Parliamentary Candidate for Newark
Liberal Democrat Councillor For Bramcote, Parliamentary Spokesperson for Newark, Editor of Challenge Magazine for the Green Liberal Democrats and Crime and Policing Spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Learn more
by David Watts on 28 January, 2012
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. We have now matched our highest ever number of subscribers and are only 6 short of a very significant milestone. Most of the readers we have are because of recommendations from other readers, so thank you all for your support.
The only place really to start this week is with the developments on the borough council itself. On Monday Toton Conservative borough councillor Craig Cox resigned from the council, triggering a by election. Mr Cos has obtained a new job in London and so is moving away. I fully understand that but it is disappointing that someone who has been elected has served less than twelve months, especially when the Tories dumped their sitting councillor in favour of Mr Cox at the last election.
However that news was overshadowed on Thursday when it was reported that Council leader and Labour leader Milan Radulovic has been charged with a fraud worth £45,000. When the news broke I issued a statement on behalf of, and with the agreement of, the Lib-Dem group, saying that we were aware of the allegations and we believe in the concept of innocent until proved guilty, and we won’t make any further statement until the court proceedings are concluded. You can see the full statement on our website at www.broxtoweliberaldemocrats.org.uk.
There will be two events at the nature reserve during half term. They have declared it nest box week and there will be opportunities to help wildlife by making a bird or bat box, and some bird feeders to take home. The events are suitable for children aged six and over, accompanied by an adult – please bring a saw and hammer if possible. Adults can come along on their own too! Two dates are available, on Thursday February 16th it is a free event for members of the wildlife trust only, so to book please ring the Membership Team on: 0115 958 8242 or email: membership@nottswt.co.uk. You can come along from 10.15am. On Tuesday February 14th it is open to all. Drop in between 10.15am and 12.15pm. Bird boxes £6 each, subject to availability. Contact: Attenborough Nature Centre on 0115 972 1777 for more details. It’s a good time to visit the nature reserve at the moment, I saw a Bittern here this afternoon, a bird I have never seen before.
Do you have a few hours to spare each fortnight? Based at their Nottingham office, Notts Wildlife Trust are currently looking for volunteers to help maintain their pool cars: ensure oil, screen wash, anti-freeze and water are all topped up; generally check the condition of the cars, including cleanliness; make sure tyre conditions are good; and clean the cars when required. Also, they need help with minor building maintenance and repairs. If you think you can help, please get in touch with Julie Reed, Volunteering Officer, on: 0115 958 8242 or email:jreed@nottswt.co.uk.
There was some asbestos dumped at Toton sidings this week. This is of course totally illegal and I’m very grateful to the members of the Toton Environmental Protection Society who contacted me about it so that we could make arrangements to have it cleared up and investigate whether we could prove who dumped it in the first place.
A local filmmaker is looking for a house in Beeston to use as a location in a short film. The advert reads:
The film is set in a modestly furnished semi or detached house. The 2/3 min film will be shot over a weekend at the end of Feb. We need to film in the dining room, sitting room, kitchen and a double bedroom. I will pay some inconvenience money. The film will be for submission to all the major film festivals. Contact Steve by email: steve.deery@ntlworld.com, or call on 07985 199 054
If this is of interest to you please give him a ring.
The 30th January 2012 Perambulatory Poems in Action at Stapleford – 2 – 3pm has no spaces left. But come back/stay for 3.30pm – 4.30pm; join in or sit back and enjoy the quirky world of Instant Theatre. No British Sign Language provided. Supported by Stapleford Town Council. Refreshments too! These are performed by local poet Dave Woods. For those still wanting to see poems in action, books for the following performances…
13th February. 6.30pm – 7.30pm Edwinstowe Library, Edwinstowe.
25th February – 11am – 12noon – Friends’ Meeting House, Clarendon Street, Nottingham
All poetry performances are free, suitable for all ages and include British Sign Language interpretation. Phone O77O9 977684
Lindsay Donnelly (Police, Administrator, Nottinghamshire) writes on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police Authority:
During 2011/12 Nottinghamshire Police with the help of partner organisations has continued to deliver improvements in reducing crime and at the same time achieved significant financial savings through reducing back office costs, collaboration with other Police Forces across the region, voluntary redundancy of police staff and the compulsory retirement of Police Officers after 30 years service. For the year to date the Force has delivered a 7.7% reduction in total crime and achieved the £10.3m savings required for 2011/12.
The Police Authority is considering increasing the Police precept to allow investment in Police officers and Police Community Support Officers to maintain the improvements and achieve further reductions in crime and anti-social behaviour.
