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Universal Credit scam threat to ‘working age’ people in Gedling borough

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Universal Credit scam threat to ‘working age’ people in Gedling borough

A warning is being issued to those of working age in Gedling borough about a new Universal Credit scam leaving people out of pocket.

The scam hitting the area sees residents being contacted by scammers who then claim to be able to offer them low-cost government loans.

Fraudsters are then using the victims personal details to apply for Universal Credit and then request a substantial payment — taking a cut for themselves.

The victim’s current benefits are then stopped as a result and replaced by Universal Credit.

They are then forced to pay back the phoney loan using future Universal Credit payments. The scammers then have access to their benefit and banking accounts.

scam-online

Police have now issued a warning about the scam, which they say is prevalent in the north west, urging people not to give out their personal or financial information to anyone they don’t know.

A recent post shared by police on Twitter says: “Trading Standards have been made aware of a scam being operated across the UK.

It adds: “The scam is targeted at anyone of working age. Never give personal or financial information to anyone you do not know.”

If you are targeted by this scam then you are urged to report it to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 03001232040.

What is Universal Credit?

Universal credit is a new benefit for working-age people which replaces six benefits and merging them into one payment:

  • income support
  • income-based jobseeker’s allowance
  • income-related employment and support allowance
  • housing benefit
  • child tax credit
  • working tax credit

The Universal Credit system was designed to make claiming benefits simpler.

A single universal credit payment is paid directly into the claimants’ bank account to cover all of the benefits for which they are eligible.

Claimants then have to pay all of their costs such as rent out of the universal credit payment (though there is a provision for people who are in rent arrears or have difficulty managing their money to have their rent paid directly to their landlord).

Do you have a local story for the Gedling Eye online news team? Email us at news@gedlingeye.co.uk or you can send us a WhatsApp message on 07958532672

Specialist youth workers to help tackle knife crime in Gedling

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Specialist youth workers to help tackle knife crime in Gedling

Specialist youth workers are being recruited in an effort to prevent knife crime in Gedling borough

A third of a million pounds is being spent on the plan by Nottinghamshire County Council between now and March 2021.

With close co-ordination with Nottinghamshire Police, the workers will aim to use intelligence to target young people they believe may be at risk of becoming involved in knife crime.

There will be four full-time youth workers working across Nottinghamshire, including Gedling.

31 three-hour staffed sessions at youth centres throughout the county.

The project is being run by Nottinghamshire County Council and aims to expand on the services already run by its youth service and youth clubs.

A report on the issue of knife crime said the workers will “target the most vulnerable and challenging young people with focused youth work programmes, which concentrate on their interests, which may include sports, music, and creative arts, taking them into a different environment and providing a bespoke learning experience”.

The leader of the council, Conservative councillor Kay Cutts, who represents Radcliffe-on-Trent, said the council had taken a “holistic look at knife crime, which I think all of us are appalled by almost every day of the week when something dreadful happens somewhere in the country”.

County_Hall_Nottingham
PICTURED: County Hall

The leader of the Ashfield Independents, Councillor Jason Zadrozny, added: “Obviously I welcome this. Knife crime is an abhorrent plague.

“I do think this is a bit of a sticking plaster. Over the last five or six years the council has taken an axe to youth services, and youth clubs are few and far between.

“So while I do welcome this, I think we need to think about what we can do to bolster the full youth service to see if we can engage more young people in a constructive way.”

Councillor John Peck, who represents Sherwood Forest for Labour, said: “It’s going to have to be much more long term that this. These things take a long time to filter through. It’s not something you can do for a couple of months and forget about, it has to keep going.”

Chris Barnfather, who represents Newstead for the Conservatives, said: “It’s important we do our utmost to maintain (current) youth services, and it’s important that we encourage to make more funding available in order to not only support the current provision, but also to try to increase that.”

Paddy Tipping, police and crime commissioner for Nottinghamshire, added:  “It is so important that young people understand that carrying a knife is not clever but very dangerous and the earlier we can make sure that they know that, the better.   

“This is a very positive move and demonstrates that we are all working together to tackle knife crime in Nottinghamshire.”

Pink sticker reminder for garden waste collection customers from Gedling Borough Council

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Pink sticker reminder for garden waste collection customers from Gedling Borough Council

Gedling Borough Council are reminding people across the borough are being reminded that garden waste bins will soon only be collected if displaying a pink sticker.

The stickers have been issued by the council and inform waste collection teams that the household has paid for their garden waste to be removed.

If the sticker is not displayed then the bin will not be emptied.

