The firm has now revised plans for the ‘construction and operation of a hand car wash and valeting business to include construction of canopies and welfare building’ on the land, which currently stands empty.
The fresh plans address previous concerns around flood risk, visual appeal and access onto Burton Road.
PICTURED: Plans for a car wash on Burton Road have been submitted to Gedling Borough Council (IMAGE: GBC)
Russ Coughtrey, who is a member of the campaign group who opposed the original planning case, said they will again be opposing the plans, despite the changes being made.
He told Gedling Eye: “We are dismayed that this car wash proposal has come forward again and the soundings we have taken locally is that this concern is shared by the majority of residents locally who are worried about the impact this will have on their neighbourhood and overall quality of life.
“Having studied the planning application we see that what is being presented as a pared down operation in terms of size but the fact remains that it is still entirely unsuited facility for this location. Matters around, noise, visuals, the expulsion of waste water, wildlife protection and the health of the Ouse Dyke that borders the land all come to the fore. In addition the proposal sees vehicles throughout the day entering and exiting from a point of Burton Road that anyone locally can tell you is a dangerous bend with vulnerable school children walking past in both mornings and mid afternoons.
“As a campaign group we wish to make it clear that we are neither anti business or anti development and we would support a different development proposal that is more sympathetic to the location but a car wash facility is a poor fit.
“We will be vigorously opposing this proposal and we will be supporting our many friends and neighbours who want to do the same”.
The plans can be viewed on Gedling Borough Council’s website HERE
Bus services in Gedling borough will return to pre-covid-19 timetables from Sunday, June 28.
Nottingham City Transport(NCT) have said the frequency of buses throughout the borough will significantly increase, providing maximum capacity for people to be able to space out when they travel.
NCT also confirmed its NightBus routes will not be returning on this date.
Since lockdown was introduced on 23rd March, the number of people using NCT buses has fallen by 90%. The government is providing financial support to bus operators to enhance their services whilst passenger numbers increase as the lockdown restrictions are relaxed.
Announcing the changes, David Astill NCT Commercial and Operations Director said, “With restrictions being gradually relaxed and the government providing financial support to bus operators over the next few months, we are now able to return our services to normal from 28th June”.
He continued, “Customers returning to our services can travel safely by following the Safer Travel Guidance for Customers. This includes boarding one at a time, sitting in a window seat, washing or sanitising their hands regularly and by following the mandatory requirement to wear a facial covering on public transport from 15th June”.
NCT has also consulted with its recognised Unite the Union representatives. All Nottingham City Transport staff are being issued with updated guidance to enable them to keep safe in the work environment.
Customers must familiarise themselves with the Safer Travel Guidance at nctx.co.uk and can make use of NCT’s recently launched online “Capacity Checker” to see how quiet or busy their bus may be. This enables customers to plan ahead and avoid travelling at busy times.
NCT services 1, 26 and 49 will continue to operate as “exact fare only” like all other NCT services, with no change available from the driver.
A Mapperley man has been jailed for three-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to a car key burglary.
Ryan Unsworth, 26, entered a home in Teesdale Road, Nottingham, on the night of 6 April 2019, before taking car keys and driving off in the victim’s car. He also stole her phone during the burglary.
Unsworth also broke into a man’s car which was parked in Watnall Road, Hucknall, on 23 October 2019.
When the victim returned to his car he found his windows had been smashed and his phone, wallet and clothing items had been taken. The victim later discovered his cards had been used fraudulently.
Unsworth, of Redcliffe Road, was jailed at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (4 June 2020) after pleading guilty to charges of burglary and theft from motor vehicle.
He also admitted further charges of theft from motor vehicle, fraud by false representation, shop theft, attempted theft from motor vehicle, possession of cannabis and being carried in a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. These offences were committed between 10 October and 8 November 2019.
Detective Constable Matt Barnes, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Unsworth committed a series of offences over a short space of time, showing absolutely no regard for his victims.
“I’m pleased that he’s now been put behind bars for his crimes and hope it will bring his victims some comfort.”
Police have arrested two men after £2,800 of cigarettes were stolen from a delivery van outside a Mapperley store.
The cigarettes were taken in the incident outside Premier Stores on Woodborough Road at around 1pm on Thursday (June 4).
Officers made the arrests in connection with the incident yesterday after stopping a car that was believed to be using false registration plates on the A52 at Gamston. One of the occupants of the car ran off but was detained after a short foot chase.
Two men, aged 40 and 38, were arrested on suspicion of theft from a motor vehicle. The 40-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of driving without insurance or an MoT and using false plates. Both men have been released on police bail pending further enquiries.
