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Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited
by David Watts, the leader of the Liberal Democrats on Broxtowe Borough
Council.

28th April 2012

1. Future Building Plans
Thank you for all the comments that I have received following my extra email
during the week. We had a meeting of the Lib-Dem council group last night and I
was able to relay these comments on to everyone else. I do believe that the
decisions we take over the next couple of weeks will be the most important that
we ever take as councillors as they will fundamentally affect the whole future
of Broxtowe. I hope that next week I will be able to attach a briefing sheet to
the newsletter setting out the issues as I see them, in a non-partisan way.
May I also stress that the report by the officers which I circulated during the
week is the starting point for discussion and this does not mean that their
proposals are those that the council will adopt. I’ve had a letter, as all
councillors have, this week from our MP asking us to reject the whole of the
proposals. Unfortunately not only I it misspelt but she gets the law wrong
about the consequences of us doing so. What I do promise everyone is that not
one councillor of any party will take the decision lightly. The issues have
been discussed at great length already and will be during the cabinet and
council meetings.

2. Open Cast Mining proposal
I didn’t know whether this should be the first or second story this week
because it is probably almost equally important. UK Coal have now applied for
permission to create an open cast mine at Shortwood Farm, between Trowell and
Cossall. This is an issue which will unite all three parties as we are all
opposed to it. It will wreck an important part of the green belt and of the DH
Lawrence Heritage. I was surprised though to hear that a Labour councillor
thought a campaign group might spring up – it has already been in existence
for a while. Mining is an issue dealt with by the county council and so it will
be up to Notts CC to decide this. Broxtowe will have our say but we don’t get
to make the decision. I did meet the applicants last year, as many local
residents did, and I asked them if they could produce any residents from other
sites who had opposed schemes but were willing to say that they had then
changed their minds because of the good way that UK Coal dealt with the site.
They couldn’t produce anyone. That speaks volumes to me.

3. Beeston Bus Stations
Changes will be made to the layout of Beeston Bus Station next week in
preparation for the demolition of the multi-storey car park next week. All
buses will use a one way system coming in via Styring Street and out onto
Station Road, with some of the stops being moved onto Styring Street. A leaflet
has been prepared about this and you can download it from our website at
www.broxtoweliberaldemocrats.org.uk.

4. Mick Atherton
Some very sad news to report is that Mick Atherton, husband of councillor
Eileen Atherton and a long standing stalwart of the Beeston Civic Society,
sadly passed away this week. May I send my deepest condolences to Eileen and
her family. The funeral will take place next Friday at Bramcote Crematorium at
11am.

5. Toton Petition
Toton Environmental Protection Society have been collecting signatures over the
past few weeks from local residents opposed to the plans by Peverill builders
to develop an 800 house estate at the edge of Toton. This is part of the
housing proposals that will be discussed by the council on 16th May. The
petition now numbers well over 2,000 signatures and they have done me the
honour of asking me to present it on their behalf at the next full council
meeting, which I am delighted to do.

6. White Hills Park School
White Hills Park School (which comprises Bramcote Park and Alderman White
schools) is currently considering whether or not to convert to an academy. As
part of the process they have organised two consultation meetings with
prospective parents, which will be at the Bramcote Park school on 17th May and
at Alderman White school on 24th May. Both will begin at 6.30pm. If you are a
prospective parent who wishes to attend please contact Karen Sims on 0115 907
8111 or ksims@whpfederation.org.

7. Early Days Nursery
The Early Days nursery, currently based at Wadsworth Field Primary School in
Stapleford, have been told by the school that they will need to find a new home
by September. The school say that they now need to the rooms for school
children as they are taking children at an earlier age.

8. Super Fast Broadband
The Government have announced that they will be providing a grant of £4.25
million towards the costs of improving the speed of broadband in
Nottinghamshire. The various councils whose residents will benefit from this,
including Broxtowe, are providing a further £3.25 million. In a competitive
business market having access to super fast broadband will be essential for our
local businesses and will ensure that we have every advantage when trying to
attract new businesses to the area.

9. Nottingham Mayor Referendum
As you may be aware there is a referendum taking place next week in Nottingham
about whether to have an elected mayor or not. This is only for residents of
Nottingham City and so as Broxtowe residents we don’t get a vote. Equally the
mayor, if appointed, would have no power here. However the Nottingham Post have
already started discussing whether or not the city boundaries should be
extended to include large parts of Broxtowe. I am totally opposed to this.
We’re not getting a say on whether or not to have a mayor and so why should
we then have to put up with having one? More generally, I don’t want to be
part of Nottingham City. I live in Broxtowe and am proud to do so.

As ever thank you for your support for this newsletter, and any feedback is
gratefully received.
Best wishes
David

21st April 2012

1. Housing Numbers
I’ve grown very tired over the past year or so of reading wholly incorrect
announcements from the Conservatives about the level of new housing that will
be required in the borough. The truth is, as I have reported here in the past,
that no decisions have been made about where any new housing will be built, or
indeed if new housing will be built here at all. However we are moving now to
the point where these decisions will be made. Papers will be issued this week
by the council setting out all the options which councillors need to decide on.
The first issue will be to ascertain the vision that we have for the long term
for the borough, and then based on this to determine what level of development
will be needed in the future. All the research that exists shows that Greater
Nottingham will need 52,000 more houses over the next 15 years, and it is a
major point of debate about where they should be located, or indeed whether a
smaller number of houses should be built, but if so we need to recognise that
this could be a significant barrier to growth in the area. The council are
still engaged in a consultation process but I would really like to hear
people’s ideas personally as well. Please let me have your comments.

2. New Lord Lieutenant
Nottinghamshire has a new Lord Lieutenant, Sir John Pearce. The Lord Lieutenant
is the Queens official representative in the county, and Sir John is the
founder and former head of Experian.

