Lovell’s Proposed site plan for Limmen Gardens

Astra Housing Group have planning permission to build 15 new homes in Limmen Gardens, St Ann’s, which is Phase 4 of the Stonebridge Park Regeneration Scheme. Construction work by Lovell Partnerships Ltd will begin soon. This is the proposed site plan as set out by Lovell’s which was received this afternoon by Friends of Stonebridge Park.

Two people hospitalised after 14ft fall into basement

Engines from Highfields and Central attended the scene and the two casualties were taken to hospital by the East Midlands Ambulance Service.

At 6:45pm on Saturday night a major incident was declared in Campbell Grove, off Robin Hood Street, St Ann’s. House No 1, the Promenade adjacent Victoria Park is up for sale and there have been people viewing the property over the last few days. There are unconfirmed reports that there were some people on the main stairs inside the building which suddenly collapsed without warning.

The Promenade St Ann’s is a row of large houses adjacent Victoria Park which were built around 1800, and are therefore over 200 years old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Richard Pearson

The Bedroom tax – 50,000 now face eviction

More than 50,000 people affected by the so-called bedroom tax have fallen behind on rent and face eviction, figures given to The Independent show.

The statistics reveal the scale of debt created by the Government’s under-occupancy charge, as one council house tenant in three has been pushed into rent arrears since it was introduced in April.

Figures provided by 114 local authorities across Britain after Freedom of Information requests by the campaign group False Economy show the impact of the bedroom tax over its first four months. The total number of affected council tenants across Britain is likely to be much higher than the 50,000 recorded in the sample of local authorities that responded to the request.

At least another 30,000 people living in housing association properties have also fallen behind on rent payments since the bedroom tax came in, with potentially tens of thousands more also affected, according to separate research by the National Housing Federation.

St Ann’s councillor Dave Liversidge (City Council portfolio holder for the social & the voluntary sector) said to day “I am hopeful that the Labour Party will announce at its upcoming conference that the Bedroom tax will be repealed after the next general election. Unions have a motion on this subject before the conference, specifically asking for this,” he said.

Report withdrawn by councillors as Nottingham City Homes ‘can’t add up’ !

The AREA CAPITAL FUND - 2013/15 Report presented to councillors at the recent Area 6 committee meeting (Dales, Mapperley, St Ann’s) on 10th September, written by Nottingham City Homes, has had to be withdrawn because it contained erroneous financial information. The main parts of the report affected are for Newark Crescent, and improvements at Sneinton Hermitage & Rest garden (The Dales).

A series of meeting are being held this week to resolve issues with the report. Councillors at the Area 6 meeting indicated that they had not read the report prior to the meeting, and they were not happy with its contents after reading through it. They therefore asked for it to be “pulled”.

The Area Capital Programme was established to improve the environment of the neighbourhoods and to create a sense of place for residents in order to improve the quality of life of local people. Since it was established in 2006 to meet the then corporate priority of “Transforming Neighbourhoods” the Area Capital Fund has included a total programme expenditure portfolio of £40 million. The improvements that have been carried out to date using this programmed have included footpath, fences, visual enhancements to public realm, refurbishment of parks and improvements to public buildings.

New Marriage Tax Allowance “patronising drivel”

Today The Times reports that: "Some senior Conservatives were angry at suggestions that the policy was a “quid pro quo” for the marriage tax allowance…The marriage tax allowance, to be announced by David Cameron at the Tory Party’s annual conference from 29th September, is expected to cost about £550 million.” The benefit which is due to start before the 2015 election “will be spelt out in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement."

The Tories promised a £150 tax break to married couples at the last general election, but, in a sign of how the issue could cause divisions in the coalition government, the proposal was ridiculed by Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg as “patronising drivel that belongs in the Edwardian age”.

Plans for tax breaks for married couples are set to be brought forward in a move seen as an attempt to placate restless Conservative backbench MPs.

Prime Minister David Cameron has been under pressure to bring in the changes from members of his own party, but it is an issue likely to expose disagreements in the coalition. Liberal Democrats have a specific opt-out on the issue. Labour has already stated its opposition to the idea.

Mr Cameron said: “The point is that we are going to be putting in place the marriage tax proposal in law. We will be announcing plans for that in this parliament.”

Former Conservative minister Tim Loughton had moved to force a Commons vote on the issue with backbenchers feeling that work on the policy was moving too slowly. Mr Cameron said MPs should “let the government get on with it”.

