DONT LOSE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE

Erewash Borough Council has issued a final reminder to local residents that they MUST be registered by next Monday 19th April to have their right to vote in next month’s local elections. Anyone old enough to vote who is not on the Council’s Register of Electors by the deadline day will lose their vote. The deadline for new applications to vote by post is the following day - 5pm on Tuesday 20th April. Residents will go to the polls on Thursday 6th May to vote in the Derbyshire County Council elections and to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire. Nine county councillors will be elected to represent Erewash on the county council. The Register of Electors is checked and updated every year but anyone who has recently moved house or just moved to the borough – or young people who have celebrated their 18th birthday over the last year – need to ensure their details are registered.

It is quick and easy to register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote Residents who want to check that they are registered to vote in Erewash can ask via an online form at www.erewash.gov.uk - click on ‘The Council’ and ‘Elections’ to find the form that will be responded to within one working day. This year’s elections will be held in covid-secure polling stations with a range of safety measures in place, including the mandatory requirement that voters wear face masks and are encouraged to take their own pencils/pens to mark their ballot paper. Anyone who needs to apply for a postal vote should email electreg@erewash.gov.uk  or call 0115 907 1190. The deadline for new applications to vote by proxy is 5pm on Tuesday 27th April. Erewash Borough Council’s elections team can help with any enquiries. Email electreg@erewash.gov.uk or call 0115 907 1190. Royal Mail has 35,000 Priority Post Boxes with late collection times, some also including collections at weekends, that were introduced to help with the delivery of Covid Test Kits. This service may help postal voters. Visit www.royalmail.com/priority-postboxes to find a priority box in the local area.

SUSPICIOUS MAN SEEN CLIMBING INTO GARDENS

Police are questioning a suspect after receiving multiple reports of a man jumping over fences into people’s gardens and looking into sheds and outbuildings in Toton. Officers were called to the Kirkham Drive area at around 6.20pm on Tuesday 13th April 2021 and carried out an extensive search of the area after members of the public had given a description of the man. A man matching the description was later seen in Orpean Way and was swiftly stopped and questioned. After checking police systems officers quickly established he was suspected to have stolen a bicycle from an address in Long Eaton on Monday and arrested him on suspicion of theft. Further enquiries led to officers searching his home in Chilwell where they found a quantity of cannabis. Another bicycle, believed to have been stolen from a property in Beeston, was also found nearby.

The 38-year-old suspect, who was further arrested on suspicion of theft and possession of cannabis, remains in police custody. Sergeant David Wardle, of Nottinghamshire Police's Tactical Support Group, said: “This incident attracted a lot of attention in the area, with multiple reports being received of a man climbing into people’s gardens and looking into sheds. I’d like to thank members of the public who passed on information to us which led to us making an arrest and recovering a stolen bicycle. Bike theft is totally unacceptable. We will always investigate reports and look to take action against suspected offenders. While we have made an arrest in relation to this case our enquiries are ongoing and we are still keen to hear from anyone who may have been in the area at the time and who saw a man acting suspiciously or who has any other information that may help us. If you have any information please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 592 of 13th April 2021, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Incident Number: 
0592_13042021

GRANTS TO HELP RESTARTS

Erewash Borough Council has now made Restart Grants available online to help businesses  re-open safely following the easing of coronavirus measures this week. They are aimed at businesses such as shops, pubs and gyms who can open their doors again from this week in the latest phase of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown. There are two types of grant payments available:

·         Restart Grants for non-essential retail businesses. Payments are £2,667, £4,000 or £6,000 depending on rateable value.

·         Restart Grants for hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses. Again, depending on rateable value, grants will be £8,000, £12,000 or £18,000.

More information about which types of businesses fall into the eligible categories is on the Covid Grants page at www.erewash.gov.uk An online application form for the Restart Grant is required from all eligible applicants.  Businesses are advised to register for a My Erewash business account on the council’s website, if they have not done so previously, where full details of the criteria and the online application form are available. 

 

EREWASH PAYS ITS RESPECTS

The Mayor of Erewash, Councillor Sue Beardsley, has sent a message of condolence to the Queen on behalf of local residents following the announcement of the passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Erewash Borough Council has lowered the flags to half-mast at Ilkeston and Long Eaton Town Halls as a mark of respect and has also opened a Book of Condolence for anyone wishing to pay their own respects. Residents can email condolences@erewash.gov.uk  Those unable to use the online condolence facility can send letters or cards to the Civic Office, Ilkeston Town Hall, Wharncliffe Road, Ilkeston. DE7 5RP.  In a speech during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2010, the Queen referred to Prince Philip as her ‘constant strength and guide’. His time as royal consort exceeds that of any other consort in British history. Councillor Beardsley said that it was with deep sadness that the country learned that Prince Philip had died at the age of 99.