3. Beeston Maltings
Heineken, who own the Maltings building in Beeston, want to demolish it.
Legally the council have very few options to prevent this happening, although
the Beeston civic Society are working to explore every avenue. I am very
grateful for all their efforts, and also for those of the local councillors who
have been assisting. A meeting took place with the owners this week, although I
understand that no agreements were reached. However that does not mean for one
moment that people are giving up the fight.

4. Wilkinsons To Return
The Wilkinsons store in Beeston has now closed but I was delighted to read a
statement from the chain this week to say that they were committed to Beeston
and wanted to return. I am extremely disappointed that the store has closed
without replacement being ready, but it is encouraging to hear an unequivocal
commitment from the company.

5. Wildflower Planting
Broxtowe Mayor JackyWilliams will join pre-school children in Watnall on
Tuesday to plant wild flowers at Watnall Green, to mark the three new local
nature reserves that we have declared in the borough this year.

6. Calls for Rail Line Improvements
A debate took place in parliament last week involving MP’s from across the
East Midlands calling for improved investment in the Midland Main line. The
Transport Secretary conceded that there was a good case for improved
investment, which is encouraging, but there is still a long way to go.

7. Drought Notice
You may have failed to notice this with the appalling weather over the past few
weeks but he East Midlands is now officially in a drought. However the good
news is that Severn Trent Water assure us that there are no plans to introduce
any sort of hosepipe bans, although hopefully we will all take care to preserve
water where we can.

8. Eastwood Town Council
One of the most bizarre news stories over the past few days was the decision of
Labour run Eastwood Town Council to throw a local resident off his allotment
simply because he was a pensioner with a hip replacement. This clearly breached
all sorts of equalities rules, and was taken by a completely Labour run
committee without any reference to the full council. After the story appeared
in the national media my Lib-Dem colleagues on the council were able to force
an emergency meeting and discussion on the issue and the council reversed their
decision. My colleagues Josie Forrest and Keith Longdon deserve considerable
credit for forcing some common sense on the council, and the whole affair
reflects extremely badly on Labour councillor David Bagshaw, the leader of the
Town Council, who should frankly be considering his position as a result of
this farce.

9. Garden Waste Recycling
Broxtowe Borough Council have announced that we have signed a new agreement
with Wastecycle to recycle the garden waste that we collect. Wastecycle are a
local company and I’m delighted that we were able to place this contract
locally.

10. Beeston Hindu Temple
The new Hindu temple in Beeston Rylands officially opened last week. After some
negative actions by BNP supporters in the run up to the launch I’m delighted
that local residents went out of their way to welcome the temple to the area
and to show those who practice race hate that their views are not welcome here.

11. Queens Jubilee Parties
Notts County Council have announced that they have received 108 applications to
close streets in the county to hold street parties to celebrate the Queens
diamond jubilee. Twelve of these are planned to be in Broxtowe.

12. Reporting Water Leaks
Severn Trent Water have launched a new service for reporting water leaks. The
web site is designed to work with smart phones and to use GPS to locate the
leak immediately. If you need to use this visit www.stwater.co.uk and click on
the “Report a Leak” button.

13. Demolishing The Multi Storey
The face of Beeston will change for ever from the 8th May when work begins to
demolish the multi storey car park. This has been closed since the end of March
and needs to go to make way for the tram. The Shopmobility team, which was
based in the car park, has moved to 17 The Square and continues to operate.

14. Raleigh Take Over Talks
One of Nottinghams most famous firms, Raleigh Bikes, who are based in Eastwood,
have confirmed they are discussing a possible take over by Dutch firm Accell.
If this happens there must then be considerable doubt over how much work would
continue in Eastwood, but I hope that they will and the Economic Development
team at the borough council are looking at what we can do to help.

15. Lost The Plot Writing Sessions
On 16th April 2012, supported by Stapleford Town Council, Dave Wood’s
performance, ‘Lost the Plot’ launched a series of creative writing sessions
at The Carnegie Centre, Warren Avenue, Stapleford; the sessions will be 23rd
April, May 14th, May 28th and June 11th. Cost is £16 for the full course. For
those interested in being creative with words, they can contact Dave on
O77O9977684 or email him on davewrite2002 @ yahoo.com.

As ever thank you for your support for this newsletter, and any feedback is
gratefully received. I’ll just end with this little anecdote from today.
It’s my birthday tomorrow and my five year old daughter decided to
demonstrate her maths ability to me this afternoon. “Daddy, how old are you
now?” “I’m 45 darling.” “So tomorrow you’ll be 46.” “Yes
darling, well done.” “Gosh, that’s really old!” As they say, from the
mouths of babes and sucklings…

Best wishes

David

31st March 2012

1. Beeston Multi-Storey Car Park
The multi-storey car park in Beeston closes tonight for the last time, prior to
being demolished over the next few weeks to make way for the tram. Even if the
tram hadn’t been coming the car park would have needed substantial work on it
to bring it up to modern standards. Alternative parking can be found at the
following locations:

Short Stay Car Parks
Foster Avenue
City Road (North)
City Road (South)
Regent Street

Long Stay Car Parks
Albion Street
Middle Street and Middle Central
Derby Street (Middle)
Derby Street (South)
Pre-paid season tickets will only be accepted at long stay car parks. Beeston
Shopmobility will be moving to 17, The Square, Beeston on 31st March. For full
details of all the parking in Broxtowe Borough visit www.broxtowe.gov.uk or
contact Broxtowe Borough Council on 0115 917 7777.

2. National Planning Policy Framework
The Government this week published the national planning policy framework, the
new set of rules for planning in the UK. They published a draft last year
which, whilst it had a lot of good things in it, also had some flaws. It was
criticised by numerous organisations about the way it threatened the green
belt, and I was one of many people who has lobbied the government over this.
I’m pleased to say that much of this lobbying has paid off and the new rules
are far better. That will have a significant impact here in Broxtowe where the
previous government had left our green belt very exposed to development. I was
extremely surprised to read in Anna Soubry’s newsletter this week a claim
that the council wanted to develop the land north of Toton, when she is fully
aware that the council voted unanimously to support a motion that I proposed
last year to delete this site from the list of preferred sites.

