Gedling Eye continues to look back at the highs and lows of 2022 across the borough, continuing with October to December …
- You can read our round-up of news between January-March here
- You can read our round-up of news between April-June here
- You can read our round-up of news between July-September here
OCTOBER
A runaway driver was sniffed out by a police dog – moments after causing a crash involving a police car. Raheem Rahman, aged 22, drove away at speed after being spooked by an unmarked police car traveling on Forest Lane, Papplewick, on blue lights to an unrelated call. A member of the public driving through the lights then collided with a police car as he swerved to avoid a head-on crash. At this point Rahman abandoned his Audi and attempted to flee the scene on foot. After a methodical search by a police dog handler, he was located hiding in a hedge. Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court, he was jailed for 12 months and banned from driving for two years.
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A Carlton motorist spotted driving whilst disqualified was locked up after being caught offending again. Garfield Lewis was clocked by police driving a van in Marlborough Road, Woodthorpe and after noticing Lewis was driving while disqualified and without any insurance, officers quickly arrested the 40-year-old after catching up with his van. Garfield was given an eight month sentence after appearing at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court.
Gedling MP Tom Randall cut the ribbon to officially open a new £4.9million housing development for people aged over 55 in Burton Joyce. Stockinger House, owned by housing provider Jigsaw Homes Group, was formally opened by the MP and Jigsaw Group’s Chief Executive, Hilary Roberts. They were joined by residents, Gedling Borough councillors Sam Smith and Michael Adams, Burton Joyce Parish councilors and Jigsaw Group board members.
Birds Bakery officially opened its 63rd store in the East Midlands – bringing its famous selection of baked family favourites to Teal Park, the new business park based between Netherfield and Stoke Bardolph.
The new 1,200 ft² store on the business park created eight new jobs and joins a number of household names on the expanding business park, situated off Colwick Loop Road, including Aldi. The site is also home to a new school and children’s day nursery.
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The owner of The Mustard Seed in Gedling received a fine for repeatedly opening during the Covid-19 lockdown. The BBC reported that Nottingham Crown Court ordered 71-year-old Christine Stala to pay £10,560 in fines plus £11,190 in council and legal costs. The Christian cafe on Main Road was served a closure order in November 2020 after refusing to shut. At the time England was under its second lockdown – from 31 October until 2 December – which required hospitality venues to close.
A youth football club based at Stoke Bardolph was counting the cost following a “devastating” act of vandalism at their clubhouse. Volunteers at Gedling FC, who have a ground in the village, say thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused by thieves who broke into the clubhouse on Saturday night and also stole a number of items.
Police took out a cannabis operation in Calverton – finding plants, cash, burner phones and some drugs stored in a freezer in dog litter bags. Officers from Gedling’s Operation Reacher team, supported by the Reacher team from Oxclose Lane, executed an early morning warrant at an address in Flatts Lane. A number of cannabis plants were discovered in various states of growth as well as cannabis packed into dog litter bags in a kitchen freezer. They also found hundreds of pounds of cash, some mobile phones, and sim cards hidden around the property believed to be linked to drug dealing.
Powerlifter Martin Wilson, a 33-year-old fitness advisor, from Gedling, has become a British and World Champion in amateur British powerlifting. He won the ‘Open Men Raw Under 82.5kg’ category in the Amateur World Powerlifting Congress (AWPC) World Championships which were held in Manchester in September. He also won the same category at the Amateur British Powerlifting Union (ABPU) which took place in July. Martin has worked at Carlton Forum Leisure Centre for four years, specialising in powerlifting and nutrition, as well as teaching exercise classes.
Work to revamp a play area in Colwick will begin in the New Year after almost £100,000 in funding was found to pay for improvements. FCC Communities Foundation will be providing a grant total of £99,466 to improve Colwick Rectory Play Area on Mile End Road.
Housing developers will now be forced to take action to improve drainage at their sites after a village was hit by severe flooding. Residents described seeing a ‘sea of mud’ wash through the village of Burton Joyce during recent heavy rainfall, with poor drainage at new housing development sites at Orchard Close and Glebe Farm being blamed for the incident. Following complaints from villagers, Councillors Sam Smith and Mike Adams, who represent Trent Valley, called on planning inspectors from Gedling Borough Council to call a halt to development until drainage was improved. A 14-day notice was issued to the Orchard Close developer, telling them to immediately take measures to ensure surface water is appropriately managed during the construction phase of the development by installing a temporary drainage system and seeking the submission of permanent drainage plans.
NOVEMBER
A drug dealer was jailed after he sped away from police in Mapperley and threw items from his car in a failed bid to evade arrest. Jordan Grant, aged 29, was spotted in Westmoore Close by cops on patrol who recognised him. When officers began a pursuit, Grant was seen throwing items from his car as he drove dangerously along residential streets. Mobile phones and a bag of coins were later recovered from the roadside. Grant, of Florence Avenue, Long Eaton, was jailed for a total of three-and-a-half years at Nottingham Crown Court.
A Colwick firm which designs and manufactures pharmaceutical test equipment used across the world, was crowned this year’s Nottinghamshire Business of the Year by East Midlands Chamber. The firm, which are based on Colwick Quays Business Park, were honoured during a gala dinner at the Nottingham Belfry. The winner was chosen by a judging panel of the Chamber’s senior leadership and board of directors, as well as sponsors.
It was decided that streets in a new housing development in Ravenshead will be named after fallen First World War and Second World War soldiers. Custom Homes is building 44 houses on land at Cornwater Fields, off Longdale Lane. Gedling Borough Council proposed that they be named after fallen soldiers from both the Second World War and First World War. Delegated decision documents said: “The names chosen are fallen soldiers from WW1 and WW2, taken from St Peter’s Memorial Board in Ravenshead.”
