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Plans that would see Gedling Borough Council abolished set to go to vote this Thursday

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Plans that would see Gedling Borough Council abolished set to go to vote this Thursday

Plans that could lead to the abolishment of Gedling Borough Council are set to go to a vote this Thursday.

If approved, it will be the first formal step in a process which would see all district and borough councils dissolved.

At Nottinghamshire County Council, the ruling Conservative Party is in an informal coalition with the Mansfield Independents, and only has a slim majority.

The vote comes after the leaders and chief executives of the seven district and borough councils met today (July 9) to discuss the plans.

Supporters of the proposed change – known as a unitary council – say it would save taxpayers money by removing duplication.

However opponents say it would be bad for democracy, and would remove local decision making.

The vote, which will be taken at a full council meeting on Thursday (July 12) is expected to be close.

At least two councillors from the ruling coalition are understood to be considering voting against the plan.

Since 2017, the Conservatives have run the authority in partnership with the Mansfield Independents. Together they have an overall majority of just two councillors.

PICTURED:  Cllr Kay Cutts

Labour makes up the second-largest group, and is expected to vote against the proposal.

To win, and to progress with the plan, Conservative leader Councillor Kay Cutts is likely to need the support of the Mansfield Independent Group.

The four Mansfield Independent councillors are set to meet tonight to discuss the plans.

However they are not ‘whipped’, meaning each councillor is free to decide for themselves how to vote.

Their leader, Stephen Garner, would not be drawn on which way he would vote, but has previously said he supports unitary authorities.

He said he was “90 percent sure” how he was going to vote, but was waiting to listen to arguments from both sides before deciding.

He declined to comment further.

Nottinghamshire County Council also declined to comment ahead of the upcoming meeting.

Councillor Kay Cutts, who represents the  Radcliffe-on-Trent Ward, and is the council leader, has previously said she “wants to get on with” the plan to create a unitary authority.

Councillor John Clarke, leader of Gedling Borough Council, said he was against the proposals.

He said: “I’m against the unitary authority because I think it’s much too big. We will resist any such take over.

“If I thought it was a good thing for the people of Gedling then I would go for it, but we’re doing some good stuff as a small authority and I want to keep working on that.”

As well as the plan to create a unitary authority, county council bosses are also working on a seperate scheme to bring together other authorities in the East Midlands to work more closely.

Arnold councillor slams plans to increase social care charge for disabled people

Gedling Eye
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Arnold councillor slams plans to increase social care charge for disabled people

A councillor for Arnold has slammed plans by a council to increase the amount disabled people are charged for social care.

Nottinghamshire County Council today said they had approved the plans in a bid to help find some of the £54 million in savings which they have to find by 2022.

The proposals were approved today (July 9) by the council’s social care committee, and an eight-week consultation will now be held.

The changes affect how much of their disability benefits people will be able to keep before the council asks them to contribute towards their care.

Before the changes, people with disabilities were allowed to keep £189 a week after rent to cover all expenses, including bills and food.

It is not yet clear how much they will be allowed to keep before being charged by the county council, but for some people it could go down by £57 per year.

The council says the changes will mean an additional 867 people will be charged for their care, and that the scheme would save £3,873,000 a year.

PICTURED: Cllr Muriel Weisz

But Councillor Weisz, who represents the Arnold South ward for Labour, said the scheme shows councils are not receiving adequate funding from the central government.

Cllr Weisz said: “This proposal is to reduce the level of income that adults can keep before they contribute to their care costs.

“It includes the suggestion that for adults below 65 the amount is reduced by approximately £57 per week.

“I’ve heard from many families who have been very anxious about this for several months.

“We all know that these families have regular additional expenses when they are caring for family members with complex needs, for example, wear and tear on clothes, special diets, transport costs, and frequent hospital visits.

“Adults with complex needs are living much longer now, even compared with 30 years or so ago, and this decision is pushing those already vulnerable people into a downward spiral of poverty, which they will have to face for many years ahead.

“Underlying this issue is a very real need for this Conservative government to act quickly and positively to acknowledge that almost half of adult social care budgets are required to support younger adults.

