CHAOS

 A COUNCIL IN CHAOS AS CONTROVERSIAL COMMITTEE MEETING IS ABANDONED 

Erewash MP Maggie Throup joined local residents and campaigners to witness a meeting of Erewash Borough Council’s Scrutiny Committee, only for it to end in chaos after just 15 minutes. The landmark meeting, held at Ilkeston Town Hall on Thursday evening (15th February 2024), had been convened to discuss an application to “call-in” a controversial decision made by the Borough Council’s Labour Executive to sell of seven acres of Ilkeston’s Pewit Golf Course. Until recently the prime parcel of public land, which was original acquired by the former Ilkeston Corporation over a century ago, had been set to be transformed into Erewash’s newest Nature Reserve after the previous Conservative Administration secured significant financial backing from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. Despite the Borough Council giving a written assurance prior to the meeting that those wishing to view proceedings in person would be able to do so, the Committee was abandoned shortly after it had begun at 6:30pm, with the Chair, Cllr. Pam Philips unilaterally declaring that the meeting would be reconvened at Long Eaton Town Hall next week (Wednesday 21st February 2024). 

Now, Maggie, who has spoken out against the proposed land sale in the House of Commons, has written to the Borough Council’s Chief Executive to demand that the re-arranged meeting is again held in Ilkeston. Speaking after the Committee meeting was abandoned, Maggie said: 

“The right of the public to view the proceedings of their elected representatives is a fundamental feature of our democracy, and so I was ashamed of the farcical scenes that we all witnessed at the Town Hall last night. Not only does the Borough Council’s Labour Executive seem hell bent on sell off the historic Pewit site, but it also appears that they now want to wave the decision through behind closed doors in another part of the Borough. This is a critical decision about the long-term future of Ilkeston’s largest public open space, and so the residents expect it to be made here in Ilkeston. The feeble excuse that the Town Hall is not big enough just does not wash when the Borough Council itself owns many larger venues, including the Rutland Tennis Centre which is regularly used for election counts and is directly adjacent to the Pewit site. I have therefore written to the Chief Executive to demand that the abandoned Committee meeting is reconvened in Ilkeston and that all those wishing to view the debate are accommodated.” 

 Our ten top tips for winter gardening  

Garden waste collections by Erewash council resume in February – as brown bins revert back from being used for extra recycling during winter. The fortnightly pick-ups start again from Monday 19th February around Ilkeston – and Monday 26th February in Long Eaton and neighbouring districts. It means residents will continue to get THREE free collections before the cash-squeezed council is forced to reluctantly bring in a new charge for the service from Monday 1st April. Although it’s still winter we’ve come up with ten ideas for jobs to keep green-fingered residents busy. 

1. PRUNE YOUR ROSES. This can be done in January and February before new leaves start emerging. Remove any dead, damaged or diseased stems. 

2. PLANT BARE-ROOT FRUIT TREES AND BUSHES before March. Also prune apple and pear trees, gooseberries and currant bushes.  

3. MOVE TENDER PLANTS IN POTS into shelter or cover with fleece, hessian or straw. Ensure roots are not waterlogged. 

4. TIDY UP HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS – but not too much. Leave some dry stems as a winter habitat for insects. 

5. FEED THE BIRDS – and don’t forget to keep water ice-free for them. You could also make a “bug hotel” out of wood and sticks for insects that are vital to a healthy garden. 

6. CLEAN GREENHOUSES and get pots all ready for spring. 

7. CHECK OUTSIDE TAPS are drained and isolated to prevent frost bursting pipes. Replace damaged insulation on exposed pipes – and instal a tap cover. 

8. PLAN FOR SPRING. Maybe start a diary of when plants need to be sown – and get your seed orders in now. 

9. While indoors TEND YOUR HOUSEPLANTS – these are easily dried out by central heating. And finally . . .  

10. TOP TIP: Sign up in advance for our EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT on garden waste collections – saving you more than a third on the new fee. It slashes the £32 cost of getting your brown bins emptied to just £20 in the first year. That’s £12 OFF and saves you untold hassle getting rid of garden rubbish. But be quick. The online offer, which is available via the Erewash Borough Council website, ends on March 31. 