“He was at the Queen’s side throughout and we can only imagine the sense of loss she is feeling. On behalf of Erewash Borough Council and our residents I send our condolences to the Queen and all her family.”

Messages sent to the council will be collated with the online condolences. In accordance with protocol, the Book of Condolence was open until the day after Prince Philip’s funeral.

CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED

Voters will go to the polls to elect nine county councillors in total to represent the nine divisions that make up the Erewash area. One candidate will be elected for each division – Breadsall and West Hallam; Breaston; Ilkeston East; Ilkeston South; Ilkeston West; Long Eaton; Petersham; Sandiacre; and Sawley. In addition, by-elections are taking place in two Erewash Borough Council wards following the resignation of two councillors. In Ilkeston’s Hallam Fields ward, the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats will each field one candidate – while in Long Eaton’s Nottingham Road ward, the Conservatives, Labour, Green Party and Liberal Democrats have each nominated one candidate. Voters in the parish wards of Borrowash East and Borrowash West will also receive ballot papers to elect a parish councillor– where there will be one Conservative candidate in each ward and one Ockbrook & Borrowash Neighbourhood Network Independent caThere will be 37 candidates standing in the Erewash area at next month’s Derbyshire County Council elections, which take place on Thursday 6th May. After the close of nominations on Thursday 8th April, it was confirmed that the Conservative Party and Labour Party each have nine candidates, the Green Party and Liberal Democrats each have eight and Reform has three candidates standing in the Erewash division.ndidate in each ward. Four candidates have been confirmed for the role of Derbyshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner. Full details of all candidates can be found on the council’s website www.erewash.gov.uk

ELDERLY COUPLE TARGETED

Police are warning residents to be on their guard after a man pretending to be a plumber stole cash during a “despicable” distraction burglary. The man targeted an elderly couple at a property in the Central Avenue area of Stapleford shortly before 2.25pm on Tuesday April 6th. After telling them he needed to check their boiler he stole a purse from inside and cash from a drawer. He then left the scene. Detectives are now investigating the case and have urged other local residents to be on their guard against similar scams. Detective Sergeant Charlotte Henson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a despicable crime carried out by somebody who deliberately preyed on an elderly couple. What makes this offence even worse if the fact that this couple had been isolating at home to protect them from coronavirus. So this man did not only steal cash from his victims, he also placed them at additional risk. We are investigating what happened as a priority and would like to speak to anybody who saw a man wearing a blue and white checked shirt and dark coloured gilet in the area yesterday. We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to find the person responsible for this appalling crime and would urge anyone who saw anything suspicious to call 101 quoting incident 341 of 6th April. I would also urge other people living in the area – especially those who are vulnerable – not to answer the door to anybody who calls unannounced, especially somebody claiming to be a workman. No reputable workman or engineer would call in this way so please do not allow them into your home. If you are concerned about somebody then please call the police at the earliest opportunity.”

SANDIACRE CRASH

Police were called to a crash after a car collided with parked cars and ended up on its roof. The incident took place on Derby Road in Sandiacre on Sunday, March 28th. Police said the driver of the brand new 70-plate Mini Cooper S was not there when they arrived. Police directed traffic at the scene until they were able to get the car off the road. A spokesperson said: "A brand new 70-plate Mini Cooper S crashes into parked cars and flips it on its roof. The driver didn’t hang around to give an account he then reported it as stolen. No one was injured during the incident.

LONG EATON ART CLUB

Long Eaton Art Club, March 2021

A Message from Long Eaton Art Club

As we see the first signs of spring the desire to pick up the paint brush must be stirring all over the county. But with our clubs and exhibitions still closed how do we show each other our work. Well you can use your own front window. In the Derby and down our street in Long Eaton, we have been displaying our pictures of daffodils, and nationally there has been the ‘Great Big Art Exhibition’ idea of showing your art work in your front window or porch. Sky Arts have been doing the Portrait Artist of the Week again and promoting the idea exhibiting your work in your windows as well as online. So don’t be despondent, get painting and drawing and show the world your work and be ready for when the art clubs are back. 

Daffodils, along with snowdrops and crocus’s can provide inspiration for us all. Clare Devlin from Derry Girls was the first subject in the latest series of Portrait Artist of the Week.

Cliff Dowler

POLL CARDS SIGNAL ELECTION COUNTDOWN

More than 86,000 poll cards in total will be hand-delivered across Erewash between 26th March and 8th April to residents who are on the voting register. Delivery of the poll cards is the first key stage in the countdown to the local elections on Thursday 6th May, when voters in the borough will elect nine councillors to represent the Erewash area on Derbyshire County Council. They will also vote for the election of a Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner. The poll card gives electors their voter number and details of their polling station - or it will confirm details for those residents who have requested a postal vote. Residents who want to check that they are registered to vote in Erewash can ask via an online form at www.erewash.gov.uk - click on ‘The Council’ and ‘Elections’ to find the form that will be responded to within one working day.

