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Walks to explore wildlife at Netherfield Lagoons this May and June

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Walks to explore wildlife at Netherfield Lagoons this May and June

Gedling borough residents are being encouraged to get out and enjoy nature by taking part in  a series of wildlife walks at Netherfield Lagoons.

Gedling Conservation Trust was formed to look after the Lagoons and most weekends experts escort visitors around the nature reserve and share their knowledge about  the local wildlife.

Here are some of the walks taking place over the next few weeks:

Sunday, May 21 -Warbler Walk

9:30 am – 12:30 pm

There are ten species of warbler breeding at the Lagoons (if you still include Cetti’s warbler). Come along and see if you can see or hear them all, they will all be singing. Learn to distinguish between the lookalikes by their calls.

Meet at the footbridge at 14.00hrs.

Sunday, May 28 – Wildlife Walk 

 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

Come and see what wildlife the Lagoons have to offer. Migrant birds will still be going through and there should be some butterflies about.

Meet at the footbridge at 09.30hrs.

Sunday, June 4 – Orchid Walk 

9:30 am – 12:30 pm
 Hopefully there should be up to five species of orchid in flower, although some may be earlier than others.

Meet at the footbridge at 09.30hrs.

Sunday, June 11 – Birdcount 

 7:45 am – 11:00 am

Come and help us count the birds on the site. Its a good way to brush up on bird id and meet some fellow enthusiasts.

Meet at the end of Teal Close, opposite the CEM warehouse.

Villagers unite to fight plans to build on Calverton village precinct

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Villagers unite to fight plans to build on Calverton village precinct

Gedling Borough Council has received around 1,000 letters of objection to plans to create a retail and housing development on land in Calverton.

​Hundreds of other comments have also been submitted online by residents opposed to plans to build  on open land in St Wilfrid’s Square in the centre of Calverton – a scheme which has been branded “completely inappropriate” locally.

 Proposals include building four retail units and eight flats on currently open space.

Parish councillor Mike Hope told Calverton-Nottingham.co.uk said: “The parish council and the village are very concerned about this development.
“I’ve been standing in the square on Saturday mornings and knocking on doors asking people about it, and I think I’ve come across just five people who think it ought to go ahead. More or less the whole village is against it.

“It completely closes in the precinct. At the moment it’s very much a 1970s development and not very pretty but adding this to it makes it even more unpleasant.
“We’ve got massive parking problems in Calverton and this actually takes eight spaces away for parking permits. People can’t park to go to the doctors, can’t park to go to the shops.
“It’s also one of the few open spaces in the village. We put the Christmas lights up there, it’s used and is valuable to the village. I would be sad to see it happen.”

If approved by the council, the open space would be redeveloped with a new block, sitting between the existing shops and Mansfield Lane.

This would provide four new shops on the ground floor, with two levels of housing on top. The established trees on the site would be replaced with new ones along the building’s edge should the bid get the green light.

In the application from developer Wayshop1 (Tree) Limited, it says that “the scale of the proposed development respects that of the existing buildings in St Wilfrid’s Square” while adding measures had been taken to mitigate the new flats overlooking existing homes in the area, such as angled balconies covered with metal mesh.

​Calverton Parish Council discussed this application at its April meeting and has objected strongly to the plans.
A statement from the parish authority said: “The design, scale and materials of the proposed development are completely inappropriate.
“It would impact negatively on the built environment of the village centre, adversely affect current residents/businesses and harm Calverton’s Conservation Area and its setting.”
​

Surge in numbers using foodbank in Bestwood

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Surge in numbers using foodbank in Bestwood

Latest figures have revealed a big increase in people using a foodbank in Bestwood.

Nottingham now has 13 food banks whereas in 2010 there were none. Now figures this week released by the Bestwood and Bulwell foodbank have revealed user numbers are continuing to rise.

The figures released this week revealed that:

  • 3,251 three-day emergency food supplies were given to local people in crisis by the Bestwood & Bulwell Foodbank in 2016/17 (This compares to 2,805 in 2015/16).
  • Over 1,466 food parcels went to children.
  • Local increase due to people struggling with continued issues with benefit payments; Universal Credit roll out in the area; low wages; insecure work; closure of local charities offering crisis support
  • The Bestwood & Bulwell Food bank has seen an increase of 15% in three-day emergency food supplies in 2016/17 – the number of emergency food supplies to children has increased by 20%
  • The top three reasons for food bank referral were: benefit delay 21%; benefit change 21%; low income 30%.

Nottingham City Council deputy leader Cllr Graham Chapman has raised concerns that the use of foodbanks is likely to rise further without changes in policy on pay, housing and measures like Universal Credit.

He said: “Seven years ago, there were no food banks in the city, now there are thirteen.

“We are grateful to those people who volunteer to run them but it’s not acceptable or civilized that they have become necessary.

