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‘Super council’ secret meeting details revealed

Gedling Eye Reporter
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‘Super council’ secret meeting details revealed

Details have emerged about what was said behind closed doors at a meeting to discuss plans for a ‘super council’.

Local media were banned from attending the talks at County Hall about the plan to abolish district and borough councils and create one or two ‘super councils’ for the whole county.

It was the second of the cross-party talks.

The BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service, which provides content for Gedling Eye, requested access to both meetings, but was denied on both occasions.

The Conservative-led Nottinghamshire County believes the plan could save between £20 and £30 million a year.

But critics say it would remove local decision making, and would end up costing more in the long-run.

Tuesday’s meeting was confidential, but one person who was in the room has spoken about what was said.

Councillor Jason Zadrozny is the leader of the Ashfield Independents, and is a county councillor.

He is also the leader of Ashfield District Council, and opposes the ‘super council’ plans which would spell the end of his district council.


He said: “They made it very clear that there’s not going to be a referendum, even if 100 percent of people in the consultation are against it.

“The status quo won’t even be consulted on, it will be ‘which super council option do you prefer?’

“But if the consultation is not done fairly, we are considering asking for a judicial review. Consultations have to be meaningful.

“They’ve also said they’re going to be paying people to come to focus groups. If you’re being paid then you’re going to give them the answer they want to hear.

“The whole consultation is a complete sham. They did it in Northamptonshire, and 67 percent of people were against it, but they still went ahead.”

However the council says it has not yet been decided what will be consulted on. This decision will be made at a public meeting in December after the first, less formal stage of the consultation which is due to start imminently.

They say the first phase of the consultation involves exploring alternative options, rather than looking at the status quo, but the second stage could yet include an option for people to say they don’t want the ‘super council’.

Anthony May is the chief executive at the council, and said: “The county council’s Policy Committee agreed that the format of the formal public consultation will be determined by Full Council at its meeting in December, as part of its consideration of the interim business plan for local government reorganisation and options for change.

“No decision about the content of the consultation will be taken until that time.

“We will be commencing some initial engagement work with stakeholders in early October.

“During this engagement phase, people will have the opportunity to express whether they wish to see the existing arrangements change or not.”

A complaint has been made to the Local Government Ombudsman about the decision not to allow media and the public into the meetings.

Man charged after theft of power tools from Netherfield

Gedling Eye
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Man charged after theft of power tools from Netherfield

A man has been charged following a theft of power tools in Netherfield

Shaun Michael Vince, 33, of no fixed abode, was arrested on Tuesday (September 25) evening following a shop theft in Teal Close in Netherfield.

Vince was also charged in connection with several robberies and thefts in Radford.

He has now been charged with two counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery and two counts of theft.


It relates to the following incidents:

– Robbery where victim was pushed from his bike before it was stolen in Denman Street Central, Radford on January 7.

– Robbery where a shop worker was threatened and a mobile phone was taken in Ilkeston Road, Radford on August 23.

– Attempted robbery and theft where an offender entered the shop again in Ilkeston Road and tried to threaten the owner but they fought back and he stole items on the way out.

– Theft in Teal Close, Netherfield where power tools were taken on Tuesday (September 25).

Vince was remanded to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on October 25, 2018.

Retailers on Carlton Hill unite to raise funds for local causes

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Retailers on Carlton Hill unite to raise funds for local causes

Retailers on Carlton Hill have teamed up to start raising funds for a number of local charities.

The Carlton Hill Retailers group are planning a fundraising event this Friday (28), which includes an auction, charity calendar launch and raffle.

Funds from the event will also go towards a new memorial bench project which aims to help remember memorable friends, customers and local characters from Carlton Hill who are no longer with us.

Many prizes up are for grabs in the raffle, which have been donated by local businesses.

Those taking part in the auction can bid for an array of gifts including a Versace handbag, exclusive photoshoot, bottle of Cava and use of a Yamaha motorcycle and many gift vouchers for local businesses.

The event is taking place Piginns Cafe Bar and begins at 5.30pm with the auction beginning at 7.30pm.

