Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, on behalf of the Lib-Dems in Broxtowe. I hope that everyone has had a pleasant half term.

1. EU Referendum
If you are not yet registered to vote then you need to do so rapidly to be able to have a say in the referendum. The deadline is midnight on Tuesday. You can register to vote online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. If you are already registered to vote in general and local elections then you don’t need to do it again, but if you aren’t registered then you can’t vote. If anyone would like a Remain In poster to display please let me know and I can arrange for you to have one.

2. Hemlock Happening
Next Saturday is the annual Hemlock Happening at Bramcote Park. This is a huge annual event in the borough and everyone is welcome to attend. Admission is free and there will be a range of exhibitions and stall, together two stages of bands and entertainment. It kicks off at 12 and finishes with a firework display at 10.00pm. I’ll be at the Bramcote Park Community Café marquee so do please pop in and say hello.

3. Nuthall Island
A report that came out last week identified the Nuthall island as one of the two worst junctions in the country for vehicles failing to stop at a red light. Last year 1,700 people were caught failing to stop at red lights on the roundabout. The figures were produced by Ensleigh Insurance and only a junction in Macclesfield recorded more instances of people failing to stop than on the Nuthall Island.

4. Dagfa House School
Dagfa House independent school in Beeston, which had 237 pupils at the time of its last Ofsted inspection, has announced that it will be closing at the end of this academic year. This will be extremely disruptive for pupils who are in the middle of GCSE courses especially, and does not allow much time for parents to make alternative arrangements. Apparently the school has been in financial difficulties for some time and the resignation of the head teacher has led the governors to conclude that they could not continue.

5. Mental Health Bid
The government is being asked to earmark a share of a £15 million fund to help people with mental health problems for a new scheme in Nottinghamshire. At the moment people who are detained under the Mental Health Act, often because they are a danger to themselves, are often detained in police cells despite the fact that they have not committed any crime. A county wide bid has been launched to provide an alternative safe and secure location that people can be taken to in these circumstances. I really welcome this initiative and hope that the money is forthcoming.

6. Recycling Centre Opening Hours
The Beeston tip has now switched to summer opening hours, which means that it is now open from 8am to 8pm every day. Please remember that you also need to register your car with the County Council to be able to use the tip. You can do this at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk.

7. Bramcote Park Community Café
Plans to establish a café and toilet facilities in Bramcote Park have taken a step further forward with the decision of the borough council to accept expressions of interest in developing the facilities. This is an important step in the process and Bramcote Park Community Café CIC, the company owned by local residents who want to ensure that the facilities are developed, have already registered our interest. We will be developing a full business plan over the next few weeks. The council have given quite a wide window for this to be done and so the confirmed provider, which we hope will be the residents company, will not be announced until October. Once we are confirmed as the provider we can then get on with fundraising. We have also launched a new website at www.bramcoteparkcafe.uk to keep people informed about how the scheme is progressing.

8. Tram Extensions
East Midlands Councils (an umbrella group for councils in the region) has this week unveiled plans to extend the Toton tram line right through to Derby. They have made it clear that such a scheme would depend on the HS2 rail line being developed with a station at Toton, and if that happens then they will look to extend the tram to allow commuters from Derby easy access to the station as well.

9. Defibrillators
Broxtowe Borough Council have announced plans to install eight new defibrillators across the borough. The first of these has already been installed in Brinsley Parish Hall and the rest will be being installed over the next few weeks.

10. Eastwood Skate Park
When I was the leader of the borough council about six years ago Eastwood County Councillor Keith Longdon brought two schoolgirls from Eastwood to see me to talk about the poor quality of the skate park in Coronation Park. They had big dreams for how it could be redeveloped and they wanted to start fundraising to bring new equipment in. The results of their efforts was realised this week when the new skate park officially opened. Rhianne Lounds and Beth Lee have raised £250,000 for the new facility and they deserve to be warmly congratulated for their efforts.

11. Love Amongst The Haystacks
A UNIQUE guided walk will give people the opportunity to step foot into the setting of Eastwood-born D.H Lawrence’s short story, ‘Love Among The Haystacks’ next week. The walk, on Saturday 11th June, will take in the sights and sounds of Greasley, which inspired the tale of romance and jealousy among the haystacks, as well as some of Lawrence’s other works. The free walk starts at 10.30am and will take approximately an hour and a half, going along roads, lanes and over fields. Meet in the car park at Colliers Wood, Moorgreen, NG16 3QU. There is no need to book, just turn up and please wear clothes and shoes suitable for the conditions.

12. DH Lawrence Birthplace Museum
Two new initiatives, Artefact Loans and free entry, are being introduced at the D.H Lawrence Birthplace Museum to help local people enjoy the Eastwood born writer’s work. Free entry for a whole year is on offer to the museum for anyone who purchases a full price ticket for standard admission. A loan box service is also now available full of artefacts which can be hired by schools as an education resource or by groups and even care homes to help residents reminisce about their younger years. The box contains a variety of original items from slate boards to laundry tongs, a top hat and a kaleidoscope and can be loaned from just £10.00. Anyone who would like to help support the Museum and preserve the local history of D.H Lawrence Country can donate via the online donations page at http://www.dhlheritage.com/.

13. Beeston and Chilwell Garden Trail
Come and enjoy beautiful gardens of all types and sizes in the annual Beeston and Chilwell Garden Trail. The Garden Trail raises several thousand pounds for local charities and is a chance for anyone to visit and spend time in interesting and beautifully kept gardens, all in different styles and sizes. There are 13 gardens on the Trail this year, some of which are opening for the first time. Owners will also be on hand during the afternoon to share tips and answer questions. Several of the gardens will be providing refreshments and selling plants. There are also other activities such as music and activities for children. Simply turn up at one of the gardens and buy a ticket which gets you into all of them on either day.

14. Mental Health Survey
Healthwatch Nottingham want to know what you think about mental health crisis services across Nottinghamshire and Nottingham city. You don’t need to have had a mental health crisis yourself. You can still give us your views about these services and how you want them to support you if you needed them. If you have had experience of these services they want to know about it, whether it was good or bad. To share your views and experiences visit https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=146158927035&s=citystreetlife or for more information about this project visit http://www.healthwatchnottingham.co.uk/crisis-care.

As ever thank you for your support for this newsletter. Any feedback is gratefully received.

Best wishes

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

   Leave a comment