Julianne Marriott, director of the Don’t Judge My Family campaign opposed to marriage being written into tax laws, said this week: “Today, Nick Clegg will announce to much applause that the government is going to bring in free school lunches for all children at primary school. But there’s no such thing as a free school lunch. It’s the deal the Liberal Democrats have done to let their Conservative colleagues implement marriage tax breaks, about which we expect to hear more from Mr Cameron at his party conference. Don’t forget – marriage tax breaks are not about helping children: they wouldn’t help the 1 in 4 children who grow up in a single parent family, and actually, most of the couples who will get it don’t have children living at home at all. They’re actually about judging our families and promoting an out of date view of family life where one person is a breadwinner and the other is a homemaker..”

Nick Clegg has announced free school meals for every 5- to 7-year-old...

Free school meals are to be extended to all infant pupils in England at a cost of £600million a year. Nick Clegg will announce today that from next September an extra 1.5million children will qualify for the meals, regardless of their parents’ income. Mr Clegg’s announcement at 5pm came only two hours after Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander had told the conference: ‘There’s no spending bonanza around the corner!’" - Daily Mail

By Richard Pearson

Keepmoat Homes set to build 70 new houses in Mapperley

On 18th September the Planning Committee of Nottingham City Council meet to discuss the new Kingsthorpe Close development, and it is being recommended that the scheme is approved.

Developer Keepmoat Homes Ltd submitted a planning application to the City Council on 2nd July to build 70 new homes in Mapperley north of St Ann’s..

13/01367/PFUL3

The new houses are to be constructed in King Thorpe Close & Kendal Court,  high on a natural land feature. Kingsthorpe Close use to be the site of St Ann’s railway station in the early 1960s.

Following the closure of the railway in 1961 the land became the site of blocks of low-rise flats. These became a hotspot for antisocial behaviour, drugs misuse, and many of the units had mould and damp.

The flats were all demolished three years ago and the land has remained barren since then.

The new houses would consist of 66 two storey and 4 three storey properties, and a mix of detached, semi-detached and terraces. Most properties would have in curtilage parking.

The existing playground would be removed and a new playground provided to the east of Kildare Road. When I visited the area in May all of the locals objected to the new playground being constructed near their homes as the present playground is a hotspot for antisocial behaviour & drugs misuse.

11 of the properties would be affordable housing. Twenty of the dwellings would have solar photo voltaic panels which would attain 10% of energy from renewable sources on site. Additionally, the dwellings would be built to a minimum Buildings for Life Silver Standard and Code for Sustainable Homes level 3.

There remain some single and two storey dwellings, mostly contained to Dooland Drive, the southern part of Kingsthorpe Close and to the east of Kildare Road, these will be retained.

By Richard Pearson

Chris Leslie MP | Nottingham Update

I would like to invite you to my annual MP Question Time public meeting which this year will be on Friday 20th September from 7pm at the Nottingham Voluntary Action Centre, 7 Mansfield Road NG1 3FB. This will be an open public meeting chaired by Nottingham Post political correspondent Alex Britton – and I hope an opportunity to discuss questions and issues on your mind. We’ve had great attendance in previous years, but so we can plan for the right number of seats at the venue I’d be grateful if you could rsvp by email at this address (chris.leslie@parliament.uk) if you would like to attend. We will no doubt be covering a range of local, national and international matters – and I hope it will be a chance to both hold me to account and give me a sense of your priorities for the year to come.

On 9th September the City Council debated a motion about the state of the National Health Service. I welcome the fact that our councillors will be scrutinising the state of the NHS and I hope reiterating their support for a service free at the point of need. Thousands of healthcare professionals across the city help care for tens of thousands locally. They are dedicated and have the best interests of people at heart. But the £3billion reorganisation of the NHS has been an unnecessary distraction. Nationally we are experiencing a significant A&E crisis, a third of NHS walk-in centres have been axed, 5,000 nursing posts have gone in the past three years, bed closures have hit many hospitals and the NHS 111 helpline number has been handled disastrously. So I am pleased that the full Council meeting in Nottingham will shine the spotlight on what is happening in our NHS and I hope that councillors will also emphasise the importance of integration between social care, public health and NHS and GP services too.

Chris Leslie MP at Stonebridge City Farm
It was really great to officially open the new animal ‘cabin’ at Stonebridge City Farm in St Ann’s last week, after the kind donation from Nottingham firm Walton’s Sheds. The new space will be used as an education room so local children can learn about the animals and how to look after them (see picture of me, left, not learning the golden rule about working with children and animals!). Stonebridge City Farm is a fantastic local facility – and free to enter all year round! As ever, I am in admiration for the whole team of volunteers who do so well to keep the show on the road and the farm an all-round attraction for the city.

It may still feel like the summer (well, sort of) but I’m launching this year’s Christmas Card Design Competition early! The competition for my winning e-card design is open to all schoolchildren (age 4 to 16) in the Nottingham East constituency who can send in a design to win a great prize courtesy of Experian’s financial education resource for schools ‘Values, Money and Me’. There are a range of runner up prizes and certificates too. Entrants should bear in mind what their final picture will look like scanned electronically, so loose items like glitter should be avoided. The theme for pictures this year will be ‘Pets At Christmas’ and entries can be sent with name, age, class and school to: Christmas Card Competition, Office of Chris Leslie MP, 12 Regent Street, Nottingham, NG1 5BQ to arrive by Friday 15th November. Parents or schools can contact matthew.panteli@parliament.uk for further information. Good luck!