Councillor Joel Bryan, who is Erewash’s Lead Member for Environment, said: “More and more local authorities are now having to charge for picking up garden waste – and it is a shame that we have now had to copy them. But we have kept the fee far lower than that charged in many other areas – and with the early bird discount for residents subscribing online you can get a big saving. The £20 offer is available until March 31 – so hurry. We really want local people to save money by signing up.” 

For more info, including discounts for extra brown bins, visit the council’s website.  

More tips for winter gardening can be found here: 

Home | National Trust 

RHS - Inspiring everyone to grow / RHS Gardening 

BROWN BIN

 Drop-in help at council HQs for £20 bins deal  

EREWASH residents struggling to sign up online for the £20 early bird deal for new brown bin charges can visit their local town hall for help logging on at public computers there. Cuts to the council’s funding and other cost pressures mean that from April 1, whilst the council has decided to continue to provide a garden waste collection service, the authority is reluctantly having to bring in a fee for those who want to continue getting their brown bin collected. 

The upfront annual cost is £32 – but anyone signing up online before midnight on March 31 will pay just £20 in the first year. Deputy council leader Becca Everett, who is the borough’s Lead Member for Community Engagement, said: “We’ve made it easy to go online and get the deal via your My Erewash account. But we appreciate that despite this some residents may need some additional support. We want as many as possible to grab the early bird deal, which is why help will be available for them to do it online at both our town halls – either in Ilkeston or Long Eaton.” 

The bargain offer is ONLY available for online sign-ups – which means people must have their own email address and a payment card so they can complete the sign up. People will input their own payment details privately. 

The 10am to 2pm drop-in sessions to use public computers in the town hall reception areas are on Wednesdays in Long Eaton and on Thursdays in Ilkeston. They begin on Wednesday 14 February in Long Eaton and Thursday 15 February in Ilkeston – and will last for four weeks. Other ways to benefit from the £20 early bird deal include: 

• Family and friends can sign up on their behalf via their My Erewash account – multiple subscriptions for different addresses can be registered. 

• Customer contact centre (0115 907 2244) support is available to subscribe online. 

SAS HERO

 Town’s salute as SAS embassy hero revealed  

An SAS hero seen by millions around the world in iconic footage of the Iranian Embassy siege has been unmasked 43 years on – ahead of the Derbyshire town where he lived staging a civic salute following his death. Black-clad Norman Merrill was captured by cameras on the balcony of the London embassy as he hurled a smoke grenade through the window. The dramatic end to the six-day siege on May 5th 1980 gripped a worldwide audience as elite special forces abseiled from the roof to rescue dozens of hostages held by terrorists. Norman retired in 1995 after 26 years in the Forces, which included being wounded in the Falklands War. He later settled quietly in Ilkeston after mooring up near the Gallows Inn while touring the country’s canals and waterways. Friends described him as a dedicated family man. He married at Ilkeston Town Hall in 2020. The modest hero was 82 when he died at the end of September. The Ilkeston Branch of the Royal British Legion is to honour him at the town’s Market Place cenotaph on Saturday 10th February. Mayor of Erewash Cllr Frank Phillips will make a speech as he attends the 10.50am memorial service with his wife Pam – a fellow councillor who is the Mayor’s Consort. He will speak of a “well-loved man” who grew up in Sheffield before joining the RAF in 1969. Norman was proud of having seen service around the globe. 

The Mayor will say: “Not all of this could he talk about but some he could – including being the man on the balcony throwing a smoke grenade in the window at the Iranian Embassy siege. As the Mayor of Erewash, I am proud and humbled that such a man should choose Ilkeston as his home.”