A CLEAN SWEEP

The streets of Erewash will be soon be given a new shine thanks to the purchase of a new road sweeper by Erewash Borough Council. The new cost-effective addition will help bolster the efforts of the council’s cleaning teams and be out and about in towns and villages in a bid to clean up the borough. While we all appreciate having pavements and roads that are clean and litter-free,  there is so much more to sweepers than keeping public areas tidy and safe. By clearing debris and natural waste, sweepers contribute to a healthier world. 

Road sweepers help contribute to a safer environment by collecting debris such as sediment, rubbish, metals, petroleum products and other waste – reducing the likelihood of these pollutants entering our storm water systems. In addition, by keeping the gutters and drains clear, sweepers reduce the risk of flooding in the event of heavy rain. A clean street means that a road gutter or storm water runoff is generally free from dirt, leaves, and litter. This creates a more effective purification process – and tap water that is safe to use. Lead member for Environment, Councillor Garry Hickton, said:

“The new road sweeper will benefit both the environment and our long term health, the old appliance had reached the end of its operational life so we needed a replacement that offered efficiency, low maintenance, economical running costs and lower water usage. It also limits the amount of dust kicked up during the sweeping process – leading to less air pollution.  It will be a great asset to the cleaning team helping to keep Erewash clean and tidy.”

SKATE PARK REVAMP

The skate park at West Park in Long Eaton has been given a makeover, with new fencing being installed just in time for spring. New bow-top fencing has been fitted which is more appealing and isn’t as high which will help to make the skate park more welcoming and inclusive. The fencing matches the park’s colour scheme and there are also new self-closing access gates, which are brightly coloured to help those with visual impairments. Leader of Erewash Borough Council, Councillor Carol Hart, said: “The skate park at West Park is extremely popular and attracts riders from a wide area but regular visitors would have noticed the state the old fences were in, damaged and untidy, but thanks to Erewash Borough Council the new fences and access gates have given the area a new lease of life and will hopefully attract more skaters to visit the park and use the facilities in the future when it is safe to do so.”

West Park is a ‘Green Flag’ park and the largest park in the borough, boasting an extensive range of sports and recreational facilities including field sports, tennis, outdoor gym, splash pad, play areas and a café, and is enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year.

TWO ARRESTED AFTER STAPLEFORD FIGHT

A man suffered a deep gash above his eye after police were called to reports of a street fight in Stapleford. Officers were called to the disturbance in Hickings Lane at around 7.30pm on Thursday (11 March 2021). They swiftly arrived on scene and following enquiries two men, aged 24 and 26, were arrested on suspicion of affray. Both remain in custody. Neighbourhood policing sergeant Ali Bryan, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Incidents of violent disorder such as this will not be tolerated in our communities. I'd like to reassure people that we are unrelenting in our approach to tackling behaviour which causes concern to the local community, we will act on information we receive and take robust action against individuals suspected to be involved in criminality. Thankfully the victim in this incident wasn't seriously injured and following our swift response to the report we are now questioning two suspects in relation to it."

Incident Number: 

0652_11032021

GETTING IN TOUCH

Erewash Borough Council says it expects a sharp rise in residents trying to get in touch over the next week as more than 60,000 Council Tax and business rates letters drop through letterboxes from 15th March. High volumes of phone calls will usually result in delays in speaking to staff and the council has advised residents to use its website and register for a My Erewash account, which answers many of the questions that people want to ask. Visit www.erewash.gov.uk where residents can set up a My Erewash account and join more than 37,000 others who are already making use of their accounts. Councillor Wayne Major, Erewash Borough Council’s Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Resources, says:

“This is going to be an extremely busy time for our team so I would urge anyone that doesn’t yet have a My Erewash account to set themselves up with one. My Erewash aims to make it as easy as possible for people to find information, make use of our services and find answers to their questions. If you do use the telephone, there will almost certainly be delays and we do apologise for any inconvenience.”

In a bid to also cut down on the number of enquiries, the council also wants to make it clear that it cannot deal with any issues relating to the Council Tax charges for Derbyshire County Council and Adult Social Care, Derbyshire Police, Derbyshire Fire Authority and Parish Councils. Erewash is the collecting authority for the area, but only 11% of the total council tax bill that residents pay goes to the Borough Council. The rest is for services provided by the other authorities and Erewash has no control over the charges set by these organisations. My Erewash customers can view their accounts, submit forms, make requests, make payments, ask questions, provide information, claim Council Tax Support or other discounts and see copies of bills and other notices. A call back request can also be arranged as soon as possible if it is made through My Erewash.

STICK TO COVID RESTRICTIONS

All households across Erewash will soon receive an information pack from local MP Maggie Throup, including a letter and a booklet explaining the Government’s plan to ease lockdown and stressing the importance of sticking to the current ‘Stay at Home’ restrictions. This latest public awareness campaign has been designed by Maggie in response to concerns that case numbers across Erewash remain stubbornly high and are not falling at the same rate as seen elsewhere in Derbyshire or indeed across the country. Launching her Roadmap Campaign, Maggie said:

“Having monitored COVID infection rates closely over the course of the pandemic, it is clear that cases of COVID remain stubbornly high in many parts of Erewash and are not reducing at the rate we would expect. 

“Whilst this trend cannot be attributed to one single cause, having investigated the situation with senior officials from both National and Local Government, including Derbyshire’s Director of Public Health, it appears that it can, in part, be explained by an increase in household mixing resulting in community spread. I have therefore taken action to remind residents of the importance of continuing to comply with the current lockdown rules, as well as to explain the route back to freedom in more detail. We have come too far and made too many sacrifices to fall at the final hurdle, and whilst there is light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the successful rollout of the vaccination programme, for now, I must urge everyone to continue to remain at home, protect our NHS and save lives.”

Maggie added: “This campaign has only been possible as the result of the excellent work of local printers, Jenson Press, based in Ilkeston who turned around the printing in record time.”