SPEAKERSCORNER

1 Traffic on Lambley Lane Gedling

Hi
I am just responding to the article on the bus plug which I recently read in the Gedling News. I am a local resident who lives on Lambley Lane and since the bus plug has been introduced we have experienced a massive increase in traffic on the lane itself.
I feel quite aggrieved that we are paying Band D Council Tax, have no street lightening outside our house or immediate area and the legal national speed limit applies on most of this road. We have tremendous problems trying to get out onto the road due to the speed and busyness of traffic. I have to say if the police were to take a speed camera onto the lane particularly at the weekend they would have a field day as we frequently have motorbikes and cars that are travelling in far excess of the national speed limit. In addition the bus plug I understand was related to environmental issues. Well as a resident in the local area the added fuel to travel around the loop road to access Burton Joyce is only adding to the pollution.
So in my opinion I am certainly opposed to the bus plug road
Mrs. Audrey Evans

Dear Mrs Evans
Many thanks for your reponse to our newsletter. We have heard from a number of residents that traffic has increased on Lambley Lane. We are hopeful that the new road will cut this in the future but in the mean time I have spoken to Cllr John Clarke who is not only your local cllr along with myself but also Chair of the Police Authority. He is going to ask for some action on the road with police resources and I will ask highways if we can have extra signing or road markings on the road. I will also contact highways street lighting to see if additional lighting can be put in along that road.

Myself and Cllr Clarke want to highlight issues that are affecting local people.

Many thanks

Cllr James O'Riordan and Cllr John Clarke
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2 Gedling traffic, by pass and bus plug

Mr O'Riordan

I noted with interest how you have managed to include a
> wonderful set of
> information that is totally contradictory in your recent
> newsletter.
>
> On the front you state you back the Gedling bypass - as do
> all long
> suffering residents - especially when you state one of the
> prime aims is to
> IMPROVE the traffic problems and to ease the traffic
> congestion that is
> plaguing Gedling village. Obviously Shearing Hill is not
> part of the
> village since over the page you state that a recent traffic
> survey (carried
> out When & by whom may I ask) you note that traffic has
> fallen by 16% - as
> a result of that nightmare called the bus plug. Well as a
> resident of
> Shearing Hill I, and I am sure my neighbours have not
> noticed any decrease -
> indeed the traffic is worse with more lorries and heavy
> traffic than before.
>
>
> So can you publish the statistics or are they like most
> sets - merely a set
> of manipulated figures to give the impression that all is
> well in the State
> of Gedling.
>
> I would challenge all the local councillors to spend some
> time themselves
> watching the traffic and judging whether or not it is safe
> and has
> decreased.
>
> In answer to the bus plugs - open them up the cars only
> outwith the key
> hours. Put traffic calming measures onto Shearing Hill and
> impose a weight
> limit on lorries using the road.
>
> Have we noticed any change - YES ITS NOW FAR WORSE ON
> SGHEARING
> HILL.
>
> Regards
>
> Terry A Lock
> Shearing Hill

Dear Mr Lock

Many thanks for your email.

The figures we have obtained are from traffic counters on Shearing Hill before
and after the plugs went in. Neil Hodgson from the County Council is the officer
who can supply these figures to you if you want to look at them yourself. The
main number at County Hall is 982 3823.

I am surprised you think things are worse. Many people on Shearing Hill tell us
they think things are better. I can only go by the figures but I have noted your
point about HGVs.

In terms of the plugs we always argued as local cllrs for the restrictions to
be peak time only. We lost that argument with senior highways cllrs. We do
however hope that the new road will make an impact on levels of all vehicles in
the area.

Many thanks for your comments. We have a secion on our web site where we
publish local residents views. Could we put your email on this?