Mapperley Hospital
The campaign to rescue and restore the Mapperley Hospital Chapel on the Wells Road is gaining traction, but neighbours wanting to pull together a charitable body and take over ownership are facing confusing signals from the current owners and their bankers NatWest, who may be intent on holding the property simply for the value of the land. I believe it would be preferable to save the building from disrepair and misuse, especially if there are willing local residents keen to take on the job. I will be working with local Mapperley councillors over the coming weeks to see if a deal can be constructed including with NatWest, in the best interests of the community and our local heritage.

By Chris Leslie MP (Nottingham East)

St Ann’s ‘shined’ at Moffat Close this week

St Ann’s Projects held a successful musical party last Saturday at their St Ann’s community garden in Moffat Close behind the Beacon Pub. Lots of people turned out in lovely weather and had a great time. To find out more about St Ann’s projects please visit there website | https://stannsprojects.wordpress.com/

“Check out our latest short film to see the sights, smells and sounds of a beautiful afternoon filled with 200 local people and lots of fun.”

Carly & Martin | SAP St Ann's Projects

Stonebridge Park Estate | Video update

Keepmoat Homes Ltd moved on to the site 8 weeks ago, so work is progressing well on the Stonebridge Park Estate.

Phase 8 along St Matthias Road has been half cleared and turned into an employee surface car park, with work continuing on site. Phase 1 construction work is a priority and advancing well with the foundations going in. Iron piles are being driven into the ground on Phase 2/3 to provide a stable base ready for construction work on the new homes. Phase 4 & 5 is in the process of ground clearance & preparation work.

Astronomy & Space | Magnificent Jupiter

© Richard Pearson

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Welcome to Astronomy and Space. In this month’s program we take a look at the highlights of the September night sky.

NASA’s latest Moon mission the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) which is set for launch on September 6th.

We also take an in-depth look at the planet Jupiter which is now attracting attention from amateur astronomers; Including how to best observe the cloud features, and carryout transit measurements over the coming months.

In every way Jupiter is a fascinating world; it is also the object which offers the greatest scope to the amateur astronomer who is reasonably well equipped. Its surface is always changing, and one can never tell what each new apparition will bring forth, so that there is plenty to be done. Even those who have no equipment other than binoculars can take an interest in Jupiter.

Lenton flats | Councillors to approve £6.2m loan

The Executive Board meets on 17th September when councillors are being asked to approve a 50 year loan to Nottingham City Homes to allow them to build new houses in Lenton. The preferred developer is Keepmoat Homes Ltd, and the completion date for the entire project is set as autumn 2017.

The five high rise flat blocks that currently occupy the Lenton site are in the process of decommissioning and demolition. This will create a cleared site extending to 2.95 hectares (7.296 acres) or thereabouts available for redevelopment. It is proposed that Nottingham City Homes (NCH) acquire 1.09 hectares (2.71acres) or thereabouts of the cleared site for the construction of 62, 2 and 3 bedroom family houses. The remainder of the site is to stay in the ownership of Nottingham City Council (NCC) for the development of a further 80 homes. Roads and infrastructure will be shared across the development. On this basis the market value of the land to be acquired by Nottingham City Homes is £2.1 million.

The report proposes the sale of the land to NCH to enable the company to build 62 houses and own and rent the houses in their own right. The land has been valued at £2.1 million and it is proposed that NCC give a grant to NCH to enable the company to finance the purchase.

This means that none of the newly built houses will be eligible to be included in the Right to Buy scheme.

NCC will receive a capital receipt of £2.1 million from the sale of the land, and this can be used to finance the grant to NCH. In addition Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) will be payable by NCH as purchaser of the land at 4% of the purchase price, which equates to £84,000.

The cost of the 62 family homes to be built on this site is estimated to be £6.82 million as reported to Executive Board in February 2013. It is proposed that a loan of £6.82 million be made by NCC to NCH over a 50 year term at an interest rate equivalent to Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) annuity rate for borrowing over 50 years plus 0.5% for the inherent credit risk taken by NCC (equivalent to £17,000 per annum). Based on current rates this would be 5.1% per annum; the actual rate will be fixed by the Director of Strategic Finance on the date the transaction occurs. A loan agreement will need to be drawn up between NCC and NCH to formalise repayment terms.

