Seven hour Power-cut hits the estate

The power cable damaged by Lovell workmen

 

AT 12 noon on Monday a number of angry residents are to hold a meeting with Mr John Shuttleworth, Lovell’s operations Manager to express how angry they are at the way they are being treated.

 

Residents & home owners in Eastham Close, and Lytton Close are all angry at the way Lovell’s (The building contractor) have blocked off the Eastham Close footpath without informing them leaving them prisoners in their own homes (Their back gates are all fenced off because a new road is under construction in Lytton Close). The postman has been unable to deliver their letters for a week! On Friday morning Lovell cut through a main electricity cable leaving part of the Stonebridge estate, and Kelverdon Gardens without power for several hours ~ which was the final straw.

Their dustbins have also not been emptied because they cannot take them out to the pick-up point.

Video Update ~ St Patrick’s day

Stonebridge Park Nottingham. UK

The new road now being constructed in Lytton Close will be completed at the end of March, the contractor WATES will then begin environmental improvements to the front & back gardens of Eastham Close and some Lytton Close homes by Installing new iron railings, wooden fences, off road parking areas and external wall cladding to residents homes.

An application for planning permission to carry out similar work to houses in Dennet Close and Lytton Close (proper) has now been submitted to Nottingham City Council.

With just 13 weeks to completion of Phase 1a & 1b, work has begun on the back yards of the houses in Eastham Close, and the roof is now ready to be put in place on the big Peverel apartment block at the junction of Blue Bell Hill Rise Road & Dennet Close Road.

Beginning in April a series of coffee mornings will be held at Stonebridge City Farm as part of the consultation process. Local residents will be able to come along and have a chat to Project Manager Sharon Brookes and WATES who will be carrying out the work.

It is anticipated that Martin Harris will also be at the coffee mornings to begin local consultations regarding Rocket Park.

Martin Harris of Nottingham City Council Parks Department gave an update to the recent SPTRA meeting. He said that his Department wanted to work with SPTRA and local residents to complete Rocket Park by installing new play equipment. He also wanted to make the estate more colourful by sowing wild flowers, poppies & bulb planting on the vacant areas where the old flats have been demolished. He then described some of the problems involved with cultivation, and said that while the NCC Parks Department do not have funding for Plants & shrubs for Stonebridge now; he thought that this can be over-come later on.

Water to cost more

From 1st April Seven Trent is to increase its water bills to customers by 8.1% – about £28 per year.

Starry Preview

Stonebridge Park, Nottingham. UK

Summer Cruise along the river Trent

The Princess Boat carries 170 passengers, together with a crew of five. Today the boat set off on a 3-1/2 hour cruise up & down the river Trent. The weather was warm and sunny, and there was lots to see, so we really enjoyed ourselves. I was accompanied by my friends June / Andrew Gaskell, and their two daughters Jessica (11) & Angelina (8) shown in this slide presentation. Our last day out was at the Robin Hood Pageant held at Nottingham Castle, and that video can also be found on this web site.

River Trent, Nottingham. UK

New Centre Set to Open on 23rd April

The New St Ann’s Valley Centre may not have a Chemist to dispense prescriptions given by GP’s ~ No announcement was made at this evening’s meeting for Friend’s of the facility.  The Centre will not have a Dentist.There is no Café.  It contains no shops.

The new centre will be officially opened on 28^th May with a community based activity and dedication ceremony, although the building will be open to the public to use from 23^rd April. The opening hours will be 8.30 am – 7pm Monday to Friday only, while St Ann’s Library will also open on Saturday’s 9am – 4pm.

The £11.6m St Ann’s Valley Centre has car parking spaces for 130 vehicles, including registered disabled, and members of staff will have permits to occupy 70 of these. A secure bicycle storage facility is located at the front of the building.

 

Tania Najuk, Nottingham City Council Project Manager began the meeting by announcing the time table of the change-over in the next few weeks.

 

St Ann’s Library will close down on the Robin Hood Chase on 4^th April, and will reopen in the new centre on 23^rd April. The library will occupy much of the ground floor of the new Centre, with a children’s resource area, and facilities for public presentations. The librarians will share the main reception desk, along with Nottingham City homes, and NHS receptionists. The library will have very modern facilities allowing members to book out their own library books, and a retrieval system inside the main entrance will allow uses to drop off their books without having to go the main desk.

 

A small quiet room near the main entrance is to be named The Jim Neil Suite. It has not been decided whether it will have a photograph of Mr Neil on the wall, although their will be some unrelated artwork; a plaque of some description will be placed on the door of the facility.

 

The Wellspring GP Practice will close down on 19^th April. There will then be an out of hour’s service in operation for patients while the practice transfers its equipment and medical records into the new Centre. The Primary care Trust facility, including GP practice, will then open to the public on 24^th April. GP facilities and receptionists are all located on the upper first floor of the St Ann’s valley centre, which is accessed by a lift & Stairs. However, the new Centre will not contain a Dental Surgery.

 

Also on the upper 1^st floor is a large private open-plan work area for around 130 members of staff, made up of Nottingham City Council, Nottingham City Homes and the NHS.

 

Subject to confirmation, the St Ann’s Housing Office on the Robin Hood Chase will close down on 19^th April, and staff will then transfer their files and equipment into the new Centre. From 23^rd April members of the public will be able to make initial enquiries at the front reception desk about their Rent, Benefits or Repairs, and a member of staff will come down to speak with them in one of the quiet reception rooms nearby.

 

Having toured the building I found it large & spacious, with good lighting and it was easy to negotiate. Project Manager Tania Najuk said that she wanted to create a team of volunteer helpers, who will help answer questions & guide members of the public to the place they wanted to be. The volunteers will all receive special training before. Anyone wishing to volunteer may contact Kate Stockwell, Project Assistant: Tel 0115 8834895 Email: kate.stockwell@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Video Update: 5 March 2012

Stonebridge Park Estate, Nottingham. UK

I quite enjoyed making this film.

It was a lovely spring afternoon with all the birds in tune. The Video begins at the Peverel site adjacent Blue Bell Hill Road, then along Dennet Road, Dennet Close, Lytton Close, and Eastham Close & back to the Peverel pub site. We over-see the new road being laid in Lytton Close.  Then onto Rocket Park, Long Hedge at the top of Magson Close, Magson Close itself, and onto St Matthias Road. The film ends with a view of the Lord Alcester public house & the New Albany Centre. The theme music at the beginning of the film is from Thunderbirds by Gerry Anderson.

Crime Figures: January 2012

Nugent Gardens: ASB 1
Hawk Ridge Gardens: ASB 1
Lytton Close: ASB 1
Flewitt Gardens: ASB 2
Melville Gardens: Drugs 2
Jersey Gardens Theft 1
St Matthias Road: Robbery 1, Vehicle crime 1, Other theft 1

ASB = Antisocial Behaviour