“Local authorities need adequate funding from the government. It’s not acceptable that we tackle our funding gap on the backs of people least able to speak out and advocate for themselves.”

Councillor Stuart Wallace represents the Newark East ward for the Conservatives, and leads the committee which made the decision today.

He said: “We are needing to meet the increasing social care needs of local people as we are all living longer.

“At the same time the council is experiencing a reduction in its overall budget from central government and as a result needs to save a further £54m savings over the next few years.

“We are reviewing the way we charge for adult social care services, although more local people (54 percent) currently don’t pay a contribution towards their care compared to those who do.

“We will be consulting the public on revising the minimum amount of weekly income a person has to cover their living costs when working out how much they can afford to pay towards their care and support.

“The council currently funds more of people’s care costs compared to many other English councils and the proposed change meets the higher rates recommended by the Department of Health.

“We are also proposing to take into account the full amount of higher disability benefit rates when working out a resident’s possible contribution in line with many other councils.

“The council will support people to ensure that they are only asked to pay for what they can afford and will continue to have the ability to waiver charges for reasons of financial difficulty or hardship under the proposals, which are considered preferable to making further reductions to care and support services.”

Campaigners swing into action to save memorial playground in Bestwood

David Bratton
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Campaigners swing into action to save memorial playground in Bestwood
Campaigners in Bestwood are calling on the community to help them save a playground dedicated to the memory of a local teenager tragically killed in a road accident 18 years ago.

Andy’s Adventure playground was created at Bestwood Country Park in memory of Andrew Maycock, who died in a road accident back in February 2000.

The Bestwood teenager had regularly visited the playground on Bestwood Country Park when alive, but it was later closed because of fears over safety.

Following his death, Andrew’s family and friends decided that it would be a fitting tribute would be to resurrect the playground in his honour.

Following months of fundraising, a new park was created with adventure trail, wobbly bridge and swing bars.

But 16 years later, the playground is again facing the threat of closure.

Certain aspects of the playground have been deemed unsafe, and the play equipment needs replacing, meaning that park users again face the possibility of losing the playground completely.

PICTURED: The memorial plaque at Andy’s Adventure playground in Bestwood Country Park

Now Andrew’s family have teamed up with volunteers at Friends of Bestwood Country Park to launch a fundraising campaign in a bid to revamp the play area.

A crowdfunding page has been started, along with petition to raise awareness about the playground’s plight.

The estimate for replacing the playground is around £50,000.

Campaigners have put in a bid to Nottinghamshire County Council’s Local Improvement Scheme for up to 50% of the total, but don’t know yet if this has been successful.

Friends of Bestwood Country Park have now pledged some of their existing funds to the campaign and are also  donating all net proceeds from their regular Community Cafe, which is held every Saturday morning in the Dynamo House at Bestwood Country Park between 10 am – 1 pm. Cafe customers can also make a cash donation to the campaign while there and see the fundraising progress on the specially designed ‘playground-o-meter’.

NEVER FORGOTTEN: Andrew Maycock

Andrew’s mother, Sue, wrote on the campaign crowdfunding page: “The playground is a happy place to go when I want to remember Andrew and all of the lovely times we spent together as a family.

“It is so heart-warming seeing all of the children playing and laughing and creating memories with their own families, and to know that we played such a huge part in making that possible.

“The idea, that all of this might simply be taken away is devastating and I cannot imagine Bestwood Country Park, without Andy’s adventure playground.”

You can make a donation at the crowdfunding page here: https://www.gofundme.com/save-andy039s-adventure-playground

The campaign petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/sue-mcdonald-save-andy-s-adventure-playground-at-bestwood-country-park 

You can learn more about the Friends of Bestwood Country Park’s activities at their website: http://www.fbcp.org.uk/

Firefighters battle blaze at Bestwood Country Park

Gedling Eye
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Firefighters battle blaze at Bestwood Country Park

Firefighters were called out to battle a blaze at Bestwood Country Park last night.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue service were called to the blaze at around 7.12pm.

They said they had been called out to fight a ‘field fire’.