This year’s elections will be held in covid-secure polling stations with a range of safety measures in place. The easiest way for people to cast their vote is to have a postal vote, with new applications needing to be made by the deadline of 5pm on Tuesday 20th April Anyone who needs to apply should email electreg@erewash.gov.uk  or call 0115 907 1190.

 In Little Eaton, electors will also vote on their village’s Neighbourhood Plan while in the parish wards of Borrowash East and Borrowash West voters will also be given ballot papers for Parish Council elections.

NEW HOMES YOUR VIEWS NEEDED

A second round of public consultation on Erewash Borough Council’s proposed sites for new housing over the next two decades looks set to get the go-ahead. An Extraordinary meeting of the council has been called for Thursday 25th March, when councillors will be asked to vote on a further exercise to get underway to ask the public for their views. A report going to the meeting shows that following last year’s 12-week consultation (extended to July 2020), the council has made some changes to its original preferred options for sites to meet the borough’s housing needs. The original proposals included building new homes on the Green Belt at four local sites – west of Acorn Way in Oakwood; adjacent to Cotmanhay Wood, Ilkeston; a site south-east of Kirk Hallam; and land north of Lock Lane, Sawley. However, it is recommended that Lock Lane is dropped from a new revised list of options for housing growth, with the council’s report saying no solutions have been found to development issues caused by the busy low level freight rail crossing near the site. Councillors will be advised that another proposed Green Belt site would replace Lock Lane in the next round of consultation – a site on the borough’s boundary with Derby City north of Spondon alongside Spondon Wood.

The report also outlines further proposed changes to the earlier preferred sites:

·         An extension to the original development at Kirk Hallam, due to a now reduced area of housing capacity on four fields north of Cotmanhay and west of Cotmanhay Wood. The owner of land east of the Wood, which was also included in the original consultation, has said they do not wish to develop their land for housing.

·         It says extension of the site south west of Kirk Hallam would sit alongside land within the proposed Kirk Hallam Relief Road and help with the go-ahead of that road.

The brownfield Stanton Regeneration Site will remain as a proposal for a 1,000 home community south of Lows Lane. This follows the sale of half of the former Ironworks site to the north of Lows Lane for employment development. Councillor Michael Powell, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Regeneration and Planning, says: “The reality is that we have to meet the housing needs for the residents of our borough, initially over the next five years, and then the next, nearly two decades. This process is vital in meeting the targets the government has set and we thank everyone for giving us their views so far. We have listened to comments, reviewed them in detail and made changes as we move forward. A second round of consultation, if agreed, would be so important to ensure that we can start to see much-needed house building in our borough.”

A report to the Extraordinary meeting says it is hoped a second consultation would lead to a full proposed Core Strategy by September this year and that initial house building would begin, at the earliest, by 2022/23. All relevant documents, full details of the sites and an on-line form to submit views can be found at www.erewash.gov.uk/localplan  Printed copies can also be requested by calling 0115 907 2244. Responses can be submitted by email to planningpolicy@erewash.gov.uk or by post to: Planning Policy, Long Eaton Town Hall, Derby Road, Long Eaton NG10 1HU. The virtual Extraordinary meeting of the council is on Thursday 25 March at 6pm. Residents can view the meeting at https://youtu.be/aNaxWVy5fOs

COUNCILLORS ASSIST SILVER PRIZE BAND

 

EBC Councillor’s Kewal Singh Athwal, Chris Corbett and Michael Powell have jointly decided to assist Long Eaton Silver Prize Band with a Grant donation of £250 from the EBC Member’s Grant Scheme. Long Eaton Silver Prize Band have entertained local residents in Erewash with their music for many years but like most organisations their performances have been curtailed by the current pandemic over the last year. Sharon Stansfield, Chairperson of LESPB Said;

“Thank you so much for this £250 grant, it will give both bands a real boost when we are able to get back together. We really do hope that we soon will be able to perform in and around the borough of Erewash and entertain our audiences with new music. The Band also actively encourages members from all aspects of the community irrespective of ability, age or position to take part in the enjoyment that is making music and with this in mind in 2002 a training band was established, which encourages all members to learn brass instruments. This group now has approximately 40 members and free tuition and equipment is provided to all”

Cllr’s Kewal Singh Athwal, Chris Corbett and Michael Powell Said; “We are delighted that we could assist this long established local band with a £250 grant to purchase new music to entertain our local residents. When the current situation allows, with the general public, we also look forward to hearing their music to lift all our spirits”

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.