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. As everyone will be aware this Thursday is Election Day. I’ve more to say about that later on in the newsletter but please do use your vote. Not voting achieves nothing.

1. It’s a Boy.
I’m delighted to start with a good news story this week. My running mate in Bramcote for the council, Matthew Holden, and his partner Robyn have a new baby boy after Robyn gave birth on Friday night. Oliver checked in at 7lbs 14 ounces and Mum and baby are both doing well. Congratulations to Robyn and Matthew.

2. Beeston Business Park
The Borough Council’s Development Control Committee this week approved revised plans for Beeston Business Park. There had been doubts about the viability of the scheme after asbestos was found on the site but the council have worked with the developers to revise the scheme so that it can still go ahead. In summary there will be one less business unit on the site and 25 more houses, and this means that there are 25 less houses potentially to be built on the green belt. Surprisingly this revision wasn’t unanimous as one of the Conservatives failed to support it.

3. New Aldi Store
Following a public consultation earlier this year Aldi have submitted a planning application for a new store on Pinfold Lane in Stapleford. You can see the details on the councils website at http://planning.broxtowe.gov.uk/(S(lxr2ua45htdogb45k1kzae45))/ApplicationHistorySummary.aspx?RefVal=15/00285. This scheme will be decided by the Development Control Committee in due course. The application hopefully kills off the completely untrue story that was being circulated suggesting that the council were requiring Aldi to build on the site of the old police station, and also the equally untrue (and deeply malicious) claim that my colleague Jacky Williams was trying to sell off the old police station.

4. New Traffic Regulations in Stapleford
The County Council have approved new traffic regulations in Stapleford. They relate to Pinfold Lane and Mill Road, Cliffe Hill Avenue and Windsor Street and Brookhill Street. In brief they cover new yellow lines and residents parking areas. More detail about these is available on my colleague Stan Heptinstall’s website at http://www.stanheptinstall.com/news-items.

5. The Elections
On Thursday there are two sets of elections for everyone and three elections in some places. Everyone has both a general and borough council elections and some areas have parish council elections as well. I’ve looked at all the material that has been delivered through my door and it looks like both Labour and the Conservatives are concentrating solely on the general election and hoping that you will just vote for them in the council elections on the back of it. This seems to me to be incredibly insulting. Who runs Broxtowe Borough Council for the next four years is an extremely important question and this is why we have given equal attention to this in our campaigns. Locally the main feedback that I have been receiving when canvassing is that we are the only party that people hear from between elections. If it is important for you that you have councillors who will work hard all year round then please vote Liberal Democrat. Unlike the other parties we keep in touch all year round with Focus leaflets in areas where we have Liberal Democrat Councillors (It’s called Ken’s Corner in Trowell, Cossall and Awsworth) and don’t just turn up when we want your vote.
Our candidate in the general election is Stan Heptinstall. Stan caused political shockwaves in Bramcote in 1991 when he won what had until then been an extremely safe Tory seat and the residents of Bramcote have re-elected him at every election since. Stan has been the Mayor of Broxtowe for the past year and is the nicest person that I have ever met. He would be an excellent MP. Listening to Labour and the Tories you would think that there are only 2 parties standing but this is far from the case. Please use your vote’s locals for your Lib Dem councillors and nationally for Stan Heptinstall.

6. Bus Clearways In Stapleford
There are plans to create a number of clearways to restrict parking near some bus stops in Stapleford. The clearways will be clearly identified with new road markings and signage. They are at:

New Eaton Road, bus stops BR0140 and BR0141 (The Vista, New Eaton Road). No Stopping (Mon – Sat, 7am – 7pm).
New Eaton Road, bus stops BR0142 and BR0143 (Toton Lane side of New Eaton Road). No Stopping (Mon – Sat, 7am – 7pm).
Pasture Road, bus stop BR0246 (opposite 109 Pasture Road). No stopping at any time.
Windsor Street, bus stop BR0479 (outside numbers 37, 39 and 41 Windsor Street). No Stopping (Mon – Sat, 7am – 7pm).

Any comments should be directed to TMconsultation@nottscc.gov.uk or 0115 97 73704 by 22nd May 2015. Please copy Stan Heptinstall in to any comments that you have at stan.heptinstall@broxtoweliberaldemocrats.org.uk.