Police have arrested two men
Detective Inspector Ruby Burrow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Officers quickly responded after the car was identified as having suspected false plates. Two men were arrested and have been questioned in connection with the theft and our enquiries are continuing.
“We would still like to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident outside the convenience store on 4 June, or may have driven past and have dash-cam footage. Please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 300 of 4 June 2020.”
‘The Family of Educators and Architects: Higginbottom Story” was published earlier this week and tells the story of William Higginbottom, who moved to Arnold in infancy and went on to create a number of the buildings we still know and love today.
Mr Massey, who runs history courses in the borough, said the architect was one of his local heroes.
He said: “There is a long-standing joke with the regular students on my local history courses, that no matter what the subject being discussed, it will not be long before I mention one William Herbert Higginbottom or a least one other member of the Higginbottom family.
PICTURED: Local historian Bob Massey
The cover of Bob Massey’s new book – out now
“I fully admit that William has become a bit of a hero of mine. He and his family are so intertwined within the history of Arnold that it would be almost impossible to teach a course on the history of the town without mentioning them at some point, their impact on Arnold and the surrounding area was so great. Much of this, however, is unknown to many as they were, to a large extent, operating in the background.
“My own interest in W H Higginbottom, in particular, came about while researching for the book on the cinemas and theatres that have existed in Arnold. He designed two of these buildings. I also discovered during my investigations that he designed my own house, so the scene was set so to speak. The more I explore my local towns past, the more the family crops up.
“I therefore felt it was time to write this short history of the Higginbottom family. While doing so it became somewhat obligatory to include some background on their beginnings, and other families including the Swifts and Spencers. This was all in order to understand the era they were living through. It’s impossible to tell this story in isolation.”
William Higginbottom created a number of iconic buildings around the borough that include Calverton Methodist Church, Daybrook Baptist Church, Empress Cinema in Arnold and Park House in Carlton.
He also created the war memorial in Arnot Hill Park, Arnold
You can Bob Massey’s new book from MSR News in Arnold, Floralands in Mapperley, Five Leaves bookshop in Nottingham, The Bookcase in Lowdham or by contacting the author via email at b.massey@gmx.com
I wanted to start with an update around ‘Operation Bion’ which is the forces response to the Coronavirus.
The relaxation of the some of the government restrictions along with the warmer weather has certainly resulted in increased demand across the area.
Officers are continuing with daily patrols and our approach to the government guidelines continues to be one of ‘Engage, Explain and Encourage’.
We have seen an increase in reported anti-social behaviour in some of our parks and open spaces over the last few weeks and we have been working closely with our colleagues at Gedling Borough Council to put plans in place to deal with this.
Tackling burglary remains a priority for neighbourhood police teams
For the rest of our teams it is very much ‘buisness as usual’ and a huge amount of proactive work has been undertaken over the last month with a number of arrests for drugs supply offences. Drugs supply will continue to be one of our priorities and we are planning further enforcement around this and the ‘buy in’ from the local community to help us identify offenders has been fantastic. Three teams of officers are working together on this project and the results including vehicle, drugs and cash seizures are very encouraging.
I wanted to touch on Burglary as this remains another of our local priorities. Earlier this month I joined the Gedling South team on patrol in Burton Joyce following a number of reported burglaries whereby sheds and garages had been targeted. We carried out a number of vehicle stops and high visibility patrols in the area before handing over to the Gedling Reacher team and our Specials who worked in the area over several nights to discourage offending. Officers also carried out patrols on the electric bikes to ensure maximum visibility in the area.
Gedling North NPT have continued with ‘Op Bion’ patrols over the last month which is the force’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The warmer weather has contributed to an increase in reported anti-social behaviour across the area especially with some of the government restrictions being relaxed.
On May 24, the Specials carried out a speeding operation on Longdale Lane, Ravenshead. 15 vehicles were stopped in total with 4 drivers issued tickets due to their excessive speed, whilst others were given words of advice.
The Specials are planning to set up similar operations across the area in the near future and we have been contacted by members of the public to suggest roads of concern.
CID officers are currently investigating an incident which occurred on May 29, at Bestwood Country Park. It was reported 3 men had been riding on their bikes when a man holding an axe approached one of them, hitting him in the head, shoulder and back in an unprovoked attack. The male then ran away from the scene. The victim suffered a cut to his head and body and was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre for treatment. Thankfully his injuries are not as serious as they could have been. An appeal has been made in the media for witnesses and the Neighbourhood Policing Team are conducting increased patrols in the area along with the Gedling Op Reacher team.
A drugs warrant was executed in early May at an address on Aiden Gardens which involved Neighbourhood Policing officers and also officers from the Tactical Support Unit. No one was arrested but a number of items were seized from the property. Further proactive drugs enforcement action is planned for the area over the summer.
