Broxtowe Enews 21st April 2013

Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, the leader of the Lib-Dems on Broxtowe Borough Council. May I give a special welcome to the new readers that we have this week.

1. Alderman Tom Martin
I’m beginning with some sad news. Unfortunately Alderman Tom Martin, the former Labour councillor for Stapleford and mayor of Broxtowe, died last weekend after a short illness. We had a full council meeting on Wednesday and, as is customary when someone dies, we stood for a minutes silence. Regrettably, because the mayor called for a minutes silence for Margaret Thatcher, whose funeral was that day, as well as Tom, eight Labour councillors refused to participate. I think that this was a very poor judgement on their part.

2. Attacks on Councillors
Following the threats made to me last week (and thank you to everyone for the messages of support) I heard this week that Conservative councillor Eric Kerry has had his car vandalised. Eric and I come from very different political positions but this is totally unacceptable behaviour from someone. No-one who has been elected to public office should have to put up to this sort of thing.

3. Crochet Workshops

I should have included this notice last week so apologies hat it is late. The art of crochet will be alive and well in Eastwood this spring.  Local craftsperson Elaine Thompson will be running a series of crochet workshops on Wednesdays from 10 to 12 noon from 17 April to 29 May.  People can join the workshops at any time. Elaine has been a crochet and knitwear designer as well as a teacher.  She is now based at The Wood Gallery on Scargill Walk, Eastwood (just round the corner from the Birthplace Museum). The workshops, which are funded by Community First, are free of charge and open to all members of the public regardless of ability level.  Elaine is happy to speak to people about the sessions and can be contacted on 079 998 06585.

4. Stanton Ironworks
Developers applied in February for planning permission to build 1,500 homes at Stanton Ironworks. Notts County Council have now formally objected to these plans on the grounds of the traffic problems that they would cause. Certainly residents in Stapleford and Trowell  have expressed concern over these.

5. Saving Water
An interesting statistic came out from the county council this week. They have apparently saved £640,000 by installing water saving measures in their facilities. This has saved them the equivalent of nearly 300 Olympic size swimming pools full of water so far. That’s good news and something to be welcomed, not just for the money saved but for the water saved as well. They have also saved some £650,000 by changing the insurance arrangements at the council. I’m afraid the cynic in me wonders why these figures are being released just before the county council elections but I’m probably just too old and jaded.

6. Recorded Crime
More good news, this time from the police. Recorded crime figures for Nottinghamshire fell by 12% over the last year. Last year it fell by 8.9% and the year before it fell by 14.3%. The trend of downward crime numbers has numerous factors contributing to it, but one is certainly the coordinated work that takes place between the police and local councils and I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in that. Unfortunately it’s not all good news. There are of course local variations and crime in Eastwood went up last year.

7. Coronation Park Skateboard Park
I’ve mentioned before that two young pupils at Eastwood School have managed to raise £115,000 to pay for the new skateboard park at Coronation Park in Eastwood. I met them when they first started out on this project and was really impressed by their determination. I’m delighted to say that my colleague Keith Longdon, the County Councillor for Eastwood, who first introduced me to the girls, has now secured a commitment from the County Council to match the amount that the girls raised, which will man, amongst other things, that better security can be installed.

8. Beeston Flowers
The Beeston Business Improvement District will be financing hanging baskets around the town this summer. They will be installed starting in June, and will have a colour scheme of red, purple and gold.

9. Lifeguard Training
Beeston Leisure Centre are running a 12 week lifeguard course starting on 26th April. This will end with an assessment day on 21st July. Participants will need to be able to swim 50 metres in under 60 seconds (which rules me out I’m afraid) and also tread water for at least 30 seconds. Contact the leisure centre for fuller details.

10. A52 Bus Lane
The police ran an operation targeting drivers using the bus lane on the A52 last week. This is the third time recently that such an operation has been run yet they still caught 19 drivers in a 2 hour spell, each of whom received a £60 fine.

11. Antiques Valuation

On Wednesday 8th May 2013 from 3.00pm - 7.00pm Charles Hanson of 'Flog It, Antiques Roadtrip & Bargain Hunt' will be in Beeston to value your antiques and family heirlooms at the Catholic Church Hall, Foster Avenue, Beeston. Charles and his team will charge £3.00 per item and every penny raised will be shared between the Citizens Advice Broxtowe and Home-Start Nottingham.  Refreshments will be available. For further information contact Barbara Parish on 0115 962 4262 or Sally Bestwick on 0115 917 3800.

12. College House School Car Boot Sale
There will be a car boot sale on 11th May at College House School in Chilwell. It opens at 9.00am and runs to 1.30pm. 50p entry (children free). All proceeds are in aid of the "Friends of College House Junior School" Registered Charity No 518492. Sellers: £5 per car/£7.50 per van - limited to first 50 sellers.  Arrival from 7am. No items to be sold that are inappropriate for a school environment.  Venue: College House Junior School, Cator Lane, Chilwell, NG9 4BB. For any queries please call 07760 237 485 or email: friends@collegehouse.notts.sch.uk or visit: http://friendsofchjs.wix.com/home

13. Big Battlefield Bike Ride
Steve Strickland of Cedarland Avenue in Nuthall is taking part in the 350 mile Big Battlefield Bike Ride where he will raise money for Help for Heroes. The 54-year-old will be teaming up with 249 riders for the start which begins in Paris. Participants will then cycle through Armistice Clearing where World War one officially ended, before going on to visit World War One grave cemeteries. Congratulations to Steve for his efforts.

14. Eastwood Neighbourhood Plan
Eastwood Town Council has agreed to create a neighbourhood plan for the town. This is a new scheme launched by the coalition last years and allows parish and town councils or other local groups to devise how their communities are to develop in the future, a role usually done by the borough council. The borough council will still provide the technical and administrative support necessary but the aim of a neighbourhood plan is to put local people firmly in charge. My portfolio on the borough includes planning and I’ve been encouraging all parish councils to develop these plans since they were introduced.

As ever thank you for your support for this newsletter. Any feedback is gratefully received. May I also wish you a happy St George’s Day for Tuesday (which is also my brother in law’s 50th birthday).

Best wishes

David
www.davidwatts.org.uk
www.broxtoweliberaldemocrats.org.uk
Follow me on Twitter @davidwatts12.