The sticker issued by Gedling Borough Council

If you haven’t yet received your sticker then contact the council by visiting http://socsi.in/Waste_form_VrwlF

The popular garden waste service is run by Gedling Borough Council and costs £36 per year (April 1 – March 31). Any additional buin wanted is £18 per annum.

For this fee the council will collect your hedge trimmings, leaves, grass cuttings, plants and weeds from your doorstep every two weeks.

You can sign up to Gedling Borough Council’s scheme here: https://www.gedling.gov.uk/rubbish/gardenwaste/

Disney swim sessions to launch at pools in Arnold, Carlton and Calverton this June

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Disney swim sessions to launch at pools in Arnold, Carlton and Calverton this June

A number of swimming baths across Gedling borough are launching Disney-inspired family fun swim sessions from next month.

The new sessions, which launch on June 1, are designed keep the kids healthy, happy and active over the summer.

Each 45 minute session provides endless family fun and kids learn a key life skill. The sessions are perfect for 3 – 11 year olds and will take place on Saturday mornings.

The sessions launch with Disney/Pixar’s most-loved characters from upcoming release of Toy Story 4 including Buzz and Woody and the rest of the gang.

Sessions will be available for 12 months and will include further releases from Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Friends in October 2019 and Disney’s Frozen 2 in February 2020.

The sessions will be delivered by a trained Activator and available at the following pools in Gedling borough:

Carlton Forum Leisure Centre

Arnold Leisure Centre

and Calverton Leisure Centre

Session times and prices will vary by location so contact your nearest leisure centre for more details.

You can also sign up on the Swim England website and have the chance of winning Disney goodies in their weekly prize draw.

You can sign up at the Swim England website here: https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/disney/

Papplewick and Linby Cricket Club stalwart goes into bat as new Nottingham County Council chairman

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Papplewick and Linby Cricket Club stalwart goes into bat as new Nottingham County Council chairman

A popular coach and player at a cricket club in Papplewick has started a new innings as chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council.

Cricket-nut Councillor Kevin Rostance was unanimously elected to the position by fellow councillors at the County Council’s Annual General Meeting. 

Councillor Stuart Wallace was elected as Vice-Chairman.

Having played since his school days, Kevin is an avid cricketer and has been involved with Papplewick and Linby Cricket Club for the past 18 years, both coaching and playing and is still eager to put on his whites when called upon!

Councillor Rostance said: “It is an absolute honour to be going into bat as Chairman of the County Council and I am delighted to represent the county where I have lived and worked all my life.

PICTURED: New NCC chairman Cllr Kevin Rostance

“I am sure I will have to deal with the odd bouncer or two when I’m chairing Full Council meetings, but as long as everyone is shaking hands at the close of play, I will be happy!”

Kevin has been a county councillor since 2009, and a district councillor at Ashfield District Council since 2015.

Commenting on his selection of the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association as his chosen charity for the year, he said: “A family friend has been diagnosed with MND and I’ve seen at first hand the devastating impact the illness can have on someone and the people around them.

“The MND Association works tirelessly to improve care and support for all those impacted by what is an extremely cruel condition. I hope local people will help me raise some money and awareness of MND.”

To donate to the Chairman’s charity visit his Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nottsccchairmanappeal

Carlton Academy extension to create 300 new secondary school places in Gedling

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Carlton Academy extension to create 300 new secondary school places in Gedling

A multi-million pound extension to Carlton Academy which will provide 300 new secondary school places in Gedling has been approved.

It will help take the extra pressure for school places expected from the new Teal Close and Chase Farm developments, which will see hundreds of homes built in the area.

In recent months, several politicians and community groups have raised concerns at what they see as a looming shortfall of school places in the Gedling area, particularly at secondary level.

Angry parents recently met with politicians and councillors to discuss the shortage

But as the funds for the Carlton Academy extension were approved at a meeting on May 22, a leading Conservative politician said the move should “put to bed” what he called a “myth” which had been created about the lack of places.

“Over the last few months there’s been much hype in Gedling about the lack of school places in the Gedling area,” said Councillor Chris Barnfather, who is the leader of the Conservative Party in Gedling.

“By no coincidence, of course, on May 2 there were district council elections. Surprisingly in the run up to those elections we heard much from colleagues in Gedling about the potential lack of school places, which caused some alarm, distress and upset to parents with children who were approaching the secondary age transfer.

PICTURED: A recent meeting was held giving parents the chance to discuss the shortage of school places in Gedling borough

“This once and for all dispells that myth, although of course there isn’t an election imminent on a local level, so one would suspect that all that upset, all that hype, all that fear that was being propagated will now disappear.”

The money, a total of £2.9m, will be spent to increase capacity over the next five years, after the move was unanimously approved by Nottinghamshire County Council.