For more information contact Marie Jackson via email: piginns@hotmail.co.uk

MATCH REPORT: Morpeth Town 4-0 Carlton Town

Alan Murphy
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MATCH REPORT: Morpeth Town 4-0 Carlton Town

A second half barrage from Morpeth Town saw Carlton go down 4-0 in Northumberland.

The Millers had been good value for their share of the spoils as the sides went in 0-0 at the break but once the Highwaymen opened the scoring on 64 minutes there was only going to be one outcome.

The home side began well with the ever-dangerous Liam Henderson testing Jack Steggles early on.

Steggles, making his 150th start for the Millers, dealt with that comfortably and also saved a drive from David Carson as Morpeth pushed forward without a great deal of cutting edge.

The same could be said for Carlton, who had just Aaron Opoku up front and rarely threatened the Highwaymen’s goal.

Shortly before half time Kieran Walker made an excellent block away from the goal line from another Henderson drive while Stokes chipped an effort just over the bar as the half time whistle blew.

Morpeth continued to press early in the second half with Steggles doing well to tip a Tom Potter drive over the bar.



Carlton looked reasonably settled keeping the home side at bay and Walker headed a Connor Bartlett free kick over the bar as the Millers looked to steal a goal.

But it was always a question of keeping the home side at bay and Morpeth finally breached the Carlton defence on 64 minutes.  The Millers should have cleared a free kick from Ben Sayer.  They failed to do so and when Sayer sent a second ball into the box Iulian Petrache fired home from close range.

The dam breached it was then only a question of how many the Highwaymen would score.  They doubled their lead with 15 minutes to go when Sean Taylor slotted home following a through ball from Sayer.

Steggles made another save from Henderson before the striker was brought down by Walker, with Joe Walton converting from the spot.

With the game deep into added time Morpeth broke from a Carlton corner.  A lovely passing move saw Walton feed Henderson and the striker grabbed the goal his performance deserved.

The final score was harsh on Carlton, who competed well but ultimately looked limited against an impressive Morpeth outfit.

The Millers players came over to give generous applause to the small band of travelling supporters who had made the longest away trip in the club’s history.

Councillor from Carlton leading fight against plans to fast-track fracking in Notts

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Councillor from Carlton leading fight against plans to fast-track fracking in Notts

A councillor for Carlton is leading the fight against proposals by the Government to remove the need for fracking firms to gain local planning permission for test sites in the county.

Labour’s Cllr Jim Creamer, who represents the Carlton West ward, was joined by Conservatives on Nottinghamshire County Council in putting together a draft response to two Government consultations proposing the removal of the need for initial planning permission for testing, or exploratory work by fracking firms.

The response says that the effect of the proposed plans would “remove the local level of decision making and local accountability that communities expect”.

Fracking, or ‘hydraulic fracturing’ involves drilling small but deep holes in the ground, and then setting off explosions underground.

Shale gas which is trapped in the ground then escapes, and can be captured.

Companies looking to frack currently have to gain planning permission from the local authority before they can start test drilling to see if there is any gas there. The firm then requires the need further permission to extract the gas.

The Government hopes to remove the need for initial planning permission for testing, or exploratory work.

If gas is then found, they also wants any decision on whether to frack made nationally, rather than by the local council.

Cllr Creamer, who is also the Vice Chair for Planning for Nottinghamshire County Council, said he was delighted by the show of support from all political parties when drafting the response.

He said: “This represents a victory for local democracy at a time when it is seriously under threat. This consultation is the thin end of the wedge, and is something all authorities should consider, as it could be the start of an erosion of local decision making for vast array of planning matters, giving commercial interests an unfair advantage over the voices of local people.

“We are delighted that our Conservative colleagues in this administration saw fit to support our move to retain the ability to assess shale gas applications within the authority”

“We believe that local councils are always the best and most appropriate places to make decisions on fracking applications, not Westminster or Whitehall”.

A spokesman for the Government’s Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government, which is running one of the consultations, told BBC Local Democracy Reporter Kit Sanderman: “No one benefits from delays in planning decisions.  That’s why we are committed to planning reforms to help ensure quicker decision making on shale applications.

“We are holding early stage consultation on the principle of whether non-hydraulic fracturing shale exploration development should be treated as permitted development, and this consultation is currently in process. ”

Licensing scheme to launch in Netherfield to help clamp down on rogue landlords

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Licensing scheme to launch in Netherfield to help clamp down on rogue landlords

A new scheme that gives Gedling Borough Council powers to make privately rented homes based in Netherfield better for people to live in is to launch in October.