New City Council Budget consultations

The Budget 2014/15 consultation program is set to begin in a month’s time, which will consist of a number of public meetings taking place around the city in two phases:

Phase 1 – pre-budget engagement and consultation to help to shape the draft budget will start in October 2013 and run until mid November, and will consist of:

a) a survey distributed with the October edition of the Arrow;
b) an online survey on the City Council website – www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk;
c) a programme of pre-budget engagement events with citizens and with the voluntary and community sector which will be led by Portfolio Holders;
d) engagement with Nottingham City Council colleagues.
Some questions may also be added to the 2013 Nottingham Citizens’ Survey to gather additional insight to feed into the pre-budget consultation where appropriate.

Phase 2 - consultation on the draft budget proposals will occur during January and early February 2014 and provides the opportunity to view, challenge and propose alternatives to specific proposals. Specifically it will involve:

a) a budget consultation form which will be made available online and in hard copy to enable everyone to have their say on the proposals;
b) events in neighbourhoods across the City;
c) consultation with businesses;
d) events for the voluntary and community sector and One Nottingham partners.

A1 motorists: don't become a victim of fuel theft

Nottinghamshire Police has issued a warning to protect truck drivers who park in lay-bys along the A1.

In recent weeks the force has seen a rise in reports of fuel and curtain-side property.

In one of the latest incidents 1,000 litres of diesel were siphoned off a lorry which had parked in a lay-by in Markham Moor, in the East of the county. Thieves also struck in Newark, stealing 600 hand-held computers from a parked lorry, while the driver slept.

Many of the incidents are thought to be planned by groups of offenders seeking out vulnerable vehicles to target. We suspect both people travelling across the country and local offenders are involved.

Nottinghamshire Police is targeting the problem with dedicated overt and covert patrols linked up with neighbouring forces along the length of the country’s motorways.

Chief Inspector Paul Murphy, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Due to increases in the price of fuel, we have seen more instances of vehicles being targeted by thieves and organised groups. “Offenders strike while the vehicle is parked overnight and  generally the driver is asleep .”

Drivers are encouraged to do as much as possible to help prevent themselves from becoming victims. Don't park in lay-bys as these are the most targeted locations. Seek out recognised lorry parks along main arterial routes. These are well lit areas often benefitting from CCTV at services and you have protection in numbers.

CI Murphy added: “If people see what they think is suspicious or unusual activity around vehicles parked in lay-bys I’d urge them to get in touch immediately and let us know.

“Please share this information with your driver colleagues who might not be aware of the risk.  Drivers are our eyes and ears and will also have a wealth of intelligence which to share.”

Anyone with any information can contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers in confidence.

By Liz Webster (Nottinghamshire Police, Corporate Communication, Nottinghamshire)

Nottingham Green Festival

The Defend Council tax campaign group were out at The Green Festival on the Arboretum Park on Saturday which attracted a large volume of people. The event proved very popular and the nice sunshine coupled with musical entertainment made the day seem that bit special. The Campaign group supports Nottingham people under threat of eviction by Nottingham City Homes due to rent arrears caused by the ‘Bedroom Tax,’ and Council Tax.

Images © By Robert Batey

Another St Ann's pub ‘faces closure’

Its official ! The last remaining public house in St Ann’s, Nottingham, is The Sycamore at the junction of Abbotsford Drive / Hunger hill Road.

The number of pubs in St Ann’s has declined significantly over the last decade. The closure of the Westminster last November meant that the number remaining in 2013 was just two; St Ann’s Inn on Shelton Street, and the Sycamore at the junction of Hunger hill Road & Abbotsford Drive.

Now another St Ann’s pub faces closure, to be turned into a day nursery on the ground floor with living space above, after a planning application was submitted to the City Council on August 29th.

Ref: 13/01933/PFUL3

The pub is owned by Trust Inns Ltd, Blenheim House, Ackhurst Park, Chorley, Lancashire.

The site is located at the junction of Shelton Street and Abbotsford Drive, in St Ann’s, which is on the north-east boundary of Nottingham city centre.

The building is a 1970ʼs public house with living accommodation at first floor. The external space is used for parking to the north with a fenced external seating area to the south-east.

According to the planning application

“Due to the decline in popularity of public houses similar to this, it is no longer a viable business. It is for this reason that our client has decided to utilise the existing building and convert it into a day nursery for children aged 1-5 year olds. The building itself will remain as existing, and the internal layout will be reorganised to create the spaces required.”

The public have another 27 days to comment on the application.

Keepmoat | Photo update

This is the latest update of construction work in Jersey & Flewitt Gardens on the Stonebridge Park estate.

There has been a lot of progress putting in the foundations in phase 1 adjacent the former Lord Alcester pub, while other areas are now nearly cleared and levelled.

In Flewitt Gardens the ground has been surveyed and marked out with the new house plots ready for the foundations to be put in place on phase 2 & 3.