Cllr James O'Riordan and Cllr John Clarke

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3 Gedling Shearing Hill and Stoke Lane Traffic

Hi
>
> In response to your Gedling News I'd like to confirm that I support the
> by-pass. As I'm sure will anybody who has ever walked along Shearing
> Hill's narrow pavements when a lorry goes by. I also support the bus
> plugs - I'm sure that traffic has decreased on Shearing Hill and
> Brooklands Drive is used less as a high speed rat run.
>
> I've also been asked to respond by my mother who doesn't have access to
>
> email and lives on Stoke Lane. She supports both the by-pass and
> particularly the bus plugs which have improved her life immeasurably.
> They have removed the lorries from Stoke Lane which were not only loud
> and smelly but thundered by at all hours.
>
> regards
>
> Nicki Ferrin
> Brooklands Drive
> Gedling

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>

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4 Bus plug and traffic on Stoke Lane/Burton Road

Cllr O'Riordan

I think the bus plugs are a very good idea, my concerns are
> the amount of traffic which still use stoke lane and burton
> road.We take our dog a walk and
> have to get out of the way of speeding vehicles who jump the
> red lights,would it be better to put barriers up and that
> way no vehicles except buses would be allowed to use the bus
> plugs. the police dont seem bothered because we witnessed a
> black 4x4 folowed by a police car and both vehicles going
> separate ways at the traffic lights on to the new road.

Mr M Cook (Gedling)

Dear Mr Cook

There are plans to put bollards in so I hope this dangerous practice of jumping the bus plug lights will stop.

James O'Riordan and John Clarke

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5 Gedling bus plug and road

Dear Sir

My experience with the bus plugs is a big plus I live on Coronation Walk and I find it easier to get out into Burton Road now where it used to be an ordeal. When I travel towards Burton Joyce I do have to make a detour but we can't have everything. My comment on the by-pass is it can't come soon enough.

T. Maguire.

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6 Netherfield Ashwell Street site
Dear Cllrs Clarke and O'Riordan
I have just received your latest newsletter regarding the above. As someone who lives directly opposite the site on Knight Street , I personally am happy for it to remain as it is indefinitely!

I have lived in my current address for about 30 years, and so have been used to the relative quiet, and the privacy that comes with not having someone else’s bedroom window looking directly into mine. The thought of a housing estate going up across the road, with noisy kids/yobs (we have enough of those), people being inconsiderate and having loud music blasting out from open windows etc. fills me with dread. Add to that the extra traffic and people trying to park on Knight Street because there isn’t room enough outside of their homes (the people who live on the main road and in the streets opposite already park on Knight), and you get the situation that people can’t even park outside their own home.

A few of us did hear a rumour that the site was going to become an old folks complex, but obviously this was only a rumour. However, of all the things that could be built, this would be the ideal. No noise, no kids.

The site may be an eyesore, but it’s quiet and peaceful. It’s alright for those of you who won’t be directly affected to campaign to get something done with it, but you won’t be getting my vote.

Regards

Donna Spencer
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7 Gedling Bus plugs and carlton le willows school Dear Cllr O'Riordan and Clarke

I think the bus plug is great ! I have only been a resident
> of Coronation
> Walk for about a year so can't really comment about a
> traffic problem along
> Burton Road before then. In the 80s I went to Carlton Le
> Willows School and
> remember many heavy lorries going along this road. Now my
> 11 year old
> daughter goes to CLWs and I am very pleased that she does
> not have the same
> volume of traffic to walk alongside. Every morning when I
> go to work in my
> car (at about 8 o'clock) I have to be very aware of the
> school children all
> around. They are busy chatting and laughing with their
> friends and therefore
> road safety could be the last thing on their minds. I am
> aware many people
> are annoyed that they have to go 'further' on
> journeys that would have gone
> along Burton Road, but they would be a lot more upset if
> they were involved
> in an accident with a school child.
>
> I must say though how annoyed I am that some people think
> they can go
> through the bus plug-isn't it about time a red light
> camera was put there?
>
> Mrs Hallam
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8 Resident of Netherfield (name withheld on request)
Dear Mr O’Riordan

There is an issue that I would like to raise – that of fly tipping.