A tweet from the service offered a warning to residents.

It read: “Smoke will be quite visible from Arnold and Rise Park so be sure to keep windows closed for the time being.”

Fire crews from the Arnold and Stockhill station had been called to the scene “due to the size of the fire”.

Hair salon in Arnold cuts out competition to make it through to awards final

David Bratton
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Hair salon in Arnold cuts out competition to make it through to awards final

An Arnold hair salon is celebrating after cutting out the competition to make it through to the finals of the 2018 British Hairdressing Business Awards

The team at KH Hair in Arnold has been shortlisted for the Front of House Team of the Year Award and salon director, Dawn Bramhall, couldn’t be happier.

She said: “For 33 years we have always strived to provide excellent and consistent customer service.

“Our front of house team delivers a unique blend of professionalism mixed with that perfect personal touch and they never fail to make our clients feel welcome and at ease on arrival, and relaxed and fabulous when they leave the salon.

“We firmly believe having a first-class front of house provision sets us apart from other salons in our area and we are thrilled our commitment has been recognised.”

The awards, hosted by Hairdressers Journal International (HJI), celebrate the very best salon businesses, recognising and rewarding the creative talents of individuals and teams across the UK.

Darren Messias, joint managing director of the KH Hair Group, said: “We’re thrilled to be going to the finals again this year. Huge congratulations go to Dawn and everyone involved.”

The awards ceremony will take place in London on 17 September.

Shoppers in Gedling borough warned over scam Argos texts offering credit card refund

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Shoppers in Gedling borough warned over scam Argos texts offering credit card refund

Shoppers in Gedling borough are being warned about a new scam where fake text messages are being sent claiming a credit card refund is due from Argos.

The link in the messages, which have been sent to people across the borough, lead to phishing websites designed to steal your personal information, as well as payment details.

The text messages read: “Your Argos credit card has a refund of £270 from an over payment.”

Then it asks you to follow a link in order to get the money back.

The texts look even more convincing when they come through on the same thread that genuine messages from the store have previously come through on.

A spokesman for Action Fraud said: “Always question unsolicited requests for your personal or financial information in case it’s a scam. Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected email or text.”

Action Fraud issued the warning as part of a new awareness campaign called #PhishyFridays where they call out the dodgy scams each Friday.

Elderly in Arnold being targeted by scammers pretending to be HMRC

Gedling Eye
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Elderly in Arnold being targeted by scammers pretending to be HMRC

Organised phone thieves are targeting pensioners in Arnold by pretending to be HMRC or the tax man and demanding hundreds of pounds from their victims.

The scam has been highlighted after a rise in reports of calls to elderly and vulnerable residents in the Arnold area which has prompted police to issue an alert.

The callers are telling victims they owe money from 20 or more years ago and that unless they pay an amount of money to the caller, they will be taken to court and will have to pay a substantial amount more.

cold-caller

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “Can we please remind residents that the HMRC and other Government Departments would not contact you by telephone and ask for money that is owed to them or, threaten you with court action.

“If you get a call like this, please don’t pay anything upfront. Take steps to verify the caller, ask if you can phone them back on a known number, for example or request proof in writing. If you’re unsure, you can always contact HMRC and ask their advice or call us on 101.

They added: “Please ensure that your elderly and vulnerable loved ones are made aware so we can help to put a stop to this fraud and prevent more victims being taken advantage of.”

New £655,000 cycle network in Carlton and Gedling will help ‘reduce local congestion and improve air quality’

Gedling Eye
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New £655,000 cycle network in Carlton and Gedling will help ‘reduce local congestion and improve air quality’

A £655,000 network of proposed new cycle routes for Carlton and Gedling could help “reduce local congestion and improve air quality”.

Nottinghamshire County Council want residents in the area to have their say on the new plans and choose from 11 new routes being proposed, with those selected being built in October.

With the total budget for the scheme being £665,000, not all of the 11 schemes can be constructed.

The routes have been designed by Via East Midlands, on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council, and members of the Via team will be on hand at two planned consultation events taking place this week and next to discuss these plans and answer any questions.