3. Calling All Retailers
The borough council’s “Calling All Retailers” event which was cancelled
earlier this month has now been rescheduled for 25th April. This is a training
event for independent retailers aimed at helping them to improve sales and
performance. It takes place at the Belfrey hotel in Nuthall and costs £10.
Details are available from the council’s economic development team on (0115)
917 3446.

4. Changes to Recycling Services
The council is currently in the process of changing contractors for plastic
bottles, cardboard cartons and paper at 4 of the following recycling sites:
• Sainsbury's, Stoney Street, Beeston NG9 2LA
• Sainsbury's, Green Street, Kimberley NG16 2LY
• Morrison's, Kelham Way, Eastwood NG16 3NT
• Co-op, Victoria Street, Stapleford NG9 7AN
There has been a short break in services at some of the sites but new
facilities should be in place at all of them early next week.

5. Easter Football
There is an opportunity for children, both boys and girls, aged 7-10 years old
to get involved and play football during the school holidays. The holiday
sessions will take place at Manor Farm Recreation Ground in Toton, NG9 6EL on
4th April from 9.00am for 7 hours.

6. Nuthall Craft Fair
A craft and plant sale will take place at Nuthall Temple Centre, Nottingham
Road, Nuthall, in aid of local friendship and luncheon clubs. Stalls cost from
£6, and entry is only 50p. Refreshments are available, plenty of parking and
all in a good cause. Details are available from sue@nuthallparishcouncil.co.uk

7. Broxtowe 5K and Fun Run
The Broxtowe 5k and fun run will take place at Bramcote Park on 13th April,
starting at 6.30pm. It is billed as an ideal introduction to running for both
the young and old. The race is suitable for those who are new to running or
those who are looking for an additional race to take part in. Entry for the 5K
is £5.50 per person and entry for the1K is £3.00 per person. Enter online for
this discounted price (Normal costs are £8.50 for the 5K and £4.00 for the
1K). Minimum age for the 5K is 14yrs. Minimum age for 1K Fun Run is 5yrs. All
children must be supervised by an adult. Children under the age of 8yrs must
have an adult running with them. Details are available on the councils web site
at www.broxtowe.gov.uk or by ringing (0115) 917 3572.

8. Children’s Arts and Crafts Workshops
Spring is in the air this Easter with the council’s have-a-go arts and crafts
workshops. Make something special to take home with follow our themed trail
around the exhibition area to win a small prize! All children must be
accompanied by a responsible adult. These run on Tues 3rd, Weds 4th Thurs 5th,
Tues 10th and Weds 11th April 2012, from 10.30am -1.00pm and 1.30pm - 4.00pm at
D.H. Lawrence Heritage Centre, Mansfield Road, Eastwood, Nottingham. Admission
is £3.00 per child, Broxtowe Leisure Card holders get in for £2.50, D.H.
Lawrence Annual Members Free. The first accompanying adult gets in free with a
£1.00 charge for additional adults. For more information, please contact or
email the D.H. Lawrence Heritage Centre on culture@broxtowe.gov.uk or by
ringing 01773 717 353

9. Neville Sadler Court
The owners of Neville Sadler Court in Beeston, part of which was due to be
demolished to make way for the tram, have now announced that they intend to
close the home altogether. They will need to make arrangements to rehouse all
of the residents, some of whom have lived there for a number of years.

10. Herons
I was delighted to read that a record number of heron nests have been
identified at Attenborough Nature Reserve. As herons rely on a sufficient
supply of food this is an indication that the water quality is also of
extremely good quality at the moment.

11. Beeston Maltings
Heineken, who own the building, have applied for planning permission to
demolish the Maltings in Beeston. This application will need to be looked at
by the Development Control Committee rather than dealt with administratively. I
will keep people informed about how this application progresses.

12. Planning Application in Nuthall
A planning application has been submitted to build 139 houses in Nuthall next
to the A610 near Nuthall Island. This will also be looked at by the Development
Control Committee.

13. The Budget
For some reason the national media seemed to miss reporting on how the vote
went on the budget (probably because they were too busy reporting on the
complete mishandling of the non-existent fuel crisis) so just in case you
missed it when it came to the vote labour voted against raising tax allowances,
which will give more than 40,000 people in Broxtowe a cut in tax, but they
abstained on the vote to cut the 50p top rate of tax to 45p. In blunt terms,
they opposed cutting tax for the poor but not for the rich.

14. Open Cast Mining
Anna Soubry has reported this week that an application is likely to be
submitted by UK Coal to carry out open cast mining between Cossall and Trowell.
This is something that all local political parties are opposed to and I hope we
will work together to oppose it. Anna Soubry and I have already raised it with
Eric Pickles when we met him last year and notified him of the strength of
feeling locally in case the decision ends up with him. This application does
not come to the borough council but instead is dealt with by the County
Council. As soon as an application is submitted I will let people know.

15. Highways
All responsibility for dealing with highways matters passes tonight from the
borough council to the county council. However all your Lib-Dem borough
councillors will continue to raise highway concern on your behalf should you
wish.

Given that next weekend is the Easter weekend there will be no newsletter
then, and the next edition will come out on 13th April.

As ever thank you for your support for this newsletter, and any feedback is
gratefully received.
Best wishes
David

24th March 2012

1. Revamp of the Square
I was delighted to read a statement this week from Henry Boot, who own the
lease on Beeston Town Square, to say that they hope to complete the first stage
of redeveloping the Square by early 2014. This is what councillors had always
worked for and wanted, and it has been a real benefit in negotiations that the
council has always acted unanimously over this. I hope that the necessary
contracts can be signed as quickly as possible to that work can proceed.

2. School Places
The County Council have announced the creation of a new school admissions forum
to oversee the process of allocating children to school. The aim is to ensure
that any vulnerable children are placed quickly and also to ensure that the
system works as well as possible. This is something that I think every parent
will welcome.