There is a section of wooded area on the hill leading down from Netherfield to Colwick (on the left as you go to Colwick), where people are dumping stuff. Even though the council have been made aware of this, it isn’t cleared. One day I had a conversation with the council men working in the wooded area – they were there to cut the grass, cut back branches etc (something I have previously had to get on to the council about, as they are always letting the overhanging branches get dangerously low, to the extent they could put someone’s eye out). I asked if they would also be removing the rubbish, but was told that it wasn’t their department who dealt with it, and another department would have to attend for that. What a waste of tax payers money to have another vehicle and work crew attend when they were already there.

I asked the man if he would then report the matter of the rubbish that had been there for months. His response was that he would, but that he had worked in that area before and had himself reported the matter a couple of times, but no one seemed to want to do anything about it!

Now a shelving unit has been dumped there (the area is hidden from site by the wall of the walkway, so is ideal for someone to be able to dump stuff unseen).

Also, at the end of Ashwell Street there are steps leading up to the top of Colwick Hill, along the side of which is another planted area. A wheelie bin has been dumped there, and there it remains, even though I have seen council workers around cutting the grass and shrubs nearby.

We receive flyers and newsletters from the council stating that they are targeting fly tippers, and that we should report any instances so that they can clear up, but they do nothing when it is reported (even by their own workers).

The council will no doubt use the argument that they have limited resources etc. but a tighter control on their workers is what is required.

Regards

Dear .....

I have just written to Gedling Council about this. I will keep you informed about progress

Many thanks for letting us know about this

James O'Riordan
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9 Gedling by pass

Dear Cllrs

We live on Arnold Lane, Gedling, and totally support the
> > construction of the Gedling Relief Road.
> >
> > Arnold Lane has always been a busy road but over the past
> > few years the traffic has increased significantly. We feel
> > the speed cameras on Westdale Lane has meant traffic from
> > that road has diverted to Arnold Lane. Also Arnold Lane
> > seems to be the only main road in the area without speed
> > cameras or traffic calming bumps. i.e.Westdale Lane,
> > Cavendish Road, Porchester Road, Foxhill Road etc.
> >
> > There are also several heavy goods vehicles using Arnold
> > Lane which are dangerous especially when trying to cross the
> > road using the central ballards, particularly with
> > pushchairs. The road is too narrow and close to houses to
> > have such large vehicles travelling on it.
> >
> > Gedling village would be a much safer and pleasant place to
> > live if the Relief Road was built.
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> >

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10 The Chair of the Gedling Preservation Society Mr Rick Wilson has written us.

Dear James,

If you think it is a worthwhile exercise could you include the following under the Gedling heading.

Gedling Miners Memorial It has been proposed to set up a memorial to all the miners who died while working at Gedling Colliery. Allan Beales has completed extensive research into the official records and has produced a definitive list of the 128 miners who lost their lives,which he has put together in a document and kindly presented to All Hallows Church so that a copy is available for inspection in the heart of the 'Old Village'. He plans to put further copies into local libraries.

Another former miner, Graham Tavner, has been actively trying to create a memorial and has acquired a large coal car which would provide a symbolic tribute to the miners. A site has been proposed in the 'Old Village' opposite the War Memorial at the junction of Main Road and Willow Lane and this is land owned by Notts County Council. An initial public meeting was held in September to discuss the proposals and a few interested parties turned up. The ideas proposed included; the mine car securely anchored to 2 rails, a memorial plaque, a paved area with 2 seats, 2 flower beds, lighting and a background of trees. The mine car itself would be, painted white in anti-vandal paint, weighted down and planted with flowers. There was a general feeling that a Memorial was a fitting tribute to the miners but there was a diversity of opinion on several matters. These could be summarised as;a) The Locationb) The Proposed Design c) Maintenance.

Further meetings will take place to address these matters and your comments would be most welcome. Another public meeting will take place early in 2009 and everyone is welcome to attend.

If you have any comments to make on the Memorial please email them to this site.