The scheme, known as Selective Licensing, will make it mandatory for landlords to have licences for each of their private rented properties in the Netherfield area.

The licence requires that landlords meet a minimum standard of accommodation for residents.  The council will work with landlords and residents to improve the area but where necessary use the licensing conditions and enforcement powers to bring about improvements.

Selective Licensing can be applied in areas where there is deprivation, high levels of antisocial behaviour, high levels of crime, high levels of migration and poor housing conditions. The licensing will give the council’s Environmental Health team powers to do more when landlords are not taking steps to deal with issues relating to property standards.

Consultation on the new scheme took place between October and December last year. Landlords and residents were consulted and 83 responses were received through the council’s website. The scheme was officially approved by Councillors in March 2018.

The council also consulted East Midlands Property Owners Group and the National Landlords Association to seek their views when developing the scheme. Local landlord accreditation provider Decent and Safe Homes (DASH) have seen a 500% increase in landlords, with properties in the borough, signing up to become accredited landlords.



The scheme goes live on  October 1 and landlords with properties in Netherfield must apply as soon as possible.

Each licence will cost £490 for landlords accredited with DASH and £640 for non-accredited landlords.

The scheme lasts for five years. The cost per property spread over the 5 year period is equivalent to £2.50 per week for each property. The council will not be taking enforcement action for failure to apply if applications are received by the 1 November. It is a criminal offence to rent out a property without a licence.

Portfolio Holder for Public Protection, Cllr David Ellis said: “I’m delighted that the scheme is going live in October, we’ve made sure that residents and landlords are aware of the new scheme and we will continue to support landlords to get signed up before the go live date.

“The standards set out in the scheme will improve housing conditions and property management in Netherfield. It will also have a longer term effect of reducing anti-social behaviour and crime which can be linked to areas with deprivation and poor living conditions.”

Giles Inman, business development manager at East Midlands Property Owners Group said: “We are very supportive of the introduction of this selective licensing scheme.

“By introducing it in one area first rather than the entire borough, it makes the scheme a lot easier to manage. Officers will also carry out further inspections during the five year process which will benefit tenants and ensure they are safeguarded.”

Corrie star opens new travel store in Arnold

Gedling Eye
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Corrie star opens new travel store in Arnold

Actor Alan Halsall swapped the cobbles of Coronation Street for the launch of a new Midcounties Co-operative Travel branch in Arnold this weekend.

Halsall, who plays much-loved character Tyrone Dobbs, joined colleagues, residents and the Mayor of Gedling Barbara Miller at the Front Street branch on Saturday (22).

Corrie fans flocked to the store to see Alan, who spent time talking with visitors and posing for photos, while many also took the opportunity to speak to the branch’s travel experts.

For Branch Manager Nick McCree and local Arnold resident Sarah de Costres, who between them have over fifty years of experience in helping people find the perfect holiday package, it was a chance to meet up with the local community whilst helping them book their dream trip.


Natalie Turner, Head of Branches at The Midcounties Co-operative Travel, said: “We’re so grateful to Alan for joining our celebrations in Arnold. It was the perfect way to open our new store, and we were delighted to see so many members of the community come along to welcome us.”

Nick McCree, Branch Manager at the Arnold store, said: “It was great that Alan joined our celebrations in Arnold. It was the perfect way to open our new branch, and we were delighted to see so many members of the community come along to celebrate the opening.

“Alan put a smile on lots of faces and it was the perfect way to start our journey in Arnold. We can’t wait to continue working closely with the local community in the coming weeks, months, and years.”

Cars broken into and valuables stolen from vehicles in Arnold

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Cars broken into and valuables stolen from vehicles in Arnold

A number of cars have been broken into in Arnold overnight.

Nottinghamshire Police are warning people not to leave anything in their vehicles after valuables were stolen.

A number of vehicles were targeted in the Darlton Drive and Ramsey Drive areas overnight between September 19-20.

Officers say that entry was gained without damaging the vehicles and various items were taken from within.


A police spokesman said: “With the evenings drawing in, please be extra vigilant and do not leave anything of value on show in your vehicles.