3. New Books For Libraries
The County Council have announced a new tie up with the City Council and Derby
City Council to purchase books for their libraries. The new consortium will be
able to negotiate cheaper prices given their larger purchasing power, which
again is some good news to welcome.

4. The Budget
As ever with a coalition there will be some things that I like and some that I
don’t. However I‘m delighted that the personal allowance for income tax
will be going up so much, which was a key Lib-Dem policy. The impact in
Broxtowe is that 47,900 people will pay less tax than previously, and 3,600
local residents will no longer have to pay tax at all. If you are a higher rate
tax payer (as I am) then the benefit will be significantly less because of the
change in the point that higher rates kick in, but I firmly believe that those
who earn more should pay more (and so yes, I would have preferred to keep the
50p rate but the big winners in the budget are millions of ordinary workers,
not a few of the ultra-rich). I’m disappointed that the media have referred
to a granny tax, which is a complete misreporting of the change to allowances
and will cause considerable worry for some people. The position is that until
now pensioners were able to earn more before paying tax than people of working
age. This anomaly has been removed so that everyone starts to pay tax at the
same point. Pensioners will still benefit from a huge increase in pensions next
month, the biggest increase ever in pensions, and this was another key Lib-Dem
policy implemented by the coalition.

5. Challenge to Anna Soubry
You may have seen on the national news a group of doctors have announced plans
to challenge a group of coalition MP’s over the NHS reforms. Amongst the
seats that they have identified to challenge is Broxtowe. I have to say that,
whilst I think that there were some significant flaws with the bill, the 1,000
amendments that the lib-Dems made to the bill have made it far better than it
was originally. Issues like greater democratic accountability are to be
welcomed, but I am aware that many people retain concerns over the bill.

6. Tram jobs
Some 40 new jobs are being advertised by the tram consortium at the moment. One
of the things that we have sought to ensure with the tram is that jobs go to
local people where possible, and so I’m delighted that the consortium are
honouring their commitments to recruit locally. Details are available at the
Borough Council web site at www.broxtowe.gov.uk.

7. Retained Firefighters
Notts Fire Brigade are seeking to recruit new retained firefighters for a
number of locations in the County, including Stapleford. You need to live or
work within 5 minutes of the station on Pinfold Lane to be eligible. Retained
firefighters receive an annual allowance and an hourly rate for being on call.
Details are available at www.notts-fire.gov.uk. I also saw this week that the
fire service has received a share of a £5.4 million grant from the government
to upgrade its control centre. This is a big improvement on the system under
the previous government where they decided to merge all the regional control
centres into one, and took out a very long and expensive lease on a building to
do this, which was never ever used.

8. Work on the A453
It is likely that the rebuilding of the A453 will start in the early part of
next year. In the short term this is likely to lead to more traffic on the A52
as drivers come up to junction 25 to avoid the works. However in the long term
the benefits of having an improved A453 are massive.

9. Crime Threat in Beeston?
Residents in Clifford Avenue and Dennis Avenue in Beeston have been left very
concerned after a number of houses were marked with an X during the week, and
are worried that this may be thieves identifying potential targets. If anyone
has any information about these please contact the police or, if you do not
want to contact them directly, speak to myself or Cllr Steve Carr and we will
pass any messages on.

10. Wind Turbine Proposals
The Borough Council, along with the City Council, are currently considering an
application from Nottingham University to install three large wind turbines
alongside the Trent in Beeston Rylands. Now East Midlands Airport has submitted
a formal objection to the proposals as they are worried that it would interfere
with the airport radar system. This would appear to be a very significant
factor for the councils to take into account.

11. New Role For Chief Constable
Notts Police’s Chief Constable Julia Hodson, who is due to retire next year,
is to stand aside early to take up a role with ACPO, the Association of Chief
Police Officers. The Deputy Chief Constable Chris Eyre will become the Acting
Chief Constable in her place.

12. Tram Survey
I was interested to read this week that 88 per cent of Hucknall residents gave
the tram a positive rating when surveyed by the Nottingham Post. Hucknall is
the terminus for Line One, and having such a positive response is very
encouraging and offers considerable comfort to residents in Chilwell and
Beeston who will have to put up with disruption whilst the new line in built.
The council have a significant responsibility to ensure that people are kept
informed with what is going on during the next couple of years.

13. Round Hill Primary School
Congratulations to the pupils of Round Hill Primary school who have been
shortlisted for the top prize in the Climate Week Challenge, the biggest
environmental competition in the UK. They are in the 7-9 year old group, for
their efforts creating a vegetable garden and also an area for chickens on the
roof. The results will be announced on Monday.

14. East Midlands Trains
A Which? survey on train overcrowding reported that in 37% of East Midlands
Trains journeys all the seats were taken and people had to stand. Whilst this
is a very large figure it is probably a distortion of the figures as passengers
who had problems are more likely to fill in the survey than those who don’t.
Nevertheless it is a figure that should concern the company management.

15. GRO Business Event
The GRO Business event promoted by the borough council on 29th March has
unfortunately been cancelled. A new date will be announced shortly.

16. Bramcote CAT Meeting
If you live in Bramcote you will be very welcome to attend the next CAT meeting
on Monday, starting at 7.30pm at the Memorial Hall.

17. Stanton Island Master Plan
The owners of Stanton Ironworks have published a new master plan for the
development of the site. This is in Erewash but almost adjoining Broxtowe, and
so will have a significant impact on us. The new proposals include 1,950 homes,
a care village, a new primary school and public open spaces, but have no new
roads whatsoever. I really don’t think that this will work as the existing
roads couldn’t cope with the new levels of traffic. The plans can be seen at
www.erewashcouncil.com/stanton.

As ever thank you for your support for this newsletter, and any feedback is
gratefully received.

