park and Ecology Management Plan.”
A spokesman for Persimmon Homes Nottingham said: “Discussions and work with various stakeholders has been, and is, ongoing with a draft plan for the management of the ecology of the site now complete.
“Persimmon Homes are to deliver a significant 10 hectare ecology park on the site and as such are working closely with Gedling Borough Council, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and a local interest group. This is a long-term project compliant with the existing Section 106 planning agreement.”
Officers from Gedling Borough Council will be visiting shop owners and businesses across the borough’s towns and high streets this week as part of its coronavirus ‘bounce back’ plans.
From Monday, June 15, due to changes in government restrictions, businesses across the borough can reopen, if it is safe to do so. Gedling Borough Council is offering its support to get businesses back open with a series of visits to the towns and high streets this week.
The council has said it wants to reassure residents that their local shops are safe to visit and that their town centres are ready for visitors.
As part of the reopening week, officers from the council’s street cleansing team will be carrying out ‘deep cleans’ in the town centres, this includes extra street cleansing as well as extra disinfecting and steam cleaning of benches, seats and other surfaces.
There will be an increase in neighbourhood warden presence in the town centres and villages during the week. The wardens will be monitoring the logistics of the social distancing measures in place and helping to make sure that there are no areas that could cause unnecessary pinch points or hotspots.
Over 550 businesses in the borough’s town centres and villages have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Officers from the council’s environmental health team will be visiting many of them to offer advice on how to reopen safely in accordance with the government’s ‘covid ready’ guidelines. The team have already made several visits to food outlets across the borough and have helped them to implement the changes to allow them to open to the public.
The council will be using a £100,000 grant to provide businesses with street markings and temporary banners displaying social distancing messages and measures as part of the reopening process. It will have access to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Reopening High Streets Safely Fund that is specifically being allocated to help businesses reopen safely.
In May, the council announced that it is creating two new job roles to support local small businesses and retailers with general business advice and guidance and to help them reopen in a way that is safe for them and for the public. They will be able to provide important information about the government’s recovery strategy as well as signposting business owners to the different funding opportunities and organisations available to help them.
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke: “Our priority as we begin the recovery process from this terrible virus is to support our local businesses and reassure residents that they can shop locally and that it is safe to do so. This week we will have a presence in our borough’s main centres and shopping precincts to help support businesses on how to reopen safely and we will be there for residents who have any questions, whilst adhering to social distancing measures.
This week of activity will be the start of a process to get local residents back in their local shops and stores and, by working together, we can support our local economy to bounce back. If any businesses and residents have any concerns, please get in touch with us and we will do what we can to help.”
Police have arrested two suspects following more than a dozen break ins at a Homebase store in Arnold over the last three months – and more than £16,000 of goods have been stolen.
A man and woman are now in police custody following reports of plant theft early this morning from the store on Mansfield Road in Daybrook
They were arrested following reports of potential intruders at the store in the early hours of this morning.
A police spokesman said:” The Gedling Specials Pro-active Team received a 999 call in the early hours of this morning (June 15 ) and officers were quickly dispatched.
“A 36-year-old female and a 61-year-old male was detained near to the scene and subsequently arrested on suspicion of burglary.
“A number of plants and flowers were recovered from the location and further items recovered from a nearby address.
Gedling Specials were called to reports of intruders at the store
They added: “Both currently remain in police custody where they are expected to be interviewed in relation to the incident later today.”
Gedling Neighbourhood Inspector Chris Pearson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “There has been a series of reported burglaries at the Homebase store in Arnold over the last twelve weeks, with an estimated £16,000 worth of goods stolen from the business during lockdown.
“Our officers acted incredibly quickly to make two arrests near the scene in connection with the latest report, the woman and man are now being questioned on 12 similar reports of burglary at the store in total.
“Burglary can have an incredible financial cost to businesses and, as a result, we work closely with local site security managers to ensure that we can respond quickly to reports as they are made to us.
“Thankfully, in this incident, we were able to arrive at the scene and prevent further items from being stolen.
“Our Specials Team in Gedling do a fantastic job and their hard work in the community does not go unnoticed. We will now work closely with Homebase to take steps to protect their business from further criminal activity.
“If you spot something suspicious or are a victim of burglary, contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101. In an emergency, you should always dial 999.”
Residents at Coppice Lodge care home in Arnold were ‘transported’ to a sunny beach resort last week during their latest pop-up restaurant event.
Each month, without having to lift a finger or pack a suitcase, residents are able to experience different dining experiences from around the world and due to the UK’s recent Mediterranean weather, a trip to Costa Del Coppice Lodge was arranged.
On the menu, residents had a choice of burgers, mini pizzas, chicken, chips and salad and for dessert a traditional Angel Delight topped with chocolate. To quench the residents’ thirst, staff served fruity spritzers throughout the afternoon.
The themes for the pop up restaurants are discussed and voted for by residents at monthly committee meetings, and they have so far enjoyed the taste of China town, Mexico City, Italian, traditional Irish and even a classic 1940’s British afternoon tea. However, on this occasion staff wanted to give the residents a special surprise treat and the idea for a day at the beach was born.
PICTURED: A resident enjoys the beach-themed pop-up restaurant
Staff set to work to decorate the spacious dining, lounge and garden areas in the beach theme, including brightly coloured cushions, deck chairs, seaside inspired bunting, inflatables, a rowing boat and even a hand painted beach mural on the fence to complete the look.
Residents enjoyed listening to their favourite songs from the 60’s and spent the afternoon dancing, singing and most importantly having fun.
86 year-old resident, Brenda Topping, said, ‘Every month we have the most fantastic pop up restaurants, but I think the staff have outdone themselves this time! They have thought of every detail and it was the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon!’.
Barbara Whittaker, who has lived at Coppice Lodge since 2016, said, ‘This was a brilliant way to spend the day, I really enjoyed the music and can’t wait for our next pop up restaurant, it is something fun and exciting to look forward to – seeing how the staff will top the last, and they do!’.
Home Manager, Samantha Kavanagh, said, ‘We have had such a wonderful afternoon, it really felt like we had been to visit the beach!
“Our team are super creative and always decorate our lounges and dining areas with such fine detail, it is very impressive. I am so pleased to hear how much our residents enjoyed themselves and I look forward to next month as we visit… Greece!’.
Gedling MP Tom Randall has praised the economic support measures taken by the Government.
Mr Randall praised what he called ‘unprecedented’ economic support to protect jobs and businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak.
The MP said 11,400 jobs have been protected through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, with Government grants covering 80 per cent of people’s wages, up to £2,500 a month.
3,200 self-employed people across Gedling are receiving grants worth a total of £9,600,000 from the Government to help with the impact of Coronavirus.
PICTURED: Chancellor Rishi Sunak
He claims 559,100 people have been supported through the furlough scheme and 153,000 self-employed people are receiving income support grants worth 444,000,000.
“This is a hugely challenging time for people and businesses, and the Government’s schemes have helped to protect the livelihoods of thousands of people in Gedling,” said Mr Randall.
“This country has a world-leading economic response to coronavirus. And as we move through the second stage of our roadmap to recovery, we are determined to kick-start the engine of our economy while continuing to provide flexible support to those who need it.
“We will do everything we can to ensure people can pay their bills and put food on the table – as people continue to stay alert, to control the virus and save lives