“If you do see anything suspicious occurring in your area, please do not hesitate to contact us on 101 or if an emergency, 999.

If you witnessed these incidents or have any information, please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 quoting incident 113-20092018 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Warning to Gedling borough residents over fake TV licensing scam email

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Warning to Gedling borough residents over fake TV licensing scam email

People in Gedling borough are being  warned not to be tricked into handing over their bank details by a fake TV licensing email doing the rounds.

A number of readers have been in touch after receiving the scam email which tells the reader they are owed a refund, or that your payment for the licence hasn’t gone through because your bank details are invalid.

The fraudsters then ask you to input your bank and card details, and use them to drain your accounts.

PICTURED: A copy of one of the scam emails doing the rounds (PICTURE: Action Fraud)

Links in the scam emails lead to clone versions of the TV licensing website, that will harvest your personal details.[irp]

Mapperley resident Bob Rowe contacted us over social media urging us to warn others about the danger of the scam.

He said: “I had this fake email from TV Licensing and nearly fell for it. It looks real. It’s only when I noticed a few typos I became alarmed and a Google search found other people had been having similar emails.

“It did make me worry that I owed someone money. I don’t think a real email would ask for bank details. I realise that now but came close to falling for it.”



UK scam-busters Action Fraud said it had also received hundreds of reports of these scam emails over the last few days.

https://twitter.com/actionfrauduk/status/1043063015720079360

It also warned that the emails and the way fraudsters are trying to extract your data keeps changing – ‘so be on your guard’ if you receive an email claiming to be from TV Licensing.

TV Licensing has put together this handy guide to help you spot the fake emails:

  • Check the email contains your name – TV licensing will always include your name in any emails they send you.
  • Check the email subject line – anything along the lines of “Action required”, “Security Alert”, “System Upgrade”, “There is a secure message waiting for you”, and so on, should be treated as suspect.
  • Check the email address – does the email address look like one that TV Licensing use? For example donotreply@tvlicensing.co.uk. Look closely as often the address may be similar.
  • Check for a change in style – often the scammers will take the real emails and amend them. Look out for changes in the wording used, especially if it seems too casual or familiar.
  • Check for spelling and grammar – are there any spelling mistakes, missing full stops or other grammatical errors?
  • Check the links go to the TV Licensing website – hover over the links in the email to see their destination and check the web address carefully. If you are not sure, go directly to the TV Licensing website.
  • Never provide details by email – TV licensing will never ask you to reply to an email and provide bank details or personal information.

Co-op to replace plastic bags at borough stores with ones you can compost

Gedling Eye
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Co-op to replace plastic bags at borough stores with ones you can compost

A supermarket chain is to ban single-use plastic bags at their stores across the borough and replace them with compostable alternatives within five years.

Today (22), the Co-op announced the move as part of plans to end single-use plastic in stores.

It wants to remove 60 million plastic carrier bags in a phased rollout and replace them with an environmentally-friendly alternative.

In place of the plastic bags will be a lightweight compostable alternative, which can be used to carry shopping home and then be reused as food waste caddy liners.

The new bags will be of the same size and strength as their plastic predecessor and also cost 5p.


These will be rolled out to almost 1,400 Co-op food stores, initially in towns, cities and villages where the bags are accepted in food waste collections.

Netherfield-coop
The Co-op’s pledge on plastic will see all its own-brand packaging become easy to recycle by 2023. It has promised to use a minimum of 50% recycled plastic in bottles, pots, trays and punnets by 2021.

All own-brand black and dark plastic packaging, including black ready meal trays, will be eliminated by 2020.

Jo Whitfield, Retail Chief Executive, Co-op, said: “The price of food wrapped in plastic has become too much to swallow and, from today, the Co-op will phase out any packaging which cannot be reused.

“The first step to remove single-use plastic, will be to launch compostable carrier bags in our stores. They are a simple but ingenious way to provide an environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic shopping bags.”

She added: “Our ban on single-use plastic is central to our new ethical blue-print. The Co-op was founded on righting wrongs, and we first campaigned to stop food fraud. Now we face huge global challenges and have created a recipe for sustainability to source responsibly, treat people with fairness and produce products which have minimal impact on the planet.

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