Best wishes

David

18th March 2012

1. Chilwell and Toton By Elections
As I mentioned in my brief email on Thursday night the Conservatives won both
the County and Borough by elections in Chilwell and Toton. In the County
Council election Dr John Doddy polled 1,958 votes, I polled 1,375 votes and
UKIP polled 682 votes. There are different ways of calculating percentage
changes because it is a multi-member ward when full elections take place, and
so for consistency I will use the percentages shown by the County Council. This
puts the Conservatives on 48% (up 5%), me on 34% (up 20.6%) and UIP on 17% (up
7%). Whilst the absence of a Labour candidate affects these percentages we had
a huge swing to us and to get within 600 votes from an electorate of 16,000 is
a very narrow margin. I read a sour grapes email from Labour today trying to
claim that we were miles behind, possibly inspired because I had threatened to
sue after another recent Labour email until they printed an apology, which they
did the same day. Make your own minds up.) May I thank everyone who supported
me in the election, and especially those who helped in any way. I’m now
looking forward to the rematch next year.

2. Cllr Milan Radulovic
As regular readers will recall, the leader of Broxtowe Borough Council, Cllr
Milan Radulovic, stepped aside at the start of this year following him being
charged with an offence of fraud. He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates Court
on Friday where he indicated that he would be pleading not guilty and the case
has been sent to the Crown Court because of the amount of money involved. He
will appear there for a preliminary hearing at the end of this month but his
trial is unlikely to take place before the summer.

3. Alderman Pounder School
Alderman Pounder school in Chilwell has received a grant of £50,000 from the
Ministry of Defence to help it provide specialist support for children of
service personnel. The school currently has 33 children of service personnel on
its books and the money will be very welcome. A new sensory room will be
amongst the new facilities built as a result.

4. Portas High Streets
As you may be aware the Government is looking at funding redevelopment of 11
high streets in the UK following recommendations by Mary Portas. Broxtowe will
be submitting two bids for this, one for Beeston, put together by the Beeston
BID team, and the other a combined bid for Stapleford, Eastwood and Kimberley.
Bids are going in this month and the Government will make a decision by the
summer.

5. Cycling the Tram Route
Cycling group Pedals have organised a ride along the route of the new tram line
as part of it’s campaign for a new cycle route to be installed along the
track. Pedals also want to ensure that proper provision is made for cyclists
along the route. The ride will take place on 29th March, leaving the South
Nottingham College site in Chilwell at 11am.

6. Good news on jobs front
A new survey by Manpower UK has suggested that the East Midlands has the
highest percentage of firms in the country intending to create new jobs in the
next year. As a result the regions job market could expand by 10%. In the gloom
and doom of most media reports it’s good to have such encouraging news.

7. No hosepipe ban
Severn Trent Water have issued a statement this week saying that there will not
be a hose pipe ban in Nottinghamshire despite the fact that we are at high risk
of drought. It is important obviously that we seek to preserve water stocks and
not waste water, but at the same time I think back to my childhood in Africa
when we knew it wouldn’t rain for ten months each year yet we coped, and I
wonder at why we in Britain handle water so badly. A little more planning by
consumers and a huge degree of more planning by the water companies would make
a massive difference. The Environment Agency publishes suggestions on how to
save water on their web site at
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/drought/31755.aspx.

8. Waste Consultation
The county council has teamed up with the city council to launch a public
consultation on how the county’s waste is handled. Their new strategy
includes proposals to recycle 70% of waste by 2025, increasing the amount of
waste converted to energy and reducing the amount sent to landfill. The
consultation is available at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/wastehaveyoursay.

9. County Council Savings
The County Council have announced that they have saved more than £90,000 on
it’s fuel costs for it’s vehicles. Most of this has been achieved through
running a smaller fleet of vehicles. The council aims to save more than
£900,000 overall from it’s travel budget this year, and savings such as this
are to be welcomed.

10. Retained Firefighters Needed in Eastwood
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service is on the look-out for firefighters in
Eastwood. The service needs ‘on call’ firefighters who live within five
minutes of the station in Nottingham Road. They need to be available for at
least 12 hours in a 24-hour period, and be able to attend weekly training and
some weekend courses. A pager will alert them to an emergency call and they
could find themselves responding to fires, road traffic collisions, trapped
people and animals, flooding and other water rescue incidents. Firefighters
also get involved in fire prevention activities, helping to promote fire
safety. To find out more, call 0115 967 5842 or visit notts-fire.gov.uk or
jobs.eastmidlandsfire-recruitment.gov.uk. The closing date is April 15.

11. Free Leisure Centre Trials
Broxtowe Borough Council is inviting Vitality Health and Fitness members to
bring a friend to its Bramcote, Chilwell Olympia and Kimberley Leisure Centres
for a free taste of their fitness suites, classes, swimming pools and health
suites all weekend on March 24 and 25. Members will then be rewarded with one
month’s free membership if their friend joins. Ring Kimberley Leisure Centre
on 9173366 or email kimberleylc@broxtowe.gov.uk for details.

12. Broxtowe Warm Zone
Full loft and cavity wall insulation is now FREE* to ALL home owners & private
tenants until 31st March 2012. (*subject to survey) Contact the team for a free
home energy survey on (0845) 539 0390. Broxtowe Warm Zone is a home insulation
scheme designed for home owners and private tenants to make homes in the
Borough of Broxtowe affordably warm and energy efficient. The scheme aims to
help residents cut their fuel bills by providing free or discounted grants for
cavity wall and loft insulation to help save money and reduce the effects of
climate change. I used it last year and although I didn’t qualify for free
insulation it still provided massively reduced rates and a first rate service.

13. Rainbow Charity Ball
The Mayor’s Rainbow Charity Ball will take place at the Belfrey Hotel,
Nuthall, on 21st April. Tickets cost £32 and are available from the
Council’s civic office on (0115) 917 3210.