A council report said: “The Carlton Academy sits in the Carlton area of Gedling alongside Carlton le Willows which is a standalone secondary trust. These are high performing popular secondary academies in a densely populated area.

“There are two large housing developments in progress in the area at: Teal Close in Netherfield and Chase Farm in Gedling.

“At completion it is expected that these developments will contribute an additional two forms of entry (300 secondary students) over the next five academic years (by 2025) in the planning area.”

However, the council acknowledged the school was oversubscribed in the short term, and said “immediate work” was needed in time for the 2019/20 academic year.

The report said: “In the short term, Carlton Academy agreed to admit significantly over its Published Admission Number (PAN) of 170 in the 2018/19 academic year to admit 235 Year 7 pupils for September 2019.

“This has ensured that in September 2019, linked and catchment children who expressed a preference for The Carlton Academy have secured a school place.

“As a result, immediate work on the site is essential to provide the necessary classroom and specialist areas during the 2019/20 academic year and up to 2027.

“This would require revision should the pace of house building increase, or the base population figure also increases higher than currently projected.”

Venues in Gedling borough to be hit with plastic straw ban

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Venues in Gedling borough to be hit with plastic straw ban

Plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds will be banned in venues across Gedling borough from next April as the war against plastic pollution ramps up.

Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, has confirmed a ban on the supply of the items from April 2020 after a recent consultation revealed “overwhelming” public support for the move.

Once the plastic straw ban comes into force, food and drink outlets will be unable to display them or provide them to customers.

The only exceptions include those who need to use plastic straws for medical reasons or a disability will be able to buy them from registered pharmacies or request them in restaurants, pubs and bars, and the use of plastic-stemmed cotton buds for medical and scientific purposes.

Mr Gove said: “Urgent and decisive action is needed to tackle plastic pollution and protect our environment.

“These items are often used for just a few minutes but take hundreds of years to break down, ending up in our seas and oceans and harming precious marine life.

As well as helping the environment, it is hoped that millions of pounds could be saved annually on clean-up efforts of used plastics.

A number of venues across the borough have already stopped offering plastic straws to customers.

Last year It’s Inn The Bank in Netherfield announced plastic straws wouldn’t be on offer with a biodegradable alternative being available instead.

FINAL STRAW: It’s Inn The Bank pub landlord David Murphy only offers biodegradable straws to customers

Wetherspoons venues like The Free Man in Carlton, The Woodthorpe Top in Mapperley and The Ernhale in Arnold have also stopped handing out plastic straws with drinks.

A disability charity has now praised the ban, saying the new laws clearly take into account the needs of disabled people.

Lauren West, from Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: “Plastic straws are sometimes the only type of straw that work for disabled people due to their flexibility and ability to be used in hot and cold drinks.

“We’re pleased the government has recognised this in its proposals put forward today.”

Money offered to refurbish mining memorial in Calverton

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Money offered to refurbish mining memorial in Calverton

The memorial has been in place for well over 10 years and some of it now requires refurbishment.

Malcom Jarvis, who was involved when it was established, particularly with the bench, has offered to finance the renovation of the plaque on the seat.

Mr Jarvis is also keen to create a record of reminiscences of Calverton particularly of 50 or 60 years ago when many families moved to the village. Memories, not just of the colliery, but schools, shops, friends and neighbours, playgrounds, clubs, societies and any other recollections.

If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please phone 0115 9654843 or email pressoc@ntlworld.com

Folk museum

Situated on Main Street next to the Baptist Church and housed in a four-roomed, Grade II listed, 18th. Century cottage, the Museum opened in 1974 and has a variety of displays depicting local history and heritage. 

PICTURED: Visitors to the Calverton Folk Museum

As well as a kitchen and bedroom from about 100 years ago and a variety of objects relating to local coalmining, farming and education, the principal display is devoted to William Lee. He lived in Calverton and invented the Hand Knitting Frame in 1589. This was the start of a world-wide hosiery industry in which today’s computer-controlled machines still make use of Lee’s technology. 

The Museum is open on the last Sunday afternoon of every month April to September from 2:00 pm to 4:00pm.  Admission is £2 for adults and 50p for children up to the age of 16.

New heritage tree register for Nottingham

St George’s Trust for Conservation believes any tree that forms an important part of the landscape, whether in towns or countryside, should receive special protection.

The trust is seeking entries from individual members of the public on behalf of old trees which hold a special place in people’s hearts or may be becoming rare or endangered. This may include trees in someone’s garden or on a verge, any information about all old trees and especially old fruit trees, which are becoming rare, would be welcomed.