“The Government says they are making savings but in reality, it’s a false economy.  We know that as people are driven into poverty the social costs elsewhere rise, child protection costs rise, homelessness costs rise, the long-term costs in education rise and it divides society.

“The council is doing what it can to help those facing these problems, by continuing to fund welfare and debt advice services, continuing to top up discretionary housing payments and provide support with the bedroom tax and through good budget management, provide an extra £500,000 to combat homelessness.

“Ultimately, though, we want to work towards a day when food banks are once again unnecessary.”

East Midlands Flower Show returns to Newstead Abbey this July

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East Midlands Flower Show returns to Newstead Abbey this July

Newstead Abbey is to again play host to the East Midlands Flower Show over the weekend of July 1-2.

The abbey grounds will once again open their gates to fabulous show gardens, designed by local nurseries, horticultural colleges, landscapers and our volunteer teams.

There is also inspiration for the amateur gardener with a day of opportunities to meet growers and garden centres on hand to showcase their gorgeous plants, shrubs and trees. There is also a home and garden marquee for seasonal plants, gifts, and garden furniture. Once you are shopped out – relax and listen to some live music with some great local food and drink.

There will be talks throughout the day from a team of experts to help get the most out of the garden or to learn how to use home grown produce to create fabulous seasonal food.

Garden experts attending the event include BBC Radio Nottingham’s John Stirland and Paula Rutledge and also Sean Murray, winner of BBC 2’s The Great Chelsea Garden Challenge.

Advances Tickets are available now at the Early Bird price of £8 for adults with Under 16’s FREE (Advance tickets will be available until 29/06/2017 – On the day tickets £10 Under 16’s FREE)

 

Cllr Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for leisure and culture said; “We are so pleased to be having the East Midlands Flower Show at Newstead again this year.

“The first show last year was very popular and featured some beautiful displays with something for the budding professional down to the person that wants a few plants and some advice on how to improve their window box.

“There are some really interesting local experts to see too. I’m sure the show will become one of the ‘must visit’ events in every gardener’s calendar for many years to come.”

Go behind the scenes at nursery in Woodthorpe Park on open day

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Go behind the scenes at nursery in Woodthorpe Park on open day

Visitors will be able to get a rare peek behind the scenes of a renowned plant nursery in Woodthorpe during a free open weekend later this month.

The nursery at Woodthorpe Park grows well over a million plants each year – not only for displays organised by Nottinghamshire’s councils, but also for neighbouring councils and others further afield, including Blackpool.

The glasshouses will be open from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21 so that visitors can see the plants before they are distributed next month.  Planted wicker sculptures will also be on display.

A wide range of plants, shrubs and trees will be for sale at the adjoining Woodthorpe Park Plant Shop, including bedding varieties to be used in the city’s summer displays.  Customers will also have the chance to design and plant up their own hanging basket, with advice from Nursery staff.

Councillor Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, said: “Many councils no longer run their own nurseries, but here in Nottingham we have built on our longstanding reputation for producing quality plants in order to secure commercial customers from across the country.

“In the past year or so we have invested in a variety of equipment to enable vast quantities of plants to be grown from seed by our small nursery team.  May is the best time to visit the nursery to see everything ready to burst into bloom and we hope that many people will take the opportunity to visit.”

The open days will also include a variety of other attractions for all the family.

On Saturday, the Royal Horticultural Society will run free planting activities throughout the day.

There will also be guided visits to the beehives in the old kitchen garden with Nottingham Bee Keepers’ Association, craft activities, stalls from local organisations and food producers; animals from Stonebridge City Farm, Forest Kids activities, a scavenger hunt in the Tropical House, and a café run by 111th Nottingham Scouts.  On Sunday there will also be a variety of craft stalls.

Ravenshead pensioner receives Legion d’Honneur

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Ravenshead pensioner receives Legion d’Honneur

A Ravenshead war hero was yesterday presented with France’s greatest military honour at a reception held in his honour.

Nonagenarian Don Sutton was presented with the Legion d’Honneur at the reception held at Gedling Borough Council’s Civic Centre in Arnold.

The award was presented to Mr Sutton by French Consul in the east Midlands, Jean-Claude Lafontaine.

99-year-old Mr Sutton received the award for his role in helping liberate France from Germany during the Second World War.

His regiment, the North Somerset Yeomanry, one of the last horseback regiments who fought on horseback, played a large role in the liberation of France.

Also in attendance will be Mr Sutton’s family, his carers and senior military officers including the Vice Lord Lieutenant.

The Mayor of Gedling will also be present along with Councillors and members of Gedling Borough Council’s senior leadership team.

Cllr Meredith Lawrence was one of the dignitaries who attended the event.

In a Facebook post he wrote: “It was an honour to hear about Don’s military life: we owe so much to men and women like him.”