14. Jubilee Beacons
To mark the Queens diamond jubilee this summer 2,012 beacons will be lit across
the country at 10.00pm on Monday 4th June including those at the following
events in Broxtowe Borough:
• The Gate Inn, Awsworth
• Sandy Lane Open Space, Bramcote
• Common Lane, Bramcote
• Coaltip near Cockerhouse Farm, Brinsley

15. Dog Microchipping
Broxtowe Borough Council will host the Low Cost Microchip event on the Beeston
Fields Recreation Ground, Central Avenue, Beeston on Wednesday 21at March
between 12.30pm and 2.30pm. The drop-in event will invite borough residents to
microchip their dogs for just £5.00. Non-borough residents are also able to
microchip their animals at the event for just £15.00. For further details
please contact the Neighbourhood Wardens on (0115) 917 3142.

16. Open Word Night
On the 28th March 2012 at Two for Tea, 92 Derby Rd, Stapleford; there is an
Open Word Night with Poetry and storytelling. Doors open at 7pm to start at
7.30pm. Members of the audience are invited to bring things to read or perform,
be the audience or both. Admission is free and there will be a break for
cakes. Places can be booked via davewrite2002@yahoo.com.

As ever thank you for your support for this newsletter, and any feedback is
gratefully received.
Best wishes
David

10th March 2012

1. Chilwell Action Week
I mentioned last week that I’d asked the council to tackle the dog fouling in
Chilwell and Toton. Since then several people have asked that other areas be
looked at as well and I’ll take those forward. However in the meantime the
initiative in Chilwell has expanded, and we have now arranged the first of
several action weeks there. As well as the dog fouling we have arranged for the
removal of rubbish and cleaning up graffiti. Much of the work will be done by
offenders on the Community Payback scheme, and the action week will commence on
16th April.

2. Chilwell and Toton By Election
Talking of Chilwell leads me to mention that the by elections for the Chilwell
and Toton County Council seat, and also for the Toton and Chilwell Meadows
Borough Council seat, take place this coming Thursday, 15th March. I am our
candidate for the County Council and Barbara Carr is our candidate for the
Borough Council. May I thank everyone who has given my team and I such a good
reception during this campaign. Our canvassing suggests that the result is too
close to call, and interestingly it may come down to the Labour and Green
voters, even though their party’s aren’t standing. If their supporters
simply stay at home and don’t vote then that will help the Tories, but if
they turn out and vote for me then we have a far better chance of winning.
I’ve been out campaigning every day but whilst I’ve seen some Tory
activists out and about I haven’t seen their candidate at all. I guess that
as he is a GP he must be extremely busy. Even though Labour do have a candidate
in the borough council election I don’t think that they have done anything
whatsoever during the election. They can’t win but they can stop Barbara from
winning if people switch their borough votes to Labour for any reason. If
anyone in Toton or Chilwell would like to display a Lib-Dem poster please let
me know and I’ll get one to you.

3. Super Fast Broadband
The Borough Council agreed at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday to put funding
into establishing a super fast broadband network on Broxtowe. This is part of a
countywide project being funded by the County Council and the district
councils. This should be a big boost for local businesses in particular, giving
them the fastest possible connection speeds.

4. Potential Development Sites
As part of the continuing process of developing a borough wide development plan
for the next twenty years the council is now seeking suggestions for any
further possible development sites that have not yet been looked at. This is a
process which was supported by all three parties on the borough council. Full
details are available on this link:
http://www.broxtowe.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4222.

5. Village Ventures Production
On Thursday 29th March Village Ventures present Coope, Boyes & Simpson in
concert at Chilwell Arts Theatre, Chilwell School, Queens Road West NG9 5AL.
Tickets cost £8 (£6 conc) from the school on 0115 9252698 or 0758 426 3893 or
on the door. The concert starts at 7.30pm and is suitable for all the family.

6. Martin Jackaman
Congratulations to Bramcote resident Martin Jackaman. Until he retired last
year Martin was an adult social care manager for Nottingham City Council, and
he developed the Changing Places toilet which is now the standard by which all
other disabled toilets are judged. As a mark of appreciation the city council
have decided to name a day care centre after him.

7. Bramcote Youth Football Team
Congratulations to one of the Bramcote Youth Football teams, who have completed
the double. They are a long way ahead in the league and also won the cup this
week, beating Ilkeston Juniors 4-3 last weekend. A match report is available at
http://www.bramcotefc.org.uk/bfc/teams/matchreport.asp?id=14433&idTeam=7&idType=0&idlt=107&idlds=40

8. Roger Helmer
East Midlands Euro MP Roger Helmer has defected from the Conservatives and
joined UKIP. This means that the East Midlands now has two UKIP MEP’s, two
Labour MEP’s, one Liberal Democrat and one Conservative.

9. Clay Art At Attenborough
Attenborough Nature reserve is hosting a family event for people to learn how
to make clay art tomorrow between 12 and 3pm. This is one of a number of events
that the reserve puts on each month, and I’m delighted to be a director of
the visitors centre there as it is such a valuable resource for the local
community.

10. Disappointing Performance Figures for Ambulance Service
Figures produced by the Department of Health showed that East Midlands
Ambulance Service reached 76% of life-threatening emergencies within 8 minutes
during January. This is above the Government target of 75% but below the
national average of 77.9%. The trust was also the worst performing in the
country for reaching people by ambulance within19 minutes, achieving this in
92.5% of cases against a national average of 97%. The Government target for
this is 95%.

11. Metal Thefts
Notts police have revealed that metal thefts are up by 13% this year in the
county. Whilst most crime is falling this is an area of considerable increase,
so please be vigilant. The borough council has already established that in
appropriate cases it will give planning permission for lead on church roofing
to be replaced by modern alternatives.

As ever thank you for your support for this newsletter, and any feedback is
gratefully received.
Best wishes
David

3rd March 2012

1. Council Tax
The big event this week was the Council Meeting on Wednesday evening when I’m
pleased to say that the proposal to freeze council tax at it’s current level
met with near unanimous support. This is the first time that I can ever
remember all three parties supporting the budget, although three Labour members did vote against as they wanted a rise in council tax.