The events will be held at the following locations and dates:
• Saturday, July 7, Brookfields Garden Centre, Mapperley Plains, 10am-2pm
• Monday, July 9, Carlton Library, Manor Road, 3-7pm

PLAN: One of the proposed routes on Spring Lane in Gedling (Nottinghamshire County Council)

The proposed 11 new routes are at: Spring Lane, Mapperley Plains, Darlton Drive, Arno Vale Link, Cavendish Road, Conway Road to Burton Road, Southdale Road, Foxhill Road Central, Kendrick Road, Gedling Road, Shelford Road

Councillor John Cottee, Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council’s communities and place committee has welcomed the consultations.

He said: “We want to hear from Gedling and Carlton residents to help us with our plans for a new cycle network.

“It’s vital that those who will use and benefit from the cycle network have their say in the final decision on which of these 11 new cycle routes will be constructed.

(PICTURE CREDIT: Deposit Photos)

“We hope this new cycle network will also inspire more local residents of all ages to get out and about on their bikes, helping them to keep fit and healthy by cycling in the great Nottinghamshire outdoors. Afterall, our county is hosting the penultimate stage of the Tour of Britain this September, which we also hope will inspire more people to cycle.

“The new cycle network will aim to reduce local congestion and improve air quality by providing cyclists with safer, quicker and more connected routes within the town. And for those who don’t currently cycle, we hope that this significant improvement to the current choice of cycle lanes will make getting on a bike to work a more viable and attractive option.”

The work is due to begin later this year: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/carltoncycle

The public consultation period will run to July 27, 2018.

CCTV plea after three cars and bank cards stolen in Woodthorpe

Gedling Eye Reporter
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CCTV plea after three cars and bank cards stolen in Woodthorpe

Police have released CCTV images and appealed for information after three Mazda cars and a number of bank cards were stolen from a property in Woodthorpe.

The incident took place on The Crescent between 11pm on  June 5 and 5.15am on June 6.

Three Mazda cars were stolen during the burglary and bank cards and other items were taken.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesperson said: “We’d like to speak to these men in connection with a burglary.

“We appreciate the CCTV images are not of the best quality but we’re hoping someone might be able to recognise these men, one of whom was wearing a distinctive all grey tracksuit with Nike embossed on the bottoms and top.

“If you recognise any of the men pictured or think you can help please call us on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting incident number 95 of 6 June 2018.”

Man who had heart attack on wedding anniversary thanks Carlton ambulance driver who helped save his life

Gedling Eye Reporter
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Man who had heart attack on wedding anniversary thanks Carlton ambulance driver who helped save his life

A patient who suffered a heart attack on his wedding anniversary almost exactly two years ago has thanked an ambulance driver from Carlton who helped save his life.

Mark Alliott, 51, from Long Eaton, was at home at around 5.30pm on June 24, 2016, when he began to suffer central chest pain.

Mark’s wife, Janet, called for an ambulance at 6.08pm as she was concerned about him, and ambulance technician Michael Hoy from Carlton arrived in an ambulance car just seven minutes later to start treatment.

Technicians Beverly Porteus and Rachel Roe from Willow Row arrived shortly afterwards in a crewed ambulance to take Mark to hospital, but he was adamant that he did not want to go as he wanted to spend the evening at home with his wife and family.

After some convincing, Mark was taken to Royal Derby Hospital on blue lights and sirens where he had three stents fitted in his heart and spent the next five days in hospital.

Mick_Carlton_ambulance
PICTURED: Mark Alliott, 51, from Long Eaton, with ambulance technician Michael Hoy from Carlton

Mark has since had an internal defibrillator fitted, which has hopefully increased his life expectancy from years to decades, and he has now met Mick, Beverly and Rachel at Stapleford Ambulance Station.

He said: “I have been looking for Mick and the crew ever since, because I wanted to say thank you.

“Now my family and I have finally got the chance to say thank you.”

Mark, his family and his friends  have raised funds for the cardiology unit at Royal Derby Hospital and have now decided to take on Sober October in the autumn to raise additional money for EMAS.

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