Carlton pensioner conned out of £4,000 in HMRC scam

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Carlton pensioner conned out of £4,000 in HMRC scam

An elderly woman in Carlton has been conned out of £4,000 by criminals claiming to be from HMRC.

Police are asking people to be vigilant after the 85-year-old from Carlton was contacted on Wednesday (10) by someone with a foreign accent claiming to be from HMRC telling her she owed £4,000 in tax dating back to 1969 and that if she didn’t pay, the police would come and arrest her straight away.

They demanded her mobile number and kept her on the phone for most of the day.

She was instructed to go to a supermarket in Arnold and purchase iTunes vouchers, however they only had £2,000 worth of cards available.

The staff did ask her why she was buying so many but she told them they were a present for a relative abroad- as instructed by the suspects.

She was then instructed to go to a supermarket in Castle Marina for the other £2,000 worth of iTunes vouchers. Again, she was asked about her purchase, but gave them the same story.

After this, she was instructed to read the card numbers out to the offender on the phone which she did, but after feeling wary, she took a taxi home.

The pensioner then told her neighbour who called the police. She was then contacted by the suspects yesterday who said they would send someone round to pick up the vouchers. Officers have put measures in place to protect her but believe the offenders are abroad.

Detective Sergeant Nikki Smith of Nottinghamshire Police said: “We’ve had several incidents like this where the suspects purport to be from HMRC and demand the purchase of iTunes vouchers to settle the bill, it’s believed to be a national scam. iTunes have a warning on their website but not many elderly people will see this.

“Additionally, although on both occasions this victim was challenged by supermarket staff, this is unusual and we would ask retailers to be even more robust in their questioning of people purchasing large amounts of vouchers in these circumstances, particularly the elderly.

“We would like people to become more aware of these kind of scams and certainly, HMRC do not operate in this manner to recover any taxes outstanding. We need to look out for our most vulnerable people who could be at riskfrom fraudsters, and challenge them if we become suspicious. You can also report any concerns to 101.”

A HMRC spokesperson said: “HMRC takes security extremely seriously. We are aware that some people have received telephone calls from individuals claiming to be from HMRC.

“We are a well-known brand, which criminals abuse, to add credibility to their scams. HMRC will never request tax debts to be paid in payment vouchers and we are clear that they cannot be used to pay tax.

They added: “We recommend that if you cannot verify the identity of a caller that you do not speak to them. We encourage you to check GOV.UK for information on how to avoid and report scams, recognise genuine HMRC contact and make payments to HMRC.”

Scam warning to NatWest customers in Gedling borough

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Scam warning to NatWest customers in Gedling borough

NatWest customers in Gedling borough are being warned about a new scam that allows fraudsters to steal their cash.

The ‘smishing’ scam sees criminals sending unsuspecting victims a text message that appears to be sent from their bank.

The message will ask the customer to verify their account details by clicking on a link which then takes them through to what looks like NatWest’s genuine website.

They are then encouraged to log into their online banking account, which then gives the scammer access to their details and their money.

NatWest has confirmed that this is a scam and advises people not to click on the link.

A spokesman said: “We are aware that a small number of customers received scam text messages this morning.

“Once we became aware of the issue we worked to close down the URL contained within the text messages as quickly as possible.”

The bank is reminding their customers that it will never ask them for their password, full pin, card details or security information via text, over Twitter, on the phone or when they log in to the online banking system.

If you suspect a scam you can report it to phishing@rbs.com or phishing@natwest.com.

Bogus tree surgeon warning to Gedling borough residents

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Bogus tree surgeon warning to Gedling borough residents

People in Gedling borough are being warned to be on their guard against bogus tree surgeons.

Nottinghamshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service has responded to several incidents in the area over the past month involving bogus tree surgeons.

Elderly residents have been cold called at the door and then large amounts of money have been demanded for unnecessary work.

Bogus tree surgeons often use vehicles that look legitimate, which are sign written and are also towing equipment.

A spokesman for Trading Standards said: “This time of year does see a rise in fraudulent activity related to garden and house maintenance.

“Never buy from uninvited callers, especially at the door.  Always tell cold callers you are not interested. We would advise you to always get 3 quotes and use http://www.checkatrade.com to find legitimate traders.”

Fencing stolen from Gedling Country Park

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Fencing stolen from Gedling Country Park

A number of wooden panels and wire fencing have been stolen from Gedling Country Park

Gedling Borough Council has appealed for information after noticing parts of the fencing near the lagoon by the Lambley Lane entrance were missing.

BEFORE: Fences before panels were stolen
stolen-fencing
AFTER: Fencing after being targeted by thieves

The council posted on Facebook: “Did you see anything? A number of wooden panels and wire fencing have been stolen from the country park near the lagoon by Lambley Lane.

“If you saw anyone moving the panels or have any information please contact us 0115 901 3801 or call 101. Please share.”

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