2. Wilkinsons Petition
Also at the council meeting on Wednesday a very sizeable petition was submitted
calling on the council to act to try and ensure that Wilkinsons remain in
Beeston. This had been organised by the Beestonia blog and, although there was
no vote on the matter, it was clear that all councillors had taken this on
board and were committed to the cause.

3. Cancer research Pamper Evening
A CHARITY pamper evening is being held in Eastwood to raise money for Cancer
Research UK, at Eastwood Comprehensive School on March 7 between 6pm and 9pm.
Treatments will include manicures, Indian head massage, mini-facials and nail
art from only £3, with taster sessions of reflexology and deep oscillation
massage therapy from £5. Beauty products, costume jewellery, books, patchwork
presents, fashion accessories, cakes, candles, cards and gifts, will be on
sale. Tickets are £2 in advance or £2.50 on the door. Entry includes a glass
of wine and nibbles. Tickets are available from Josie Forrest at
rex.forrest@ntlworld.com.

4. Open Meeting at Bramcote Park School
On Monday 12th March at 7pm there will be an open Meeting (in the school
library) at Bramcote Park School to discuss school performance with Mr Dean,
Executive Head Teacher and the school governors. This has been arranged for
parents whose children may attend the school in the future, at the request of a
number of them. The aim is to discuss the schools recent academic performance
and the steps being taken to improve it, and also what the parents can do to
support the school. Further details are available from Cathy Peacock
(andy.cathy@ntlworld.com | 07812 955814), Jo Bird (jojomilburn@yahoo.co.uk |
07739 700569) and Katie Dearden (Katie_dearden@hotmail.co.uk | 07503 151 120).

5. MP’s Engagement
Congratulations to Ashfield MP Gloria del Piero who announced her engagement
last weekend. Her partner is James Robinson, an author and journalist.

6. Tram Information
NET will be holding an information evening about progress on the tram and what
is likely to be happening next at Eskdale Junior School, Eskdale Drive, from
5.30pm to 8.00pm on March 6th. People are welcome to drop in at any point
during these hours.

7. Alex Britton
Congratulations to the Nottingham Posts Broxtowe reporter Alex Britton who has
been promoted to a columnist. As well as covering the Broxtowe news Alex will
now be writing a weekly politics column every Friday. I look forward to reading
this. I know that the Leverson enquiry is throwing up a lot of stuff about
links between politicians and the press at the moment but I don’t think that
this is too much of an issue locally, so I think I’m safe to say that Alex is
a really nice guy who deserves the new position. A piece by Alex this week
which is well worth a read was his preview of the by election in Chilwell and
Toton which you can read at
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Pounding-streets-Chilwell-Toton-win-voters/story-15351530-detail/story.html.
Be warned though, there is a photo of me at the start of it!

8. Asbestos Related Cancers
A new report published this week says that there is a higher than average rate
of asbestos linked cancers in the Broxtowe Borough. There are 2.8 deaths per
100,000 people in Broxtowe, compared to a national average of 2.5. This seems a
fairly small figure but of course each of those is a personal tragedy.

9. Last Chance For Free Home Insulation
Broxtowe Warm Zone is offering free full loft and cavity wall insulation to all
home owners, private landlords and private tenants before Saturday 31st March,
subject to survey. Contact Broxtowe Warm Zone on 08455 390 390 to arrange your
free home energy survey. As well as insulation they also provide advice on
water efficiency. I used them last year and they were excellent.

10. Broxtowe 5K and fun run
The Broxtowe 5K and fun run will take place on 13th April this year, around
Bramcote Park. It is an ideal introduction to running for both the young and
old. Take part and enjoy a run around the beautiful scenery at Bramcote Park.
The race is suitable for those who are new to running or those more experienced
who are looking for an additional race to take part in. Entry for the 5K is
£5.50 per person and entry for the1K is £3.00 per person. Enter online at
http://www.broxtowe.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=10177 for this discounted price
(Normal costs are £8.50 for the 5K and £4.00 for the 1K). The minimum age for
the 5K is 14yrs and for the 1K Fun Run is 5yrs. All children must be supervised
by an adult. Children under the age of 8yrs must have an adult running with
them.

11. Take Part Art Programme
Broxtowe Borough Council has pleasure in introducing the new 'Take Part ART'
programme which will take place between Sat 10th and Sunday 25thMarch 2012
including workshops for adults in locations across the borough, A Family
Experience and Family Workshops at Attenborough Nature Centre and a Tabletop
Art Exhibition & Sale at the Town Hall In Beeston. This new exciting programme
will replace the Indigenous Annual Art Exhibition which took place at the D.H
Lawrence Heritage Centre from 2007 - 2011. Due to a decline in exhibitor and
visitor numbers over recent years we have reviewed our opportunities for local
artists and people within the borough and have devised the new 'Take Part ART'
programme for 2012, our Twentieth year of providing art & event opportunities
for people across the borough to enjoy. Events in the 'Take Part ART' Programme
include:
• Take Part Art Workshop for Adults
• 'Take Part Art' Free Family Experience on Sunday 11th March
• Table Top Art Exhibition & Sale on Saturday 24th March
• 'Take Part Art' Family Workshop on Sunday 25th March
More details are available from the borough councils What’s on Where service
at www.broxtowe.gov.uk

12. Wedding Open Day
Tomorrow, 4th March, the D.H. Lawrence Heritage will welcome couples to find
out more about the charming Victorian building, steeped in history with links
to Eastwood's most famous son, the writer D.H. Lawrence, as the centre
showcases its intimate and affordable wedding venue. This takes place at
Durban House from 11am through to 3pm.