Sergeant Helen Walker
TEAM UPDATE: CARLTON
The last four weeks have been very busy for the Gedling South team as Operation THISTLE went live to the public.
Having listened to the concerns of the residents, drug dealing was made a local priority for Gedling and with it OP THISTLE was created.
The operation is an ongoing proactive operation tackling drug use and supply in and around the Netherfield area. The Gedling south Neighbourhood policing team, supported by our proactive ‘Operation Reacher’ team, are committed to continuing this work to reduce drug-related crime and take robust action in response to community concerns such as drug-related crime. To date the operation has seen seven separate warrants leading to a large amount of drugs being seized and people arrested.
PICTURED: Drugs found after a vehicle stop in Carlton
As a result of the drugs enforcement we are also regularly locating stolen items and returning them to their rightful owners; An Op Thistle warrant in Netherfield identified stolen camping equipment taken from a NHS workers garage in Gedling. It was quickly returned and the offender has been charged with this offence.
The key to the success of this operation lies with residents being prepared to pass information to us so that we can assess, develop and take action. We have been overwhelmed by how our public have bought into the operation and shown the confidence to report their observations to us through the appropriate channels. I want to continue to offer reassurance that any provided will be taken in confidence by my officers and that we review every piece of information with a view to taking further action.
On Sunday, May 31, the Gedling Neighbourhood team responded to an incident on the team’s new electric bikes. The team were able to locate a suspicious male who happened to be wanted for burglary and criminal damage offences. The new bikes enabled the team to make a silent approach into the area and as such the male was detained before he was able to leave the area.
Sergeant Mike Ebbins
OPERATION REACHER
The Gedling Operation Reacher team are coming into their 6th month of existence in the Gedling Borough and we are hoping that the team are becoming familiar faces in the area.
Due to Covid19, we have not been as prominent on the community side of things as we would have hoped but we will strive to rectify this as normality returns in the future.
During the lockdown, we have been involved with Operation BION patrols. Engaging, Explaining and Educating the public of the importance of social distancing.
We have been carrying out additional patrols particularly in the Calverton area, Burton Joyce and lately in Newstead Abbey Park following the build-up of visitors after the relaxation of some areas of the lockdown.
Police have been carrying out additional patrols in Gedling villages
We have continued our community work by working in partnership with Gedling Borough Council at the Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton helping with the packing of food parcels for the vulnerable members of our community. We have supported supermarkets on our area such as Sainsburys, Arnold by assisting staff members who were marshalling the queuing of customers. These supermarkets have been very generous in donating food for key workers and the vulnerable. When normality returns we hope to have pop up stands in the entrance to the local supermarkets where we will be available for members of the public to meet and speak to us.
We have continued to seek out criminals using the roads along with road users committing offences under the Road Traffic Act. This has led to the arrest of individuals and on-going investigations for drug offences. It has also led to the seizure of numerous vehicles.
We have continued to work together with both the Arnold and Gedling Beat teams in executing warrants to reduce acquisitive crime and the supply of drugs in the area.
Nottingham City Transport has unveiled a new online feature allowing passengers in Gedling borough to see how busy their bus will be before boarding,
Available now on the NCT website – and coming soon to the NCTX Buses app – clicking on a bus icon on the map brings up additional information about the bus including its capacity and features of the bus (e.g. Wi-Fi, USB chargers).
The capacity information is initially being collected from customers, who are being encouraged to help each other, with those on the bus updating the capacity details in real time so those who are looking to travel can see how quiet or busy the bus may be.
In future updates, the bus firm said information will be provided using historic and real-time passenger counting data from the ticket machine.
You can access the map by clicking on ‘Routes & Timetables’ and then your service.
If you have Favourites saved, you can access the map through a departure board by clicking on a journey where the live counter is.
PICTURED: Red 44
Click on the bus route number and the additional information will show.
If no-one has previously shared capacity information for this journey, the information will show ‘unknown’ and this is where you can help other customers by telling them how busy the bus is.
Update the information by clicking on ‘Let other passengers know‘ and select the option which best describes the number of people on the bus.
You can change this information as the bus gets busier or quieter along its journey, by selecting Improve this information.
For those planning to travel…
Firstly, find your bus on the map.
You can access the map by clicking on Routes & Timetables and then your service.
If you have Favourites saved, you can access the map through a departure board by clicking on a journey where the live counter is.
Click on the bus route number and the additional information will show. This bus has been set by your fellow customers to have moderate capacity.
You can change this information as the bus gets busier or quieter along its journey, by selecting Improve this information.
Gedling Borough Council has sent a heartfelt thank you message to more than 500 people who signed up as volunteers as part of the borough’s pandemic response.