7. Number 18 Bus
Whilst we are on with buses I was delighted to see that Trent Barton have announced that they will not be changing the route of the Number 18 bus for the foreseeable future. This is good news for all the users of the service, some of whom I know had been very worried about possible changes.

8. Town Street Resurfacing
Town Street in Bramcote will be resurfaced during the week commencing 17th August. The work will be completed in time for the bank holiday weekend and, in particular, there will be full access to the White Lion public house in time for the Beer Festival that is planned for that weekend. I’d reported previously that this was to be done but until now we didn’t have a date for the works.

9. Kimberley School
Kimberley School in Newdigate Street has been judged as “requiring improvement” in an Ofsted inspection. The inspectors found that teaching was not appropriately challenging and that the schools behaviour policy was not applied consistently. The headmaster has said that the school was aware of the issues and that the report was “not a cause to worry.”

10. Stapleford Post Office To Move
Stapleford Post Office at number 11 Church Street is set to move to number 1 Nottingham Road. The new premises will be more spacious and on Monday to Saturday post office functions will be available for longer. The main post office will be open from 9am to 5.30pm each day and selected services also available from 8am through to 6pm. The office will remain closed on Sundays. There is a public consultation on this that is now on and ends on 27th May. Comments can be sent to comments@postoffice.co.uk.

11. Police and Community Support Officers
I reported last week how the Lib Dems had uncovered the Labour Police and Crime Commissioners secret plans to reduce the number of PCSO’s in the county by 20%. We have now discovered that because Labour want to concentrate more PCSO’s in the city council area in the rest of the county the number will be cut by 45%! Still they refuse to carry out any meaningful public consultation (or even to come clean with the public) over their plans.

12. Christ Church Chilwell Centenary Celebrations
In July, Christ Church, Chilwell celebrates 100 years since of its consecration. They are looking for any stories, photographs, or memories of the church which you would be willing to share or lend and allow them to display during the events between 1st and 5th July. Please contact Peter Benson on ptrbnsn2@msn.com or by ringing 07837822738 if you have anything to share.

13. Chilwell Military Wives Choir Concert
Chilwell Military Wives Choir and the Nottinghamshire Band of the Royal Engineers will be performing a concert on Saturday 13th June at Chilwell Road Methodist Church, starting at 2.30pm. Tickets cost £8 in advance or £10 on the door (with lower rates for children) and family tickets cost £20 or £25. They are available from the church office on 0115 943 1164 or by email to chilwell@militarywiveschoir.org.

14. New White Bull Pub
The New White Bull pub in Giltbrook, which local residents have been fighting to save, faces a new challenge. A planning application has now been submitted to convert the building to a supermarket and flats. The pub was closed by Greene King in January and the application to redevelop it has been submitted by Paragon Property Developments.

15. Sponsored Walk
Diane Jones from Bramcote is inviting other local residents to join her in a 9 mile sponsored walk in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma research. The walk will be next Saturday, 9th May, starting at 8.30am from 26 Moor Lane. Sponsorship forms can be obtained by ringing 0115 916 4441 or 07729 338161.

16. Election Stories
I’m afraid that this week things have got far more unpleasant on the election front. In Eastwood, which is a key Lib-Dem/Labour battle ground, lots of our posters have been torn down and vandalised. A very vocal Labour supporter in Beeston also made a nasty complaint about the community run Bramcote Today website accusing it of bias and saying that they had been compiling a dossier about it. I contacted Nick Palmer to ask him to disown such a blatant attempt at bullying and to make it clear that he did not support compiling of dossiers such as this, but unfortunately he declined to do so. I’ve published my full letter to him and his full reply on my website at www.davidwatts.org.uk. On a lighter note I saw a house in Wollaton with a poster urging people to vote for Anna Soubry. Unfortunately for her that isn’t in the constituency. Nationally there have been two instances now where Labour candidates have been forced to apologise and print retractions after publishing false claims about sitting Lib-Dem MP’s and in Bassetlaw the police are investigating claims that a UKIP candidate forged the signatures on their nomination papers.

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.

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