A £50k project to help prevent flooding in Burton Joyce was announced. Flooding in recent months brought disruption to the village after intense rainfall resulted in surface water flooding with drainage systems overwhelmed. Following a feasibility study, a scheme to install natural flood management measures in carefully selected areas within the upper catchment of the Crock Beck is now planned thanks to part funding from the county council’s Green Investment Fund. The measures will help restore the natural functions of the Beck to temporarily capture and hold back water running off land during times of heavy rain, releasing it slowly after the rain has passed.
The HSBC announced plans to close its branch in Arnold. The banking giant today announced it will be shutting 114 branches across the UK next year and the latest round of closures comes as more people turn to online and mobile banking. The bank in Arnold was temporarily closed to the public late last year after it was turned into a ‘digital service’ branch, with counters being replaced by self-service machines. The Arnold branch, based on Front Street, will close in May 2023.
DECEMBER
A tree-mendous new ‘green lung’ pathway was opened up in a Mapperley park. Children from Carlton Digby School planted trees and native daffodils at the park to mark the opening of the new trail. More than 500 trees have now been planted to enhance the new trail which runs through Digby Park. At the opening was Councillor Jenny Hollingsworth, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth and Economy at Gedling Borough Council who said: “The planting is part of our commitment to people enjoying the outdoors; our commitment to the environment and reducing our carbon footprint.”
The importance of small business was highlighted by a campaign launched in Arnold. Small Business Saturdays were marked with the launch of Festive Saturdays in Arnold Town Centre to celebrate the opening of The AMP, a new development supporting small, independent businesses. The Small Business Saturday campaign aimed to encourage people to shop locally but is not just about spending money. Customers were encouraged to do other things to help highlight the small business they love by leaving positive reviews, telling friends and family about their experience or sharing posts on social media to show their support.
Gedling Borough Council spent more than £89,000 on upgrading and improving CCTV cameras and equipment across the borough in a bid to cut crime and anti-social behaviour. Equipment in Arnold Town Centre, Carlton, Netherfield and Calverton was upgraded to improve the image quality from the cameras, which are transmitted to, recorded, and monitored from the council’s central CCTV Control Room.
Big Mike’s Artisan Cheesecake Shop on Carlton Hill announced it will close for good on Christmas Eve. The announcement about the store’s future was made via the well-known store’s social media channels. The shop was first opened back in November 2020 by owner Mike Jones, AKA Big Mike, and partner Jess Graham. In the social media post he wrote: “We have had so much fun on Carlton Hill over the last two years, but I am sorry to say we have taken the decision to close our little shop for good on Christmas Eve. “I am afraid that the financial situation of the country over the last year has put so much pressure on our business that we have taken the decision to change the way we operate.”
Green belt land at Stoke Bardolph that was earmarked for housing was spared by council leaders. Following a meeting of Gedling Borough Council’s Cabinet, it was announced that under threat land to the east of Teal Close will not now be consulted on for housing development. In a joint statement, the Cabinet members said: “We’ve listened to the views of the residents we serve in Stoke Bardolph, Teal Close, Burton Joyce and surrounding communities and decided to protect the green belt land to the east of Teal Close. Over 800 people had signed a petition calling on the council to spare the land from developers. Trent Valley Councillors Sam Smith and Mike Adams also wrote to the Cabinet calling for a consultation to be delayed until housing legislation was changed so that housing targets were advisory rather than compulsory.
Gedling Borough Council will receive £2.9m over the next three years to fund a number of different projects. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is the successor to the European Structural Fund and Gedling Borough Council will receive £368,000 in the first year followed by £696,000 in year two and a final instalment of £1.8 million in year three. Projects to start in the first year include plans to build a new sports pavilion at Lambley Lane Recreation Ground, expand CCTV in crime hotspots in areas including Calverton, provide community grants to local charities and groups and the council will also use the funding to install new Changing Places public toilets at King George V Playing Fields in Arnold Town Centre.
A disqualified driver killed a man from Mapperley after crashing into a tree while trying to evade police. Anthony Riley lost control of the Volvo XC90 after hitting 89mph in a 30 zone. The 32-year-old survived the crash but his front seat passenger died at the scene. Riley was jailed for 10 years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.
More than 30 drivers were stopped as part of ongoing efforts to crackdown on a noisy “boy racers” in hotspots across Gedling borough. Police teams focussed their efforts on tackling dangerous driving in hot-spot areas including Colwick Industrial Estate. Patrolling officers spoke to drivers and provided education – and took enforcement action where necessary. During the crackdown, 30 vehicles were stopped, 22 people received words of advice, five individuals received warnings and four vehicles were seized
A revamped hardware store reopened its doors – much to the delight of locals. Carlton Hardware is based on Carlton Hill and the owners recently demolished the old store, that had housed the business for 37 years, to make way for a new premises that now provides more space for products and services that will delight locals. The business was first opened up back in the eighties by Mustafa Ali, known locally as ‘Steve’ and is now run with the support from family members Muza, Hussein, Ammar and Mo.
A historic hall in Woodborough reopened its doors to the public after being rescued by new owners. Grade 11* listed Woodborough Hall, was placed in receivership in October 2021 and rescued by new owners in July 2022. Following five months of refurbishment, the historic Hall was once again open and ready to welcome both new and old customers.
A pothole has appeared on the £49m Gedling Access Road just nine months after the flagship road opened to motorists. The long-delayed 3.8km carriageway, named Colliery Way, opened in the Spring and cost £8.619m more than its initial £40m budget. Tens of thousands of cars have since used the road, which was planned to ease traffic in Gedling village and offer better transport links to motorists. But Nottinghamshire County Council has come under fire after a pothole appeared on the road nine months to the day since it opened on March 22.