Planning matters

At a recent Gedling Planning Committee meeting, despite many concerns being submitted by the Pres Soc, Parish Council and numerous local residents, Planning Officers recommended that Councillors conditionally approve the application for the demolition of the existing dwellings and outbuildings and the erection of up to 84 dwellings on land to the west side of Flatts Lane.

Two proposals, one to build 20 dwellings on the former carpark at North Green and the other the demolition of an existing cottage and erection of 10 dwellings and 2 retail units next to the Library at 34 Main Street may be considered at a Planning Committee meeting in June.

In brief…

Apparently the road works (traffic lights and all) to lay a gas main which  has been taking place from the west end of Main Street along Hollingwood Lane, Collyer Road, Park Road to Mansfield Lane looks likely to continue during the summer till August!

Further traffic disruption is possible in the village when Oxton Lane (B6386) is closed at various times for carriageway repairs during the period from the middle of May to the end of June.

An application made to Gedling BC for change of use of a business unit for a MOT test station and service centre at Daleside Park, Park Road, has been given conditional permission.

OPINION: Wildflowers aren’t dangerous invaders from outer space like many fear on Twitter

Gedling Eye Reporter
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OPINION: Wildflowers aren’t dangerous invaders from outer space like many fear on Twitter

I love wildflowers, herbs, trees and meadows in a natural setting, or created in gardens, but it appears I’m in a minority.

It seems most people view wildflowers as ugly weeds that will take over the world, and in the case of one individual on Twitter, that they will release ‘spores’ and start moving.

Even at the bastion of stuffy old-fashioned middle-class gardening, the Chelsea Flower Show, several people on television have mentioned the beauty of wildflowers, natural looking gardens and that, heaven forbid, weeds may not be all that bad after all!

Worryingly, these natural looks and using plants that have not had the ability to self-seed bred out of them are seen by the presenters as this year’s “trend and style”. Don’t worry, next year we can go back to fertilisers, weedkillers and bonkers hybrids! 

Unfortunately things are not helped when the leader of our local Gedling Borough Council berates Nottinghamshire County Council for not blasting all weeds with chemicals. It’s as if they are dangerous invaders from outer space.  Hey, let’s just destroy all greenery and flowers unless someone has actually bought them from an expensive garden centre and planted them!

https://twitter.com/GedlingLeader/status/1129822103220510720

Of course, there is a multi-million pound gardening industry built on trying to grow plants in the wrong place, urge you to destroy others with weedkillers and sell you endless landfill-bound products you don’t really need to garden.

There is no excuse for councils setting a bad example by bowing to pressure from a few, overly fussy individuals.

There’s a lot of stuff on Twitter about less mowing and not using weedkillers. I use a manual lawnmower to mow around patches of wildflowers in my lawn, but most people get out an electric or petrol mower and try to produce a bowling green on their patch. I could do more – we all could – but I imagine the neighbours would then complain!

However, there is no excuse for councils setting a bad example by bowing to pressure from a few, overly fussy individuals. So maybe we all should start complaining to the council when we see a mower before the autumn on public land, other than picnic or sports areas.

I find it hard to believe that these people have not seen any press or television concerning the severe environmental problems we face. The council would also save money too.

Another concern is the use of weedkillers on public spaces such as parks and schools where children play. I have seen it with my own eyes: spraying weedkillers just before the children come out to play. Weedkillers should not be used unless to control invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed.

As part of the whole issue of climate emergency and loss of wildlife, it would seem an easy win to green up our urban environment, towns and public spaces with wildflower meadow verges and gardens, not mention hedgerows, orchards and trees. I don’t mean expensive bureaucratic schemes such as inert living walls run by private companies making lots of money either.

Unfortunately, near me trees are going to felled, affecting the local nature reserve in order to build 400 new houses.

I don’t have the answers, but doing something different in our own gardens may help change perceptions over time.

You can read Howard’s blogs here: https://botanicalli.blogspot.com/

Arnold Leisure Centre to close for urgent repairs

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Arnold Leisure Centre to close for urgent repairs

Arnold Leisure Centre is to close next month for repair work.

The work will be carried out to ‘protect the long term future of the building.

The pool will be shut from Monday, June 3 until Sunday, June 16 – and will reopen again On the morning of Monday, June 17 at 7am.

The details about the Arnold Leisure Centre refurbishment were shared earlier today on the Gedling Leisure twitter account.

A spokesman for the leisure centre said: “We apologise for any disruption during this time.

“We will be closing for essential repairs to be carried out to protect the long-term future of the building. “

The Bonington theatre and cinema will remain open during this time.

The venue confirmed they wouldn’t be affected by the temporary closure of Arnold Leisure Centre in a tweet earlier…

https://twitter.com/thebonington/status/1130834571799486469
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