Decision on major countryside homes and police officer's racist comments
Your weekly round-up of Ashfield News
Hello and welcome to your weekly round-up of Ashfield News. It is that time of the year when you have no idea what day of the week it is anymore - but we can confirm it is Thursday, December 28.
This week it was decided a substantial housing development would not be built in the Nottinghamshire countryside and we take a look at a few New Year’s Day walks within just an hour of our district.
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Decision on housing plans for countryside
Long-running plans to create more than 40 homes in the Nottinghamshire countryside have been refused.
Developers wanted to build 47 properties on land next to Station Farm, off Pleasley Road in Teversal.
The plans were widely opposed by residents, with many saying it would have a detrimental impact on local services and views.
This included a lack of screening from the countryside and nearby trails, including the Teversal Trail.
Highways bosses added that access to the site was ‘dangerous’ and that the development was ‘unsustainable’.
Plans for the development have been ongoing since 2021, but Ashfield District Council refused the outline plans last week.
In their notice, the authority said: “The application site is in an unsustainable location, isolated from services, facilities and sustainable travel options and heavily reliant on the private car to access services and facilities.”
Police officer made racist comments to colleagues
A former Nottinghamshire Police officer was found to have committed gross misconduct after making misogynistic and racist comments towards colleagues.
The Police Constable, who has not been named by the force, “breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour between February 2021 and October 2022”, a misconduct hearing heard.
A hearing took place between December 20 and 21 and gross misconduct was found.
The hearing was told the officer would have been dismissed if he had still been employed.
New look square for 2024
We may be only just getting over the big day in 2023, but Ashfield District Council has released an artist’s impression of how the new Portland Square could look next Christmas.
One of the Council’s regeneration projects is the redesign of Portland Square, Sutton’s town centre focal point. The plans form part of the Council’s £62.6million Towns Deal, which is funding 16 projects across the district.
The new-look Portland Square will feature two raised lawns with inbuilt seating, ambient lighting, planting and semi-mature trees. Alongside the planters will be CCTV cameras, streetlighting, a new level flooring and more room outside businesses for outdoor seating.
Work is expected to start on site in spring 2024, with the completion around autumn 2024.
Cllr Matthew Relf, Executive Lead for Growth, Regeneration, and Local Planning said: “It’s exciting to start to imagine how the very near future of Sutton town centre could look. The plans for Portland Square are ambitious, not just with the physical changes but how we aim to create a cultural shift towards a thriving night-time economy. In combination with the development of Cornerstone Theatre, Sutton’s future looks bright.”
To complement this, the Council are also redeveloping the derelict Fox Street site (behind Lloyds bank) to create a flexible outdoor space. This will include a new car park that will host regular markets and events.
The improvements to Fox Street will be funded by the £6.27million Future High Streets Fund, with work expected to start in March 2024.
Plans announced for new school building
Plans have been submitted to create a new Sixth Form building for a Nottinghamshire school.
The move for the National C of E Academy, off Annesley Road in Hucknall, comes just days after it was announced the current Hucknall Sixth Form Centre building is set to be ‘phased out’, subject to a consultation.
The centre was run by the academy, part of the Minster Trust for Education, and The Holgate Academy and Queen Elizabeth’s Academy.
Now, it is proposed that from September 2025, The Holgate Academy and the National Church of England Academy will each offer an 11-18 curriculum on site, within their own academies. For the purposes of post 16 study, Queen Elizabeth’s Academy will be included within The Holgate Academy offering.
Weather
Much of Ashfield was hit by heavy rain on Wednesday, December 27, as a weather warning was put in place.
The latest forecast from the Met Office suggests the more extreme weather is gone for the time being, but there will be some rain to contend with.
Today, rain is forecast to hit throughout the day, with highs of 9C expected. Friday is expected to be largely cloudy with some sun, before more heavy rain hits on Saturday, December 30.
New Year’s Day walks
Speaking of the weather, New Year’s Day is currently forecast to be sunny and clear throughout the day, with highs of 5C.
Perfect, you might say, for a New Year’s Day walk. So here are a few of our favourites within an hour of Ashfield.
Mill Lakes
Mill Lakes borders Hucknall and Bestwood Village and features a fairly easy 2.5 mile walk around a lake.
The lake itself features a range of birds and wildlife and there are also plenty of little forests for adults and children to explore. There is no official car park but there is street parking available in Baker Brk Close.
Hardwick Hall
Hardwick Hall in Doe Lea, Chesterfield, about 20 minutes from Sutton, is a National Trust site that stands in 40 acres of land featuring a range of walks for all abilities, beautiful buildings, lakes and a range of wildlife.
There is a free car park for those using the bar and restaurant, which serves a range of hot meals and local ales - which we can 100% recommend.
The hall itself was built between 1590 and 1597 and is described as an architecturally-significant country house from the Elizabethan era.
Best of all, it is also dog friendly - so no need to leave man’s best friend at home.
Padley Gorge
Padley Gorge is nestled in the heart of Hope Valley in the Peak District, just over 50 minutes once you get on the M1 at Junction 27.
The gorge is a narrow valley featuring beautiful trees, a stream and waterfalls. It can be a difficult walk if there has been rain as much of the route can become muddy.
It is located between the village of Grindleford and the A6187 and there is a cafe for those who make it to the Grindleford train station.
There is road parking on the B6521 that takes you straight on to the trail. There is also a National Trust car park for the Longshaw Estate, Grindleford Station car park and Surprise View car park.
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