13. Fairtrade Beeston 6th March - Meet the Producer
Every year, Fairtrade Fortnight is a chance to spread the word about the
benefits of Fairtrade, and how you can get involved in making trade fairer by
promoting Fairtrade in your area. This year, Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 27
February to 11 March. Moses Renee, a Fairtrade banana producer from St Lucia in
the Windward Isles, is coming to Beeston to talk about his experiences of
Fairtrade and the benefits it has for his community. Moses has been growing
bananas since he was 16, has served as president and vice president of his
local Fairtrade farmers group, and has used some of the profits from his
Fairtrade sales to open a non-profit pre-school accommodating up to 40
children.
Fairtrade Beeston are delighted to be able to invite you to join us to hear
Moses talk and answer your questions. You’ll also be able to sample a range
of delicious Fairtrade products (hopefully including a glass of Fairtrade
wine!) over informal chatting, visit stalls with a wide range of Fairtrade
products (such as food, gifts and toys), and find out more about how we can
support Fairtrade in Beeston. This promises to be a fascinating, unique and
enjoyable event.
The Meet the Producer event is on Tuesday 6 March, 6pm for a 6.30 start until
8.30, in Beeston Town Hall, Foster Avenue, Beeston. The event is free. To help
with planning, if possible please reserve a place by emailing
contact@fairtradebeeston.org.uk

14. Beeston Camera Club Annual Print Exhibition
Beeston Camera Club hold this event every year at the Beeston Library at Foster
Avenue which is free and non-profit making to show a cross-section of its
members work. It is now on at the Library through to the end of the month. For
more information please visit the Club's website at
http://www.beestoncameraclub.co.uk/.

15. Low Cost Dog Microchipping Event
Broxtowe Borough Council will host the Low Cost Microchip event on the Beeston
Fields Recreation Ground, Central Avenue, Beeston on Wednesday 21at March
between 12.30pm and 2.30pm. The drop-in event will invite borough residents to
microchip their dogs for just £5.00. Non-borough residents are also able to
microchip their animals at the event for just £15.00. For further details
please contact the Neighbourhood Wardens on 0115 917 3142.

As ever thank you for your support for this newsletter, and any feedback is
gratefully received. May I remind all Chilwell and Toton residents that you
have a by election coming up on 15th March. The Lib-Dem candidates are myself
(for the County Council) and Barbara Carr (for the Borough Council). We’ve
had a great reception from people so far.

Best wishes

David

25th February 2012

1. Chilwell and Toton By Election
Thank you to everyone for the reception that you have given Barbara Carr,
myself and our team as we have been campaigning for the County and Borough
Council by elections on 15th March. We’re delighted with the reception that
we have received. I’m not sure how the Tories are finding things as I see
that they have decided to attack me personally in their latest leaflet,
questioning my integrity and judgement. What a shame that their campaign has leapt straight into the gutter.

2. Dog Mess
One thing that struck Barbara and I as we’ve been campaigning is the sheer
amount of dog mess that we’ve seen on some streets. We therefore raised this
with the borough council and I’m delighted that they have agreed to take
urgent action. A visual inspection has been carried out to identify the worst
streets and new signage has been erected encouraging people to clear up any
mess that their dogs make. An intensive clean up of the roads will be carried
out in the next few weeks. The worst streets appear to be Inham Road, Valley
Road and Wheatgrass Road in Chilwell, and Seaburn Road, Bispham Drive and
Whitburn Road in Toton, but please let me know if you think that there are
other roads that need adding to that list.

3. Mayors Charity Ball
The Mayors charity ball will take place on 21st April from 7pm, and Funds
raised will go towards the Mayors chosen charities, the Rainbows Hospice and
the Link Youth Café. Tickets cost £32 and are available from the Borough
Council on 0115 917 3210 or on this link:
http://www.broxtowe.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=9892. The Mayor this year is my
Lib-Dem colleague Jacky Williams who represents Stapleford South East.
Incidentally, I saw an appeal this week from the Link café that they were
looking for new volunteers. If you are interested please visit
linkyouthcafe@live.co.uk .

4. Beeston Seed Swap
I have been asked to publicise the Beeston Seed Swap, organised by ABC LETS. It
takes place on Saturday 3rd March, at Wollaton Rd Methodist Church, Wollaton
Road, Beeston, from 9.30-12.30. Entrance is free, with seeds, gardening books
and sundries also free. Donations of the same are welcome. The Church coffee
shop will be open throughout. For more information contact Mary Venning (0115)
854 2994 or Richard Eddleston: riedd@btopenworld.com or see
www.abclets.org.uk.

5. Council Budgets
The County Council set their budget on Thursday last week, following a mammoth
11 hour meeting. They have decided not to raise council tax this year, and a
proposal by Labour to increase council tax by 3% was defeated. The budget does
include cuts of £37 million to services. This Wednesday the Borough Council
will meet to discuss our proposals for next year, and the joint Lib-Dem/Labour
administration are proposing no increase in council tax for the second year
running. In contrast to the County Council, the Borough Council proposals
protect front line services throughout.

6. Toton Housing Proposals
Somewhere between 450 and 600 people attended a display at the Japanese Water
Gardens on Tuesday this week when Peverill Securities displayed their proposals
for building in Toton. I spoke to one of the PR people there who said that they
had received some positive responses, but the overwhelming view of people when
I was there was extremely negative. Anna Soubry failed to attend, although she
had said that she would be there, but one Tory councillor was there telling
people I was personally wholly in favour of the scheme, which is simply not the
truth.

7. Beeston Library
Beeston Library has now reopened after a major refit. The children’s library
is now downstairs and there is new lighting throughout the building.

8. Basil Russell Park, Nuthall
The Basil Russell Park in Nuthall has reopened after a £60,000 facelift. A
significant amount of new play equipment has been installed for children,
funded by the county council.

That’s it for this week. It must be the shortest edition of the newsletter
for months, but there just doesn’t seem to be much to report this week. As
ever thank you for your support for this newsletter, and any feedback is
gratefully received. You can send feedback via emails, the web, or Facebook.
All the details are below.

Best wishes

David

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