COMMUNITY FACILITY UNVEILING

Babies, bumps, and Kirk Hallam residents were joined by local social housing landlord emh and local partners to mark the official unveiling of a new community outdoor space. Non-profit regional housing provider emh approached the Kirk Hallam Community Centre last year to ask how they could support the local community using it. The centre team asked for help transforming an unused outdoor space, and now has a transformed area complete with gazebo, barefoot walking path and seating. Emh, which has 21,000 homes across the East Midlands and around 900 in and around Kirk Hallam, teamed up with their supplier Travis Perkins to makeover the community space. Colleagues from emh’s property services and grounds maintenance teams worked over a number of days to clear the area and install the structure and associated works including lighting to enhance the space during the evenings. 

 The space is already in welcome use by those attending stay and play sessions, the outdoor playgroup, lets sing, community story telling sessions, a gardening group and the outdoor café space. Local Cubs, Brownies, Scouts and Rainbows can also make use of it. Kirk Hallam Community Centre is a stand-alone charity working to benefit residents and improve health, wellbeing and opportunity in the local area. It provides a range of free or low-cost activities and groups for all members of the community, as well as empowering local people to set up their own groups.

 Joining local residents for the official scheme opening were Maggie Throup Member of Parliament for Erewash and representatives from emh including Chan Kataria, emh chief executive. Maggie Throup MP said:

“I am delighted to join residents in Kirk Hallam to celebrate the opening of the new community gazebo and redesigned outdoor space. We are incredibly lucky to have such a fantastic resource at the heart of our community, with the centre housing an array of voluntary groups, including Bumps to Babies, Craft Club and Brownies, as well as hosting weekly activities ranging from healthy eating classes to bingo. I would like to thank emh and Travis Perkins for partnering to deliver this project and hope that residents who use the centre and fabulous community cafe will enjoy socialising in this new space.”

 Chan Kataria, Chief Executive at emh, said: “I’d like to thank Travis Perkins for funding the purchase of the gazebo and providing other materials to make this vision a reality. It is important to us at emh that we support the local community and provide opportunities for people, and we hope this helps the community centre and residents to thrive. It’s a fantastic way to start the year and great to see first-hand people making the most of the space.”

Jsan Shepherd, Community Centre Manager, said: “The gazebo is a great community outdoor space which will be well used by local residents. We would like to thank all the teams at emh and Travis Perkins who have been involved with this project and we are looking forward to continue to work in partnership with the emh team on future projects benefiting the local community.”

LENS WILDLIFE GROUP

For the Love of Moths

Date Wedneday 22nd February

Meetings start at 6.45 for 7.00 pm in the United Reformed Church, Midland Street, Long Eaton NG10 1HQ. Cost £1.50 for LENS members, visitors £2.50. 
Tea and biscuits at half-time, all welcome.

Email lensnaturalhistory@gmail.com

Marion Bryce

Hon Sec LENS Wildlife Group

Don't forget - you can now raise extra funds for Long Eaton Natural History Society Wildlife Group by using #easyfundraising! Over 7,000 brands including eBay, Just Eat and M&S will donate to us every time you shop with them. It's a free and easy way to support us while doing your everyday online shopping.

MAGGIE CALLS TO COMMIT TO BROWNFIELDS FIRST POLICY

Maggie Throup, Member of Parliament for Erewash, has called on the Government to commit to pursuing a “Brownfield First” policy agenda in a parliamentary debate.The debate called on the Government to protect the Greenbelt and focus building developments on Brownfield sites. 

Maggie commented:

“I understand that there is a need to build more houses in this country, including in Erewash, but that should not come at the expense of the Greenbelt. We should be promoting developments on Brownfield sites. I welcome the Government’s initial steps in pursuing the ‘Brownfield first’ policy, however, more needs to be done. I am concerned that local authorities such as Erewash Borough Council are coming under increasing pressure to include Greenbelt in their core strategy. Instead, they should be focusing on Brownfield sites. Erewash has a proud industrial heritage, and there should be a planned approach to access those empty and derelict properties, with the option of converting them to residential properties. 

“This has been successfully achieved at the Poplar pub on Bath Street, which has now been regenerated into housing and retail units. Maximising these kinds of opportunities first surely must be the strategy moving forward. It is clear that building on Brownfield sites plays an important role in regenerating communities across the country and I am urging the Government to do more to commit to this policy.”

The Government has announced several measures in pursuing the “Brownfield first” policy, including making £60 million available to councils to revive Brownfield sites as well as plans to end the so-called ‘duty to co-operate’.  

MAGGIE BACKS CALL FOR VAT REFORM

Maggie Throup, Member of Parliament for Erewash and former Public Health Minister has called on the UK Government to remove VAT from sunscreen products of SPF 30 and above in a parliamentary debate. There are 16,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed each year across the UK, with 2,300 people dying. Of these cases, the majority are caused by exposure to the sun. As many as 90 percent of cases of melanoma could be prevented by staying safe in the sun, which includes using sunscreen of SPF 30 and above with a 4 star UVA protection rating.  

 Maggie commented: “In 2019, I noticed a blemish on my left arm and so, knowing that both my parents had had benign skin cancer, I decided to get myself checked out. After a biopsy, my ‘blemish’ was diagnosed as melanoma, and I underwent surgery to remove the cancer. I was one of the lucky ones and I was cured of this cancer in 2020. The outcome could have been very different, had I not been aware of what signs to look out for and caught the cancer early.That is why the UK Government must step up and remove VAT from sunscreen, and in tandem run a public awareness campaign to promote the use of sunscreen. Not only could it save lives, but it could also help protect NHS budgets.”

 Maggie added: “86 per cent of melanomas are preventable by adopting simple sun protection measures. We should be taking the same preventive measures during the hot summer months here that we would if we were on holiday abroad. As well as applying sunscreen, that includes seeking shade, wearing a hat and loose clothing, and keeping out of the sun when it is most prevalent. Only by a combination of these action will we then see a noticeable decline in melanoma cases, that at the moment take far too many lives.”

COUNCIL TAX 2023/24

A recommendation that Erewash Borough Council raises its share of council tax for 2023/24 by 2.99%, a £6.03 per annum increase, is expected to be approved at the council’s budget setting meeting. It means that the council’s charge for a band D property would increase from £201.59 to £207.62 per annum, an increase of 12p per week. Only 11% of the total council tax bill that residents pay goes to the Borough Council. The rest is for services provided by Derbyshire County Council, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue and Parish Councils – Erewash has no control over the charges set by these organisations.

Councillor Wayne Major, Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Resources, says
“The high rates of inflation have caused significant budget pressures for all councils and Erewash is no exception, however the Borough Council has a healthy financial record and we are committed to making sure it remains that way.”

The 2023/24 budget is being set during ongoing turbulence due to the economic effects of events in Ukraine and the impact of current high levels of inflations. These budgetary pressures means that the council is exploring a number of other options to generate increased income and reduce costs.

The council tax rates are set to be recommended at Council Executive on 21st February for a decision to be taken by members at the Full Council meeting on 2nd March 2023. 

Council tax bills are sent out to household at the start of the financial year in April. If you need help and advice on payments head to the council tax section of erewash.gov.uk