I invite your comments ahead of the formal budget setting process at the Police Authority meeting at 10 am on 22nd February 2012 at County Hall. The information is available on the Police Authority website www.nottspa.org.
Any comments on the budget proposal should be sent to the Police Authority by close of business on 10 February 2012.
Feedback can be made to the Police Authority either by post to:
Nottinghamshire Police Authority
County Hall
West Bridgford
Nottingham
Via our website www.nottspa.org, or by email on npa@nottinghamshire.pnn.police.uk
The borough council has delayed plans to determine which, if any, sites will be nominated for new housing in the borough. The decision was due to be made at a special council meeting in Mid-March, but when I went to meet Andrew Stunnel, the Minister in the Department of Communities and Local government, he gave a commitment that the final version of the new Government rules on planning will be published by the end of March. It seems stupid to agree plans just two weeks before the rules change, and so the decision will be taken later in the spring.
The disused Greasley Beauvale DH Lawrence School, which the author attended as a pupil, has been sold this week at auction for £200,000. He building is a Grade 2 listed building, which means that the new owners will need to apply for permission from the council before doing any alterations to it.
Last years GCSE results in Nottingham were the best ever achieved, and AS levels also saw an improvement, according to figures released this week. This is very good news and my congratulations go out to everyone who has been involved in achieving this improvement. However, even though the results are the best ever obtained and the County went up 38 places in the league table, they are still placed 79th and so there is clearly still room for improvement.
Long term readers will recall that I was very critical last year of plans by the County Council to significantly cut the funding it provides to the voluntary sector, especially at a time when their services are needed more than ever. I’ve now been supported in this by a very unlikely ally, none other than Eric Pickles himself. The Secretary of State for Local government has written to the county questioning whether these cuts provide best value to the county council and asking them to think again.
A report by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabularies has concluded that Notts police are one of the most accurate forces for recording crime figures in the country. They concluded that 96% of crimes were correctly recorded. This in itself may not be very exciting, but given that in the last couple of weeks figures have been released showing significant drops in crime levels in the county it means that we can be confident that crime is actually falling here, which is good news.
Broxtowe Sports online bookings for their calendar of events in 2012 is now available. Broxtowe Sports’ Sports Events are suitable for people who are new to sport and exercise or for those who are looking to try something new! The Sports Events calendar includes a 5K Run, a Triathlon and a Duathlon, not to mention the Kimberley and District Striders 10K and Beeston AC’s Trent 5 Mile – There’s something for everyone to try! To book visit the council website at http://www.broxtowe.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5333.
Local people are being invited to celebrate the achievements of real-life community champions who help make their community a more pleasant place to live by submitting their nominations for this year’s Broxtowe Borough Partnership Community Champion Awards by Wednesday 29th February.
The Broxtowe Borough Partnership is inviting local people to come forward with their stories of individuals and groups who have carried out good works, battled adversity or worked selflessly to make their community a better, safer and more pleasant place to live.
Nominations are being sought across seven categories to recognise those who work
tirelessly to improve their borough:
• The Safe Borough – For those who work to reduce crime and make our borough a safer place to live.
• A Growing Borough – For those who have helped businesses improve.
• A Healthy Borough – For those who have helped put better health services or facilities into their community or help people lead a healthier lifestyle.
• A Clean and Green Borough – For those who have worked to make the borough cleaner or greener or helped people to become more environmentally friendly.
• Children and Young People – For a child or young person up to the age of 18 years who has made improvements to their community or to the people living there.
• A Happy Borough – For those who have helped to make their community a better place to live and help everyone get on and work together.
• Good Neighbour Award – For an individual who has helped people in their community to live more comfortable or safely in their homes.
The 2012 Broxtowe Borough Partnership Community Champion Awards aim to find remarkable and inspirational real-life heroes who have volunteered or carried out work in their own time to improve Broxtowe Borough.
Nominations are open for individual Broxtowe Borough residents and for groups who provide services within the borough. The deadline for entries is Wednesday 29th February 2012. The eventual winners will be announced at a special awards evening later this year.
For more information, please contact Broxtowe Borough Council on 0115 917 3395, email richard.lea@broxtowe.gov.uk or download an application form online at www.broxtowepartnership.org.uk
As ever thank you for your support for this newsletter. Any feedback is gratefully received. You can send that using the Lib-Dem website at www.broxtoweliberaldemocrats.org.uk, at my personal website at www.davidwatts.org.uk, or by email at d.k.watts@ntlworld.com.
Best wishes
David
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