In April, the council opened the Giving for Gedling Humanitarian Centre to help those in need throughout the borough.
The council asked for volunteers to provide assistance preparing and distributing food parcels as well as carrying out neighbourhood checks and offering assistance to elderly and vulnerable residents.
Over 500 residents contacted the council to offer their help after seeing the request on the council’s website and social media pages.
To date more than 800 households have received support and 600 food parcels have been delivered to residents in need by volunteers and council officers. Other volunteers have been signposted to, and supported, organisations such as Age Concern and Autistic Nottingham.
As well as the support residents have received directly from the humanitarian centre, £25,000 has also been raised to support foodbanks throughout the borough.
The volunteers who put themselves forward were a mix of first timers and experienced volunteers, with many taking it upon themselves to check in with neighbours and shielding family members to make sure they were ok.
Amanda Wheldon, from Carlton, was one of the volunteers who has been supporting her community. After seeing the call out on the council’s Facebook page she got in touch and has been delivering food parcels through the local area.
Amanda said: “This was my first time volunteering but I felt I wanted to help in some way to support those in need and it was an absolute pleasure to help and support the community.
PICTURED: Food containers ready for delivery at the centre (IMAGE: Nicola Murphy)PICTURED: The Richard Herrod Centre played host to the Humanitarian Centre
“I’ve been delivering food parcels throughout the local area, as well as speaking to many of the people I visited to make sure they were ok and checking if they need anything else.
“It’s definitely made me feel more outgoing. I started out feeling a little nervous but the process really helped with my confidence and I’m keen to continue volunteering in the future.”
Nicola Murphy and husband, David, who live in Gedling, volunteered to cook meals in the kitchen at the centre after being forced to close their pub It’s Inn The Bank in Netherfield due to lockdown.
Mrs Murphy said: “”After myself and my husband David had to close our pub, being given the opportunity to volunteer to provide freshly cooked meals from the distribution kitchen at the Richard Herrod Centre for the local community has kept us busy.
“We have cooked approx 4000 meals so far and have met some amazing people who also are working here providing care packages in these uncertain times.
“Gedling Borough Council and all their staff have done an amazing job at getting the kitchen up and running in such a short space of time, and the local community have also provided donations – it’s all quite overwhelming”
Melissa Gossington, from Carlton, is another volunteer who has been helping the community. Melissa has previous experience volunteering for the Alzheimer’s Society and helping others is something Melissa was happy to do with the extra spare time she had.
Melissa said: “Volunteering just makes me feel happy, I can fit it in around working from home and I’ve enjoyed helping out the community, driving around to pick up and deliver food parcels.
It’s made me realise just how vulnerable some of the elderly residents in my community are and I just wish I could do more to help them, but it’s been important to follow the social distancing rules. The parcels have been full of good quality food items and freshly cooked meals, it’s been wonderful for many of the people receiving the parcels. I’m really glad I’ve been able to help”
Portfolio Holder for Communities, Councillor Gary Gregory said the council were ‘humbled’ by the response from teh local community.
He said: “The support we have had from residents who want to volunteer at the Giving for Gedling Humanitarian Centre has been nothing short of astonishing. We are very humbled by the response we’ve had from local people who want to help their communities.
“Staff from all over the council have been working alongside this fantastic army of volunteers to really make a difference to those who need it. I have no doubt that once things begin to return to normal, many of those who have offered their time and help will continue to look at ways to continue volunteering.
“Everyone at Gedling Borough Council would like to offer their sincerest thanks to those involved with this great cause and to all the wonderful volunteers who have given up their time to help our most vulnerable residents, we couldn’t do this without you.”
A popular cafe at Gedling Country Park will reopen tomorrow after being closed during lockdown.
Café 1899 will be reopen tomorrow (June 6) from 10am for takeaway drinks, breakfast cobs, snacks, cakes and bakes and trade until 3pm.
PICTURED: The cafe and visitor centre at Gedling Country Park
A spokesman for the outlet said: “Whilst we are keen to open, we still have to be mindful of our visitors, customers and staff safety. Therefore you will see new signage and guidance to adhere to whilst visiting the kiosk and a smaller team on site.
They added: “Please be aware that the Kiosk will be a cashless payment system until further notice. we would like to thank all our customers and we are looking forward to seeing you soon.”
Beware of doorstep traders selling fish – trading standards officers have warned.
Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards have received information that someone is going door-to-door selling fish and could now be targeting residents in Gedling borough.
A spokesman said: “We appreciate that there are genuine fish sellers in the area. However, in the past we have had reports of fish being sold in this way being overpriced, incorrectly stored and being mis-described.
“There have also been occasions when the fish has not been kept in chilled conditions.”
“Therefore, Trading Standards never recommends buying any goods at the door.”