Rick Wilson

Chair, Gedling Village Preservation Society
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11 Netherfield Dunstan Street

Dear Cllr Miller

I have read through your letter that came through my door in August at least once a week promising that I would send you this email one day. I have lived on Dunstan Street since May 2007 moving from just the next street - Dennis Street. These 2 streets to say they are next to each other are worlds apart, maybe even planets apart. I had 4 relatively happy years at Dennis Street and only moved out when the damp got too bad so my landlady decided that because I was such a good tenant decided that they would buy me a house so they could keep me on as a tenant. I saw this house for sale on Dunstan Street and asked my landlady if me and my son could view it. It was only 1 of 2 houses with driveways and gardens on this street.

On the first day I moved in I was banging on my neighbours door at 2.10am asking him to turn down his music - this is still going on to this day (endless complaints in at GBC). In the first 3 weeks of living here we had had 3 separate thefts from our back garden.

But one of the things that happens on a DAILY basis is the fact that because I have a front garden the "idiots" on this street seem to think that's its a laugh to chuck their rubbish on my garden. I have to pick it up every morning before I go to work and again every night when I return home. Just from 1 weeks collecting all this rubbish I had 3 tesco carrier bags full that I had to find room for in my dustbin (not easy when the collections are only once a fortnight and I have all my own rubbish to get rid of).

This is what I found on my garden on Sunday morning - an empty vodka bottle, 2 empty cigarette packets, 4 chocolate bar wrappers, an empty carrier bag which I know comes from the local chip shop, a macdonalds coca cola cup, and someone had actually chucked macdonalds chips on my grass. Now when it had been raining all night you can imagine picking wet, soggy chips up is not my idea of fun.

I sat in my kitchen on Sunday morning having just got up and actually witnessed a bloke chucking his chocolate wrapper on my garden after stopping to unwrap it and letting his dog "poo" in front of my fence while he did this.

I will not pick other peoples animals excrement up which I also find in my garden because again I have sat in my house and watched people let their dogs come in my garden.

Kind regards
Resident of Dunstan (name withheld)
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12 Traffic on Burton Road

Good afternoon James
>
> further to your recent leaflet regarding the latest bus
> plug details can we please add our own comments as a
> resident directly affected by the change
>
> we sit here this sunny sunday afternoon able to open our
> windws and allow fresh air in without the car exhaust fumes
> pervaiding our lungs, comments from other residents have
> also been positive and the air quality around here has never
> been so good. From an environmental standpoint someone try
> to explain how thousands of cars idling and slow moving in a
> morning is better than smooth flowing traffic along the new
> bypass(how quickly we forget) in protecting us from
> polution.
> The bypass has created a safe, noise and accident free zone
> around the village and long may it continue
> We are conservative voters however in this instance the
> conservative councillers have got it wrong and credit to you
> for fighting this cause.
>
Resident of Burton Road (name withheld by request)

Dear Mr and Mrs ............

Many thanks for your email and comments. Much appreciated. We do agree with
you on this issue. 20,000 less cars on our main residential roads per day. .
Quality of life for people in their homes has definitely increased. We hope than when the new road comes it will bring even further decreases in traffic in the area and of course allow residents from Burton Joyce who have complained about limited access an easier route also. Everyone can benefit we believe.

best wishes

James O'Riordan and John Clarke
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13 bus plug and road

Dear Cllr Clarke and O'Riordan

I am 100% in favour. Although living on Orlando Drive
means a marginal increase
in distance on many of the car journeys that I make, the benefits from reduced
journey times, reduced frustration from sitting in traffic queues at the railway
bridge on Burton Road far outweigh the so called problems.

It is a pity that the Conservative councillors did not ask who was in favour
instead of targetting a small number of people with a loaded question as to why
they did not like the scheme.

David Dobbs (25 year resident in Carlton/Gedling)
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14 Mile End Road Colwick HGV changes

Dear Sirs

Why has a weight restriction been imposed on Mile End Road ? Have there been any accidents or a significant increase in industrial traffic recently to warrant this?

Could this measure have been brought in to appease a certain resident and his ‘Action Group’ (consisting of who?) from continually harassing you the Borough Council, the County Council and anyone else he can bully into backing his cause for the removal of all industrial traffic from Mile End Road.

What I fail to see is how when all the people who live in the houses that actually face or back onto Mile End Road (approximately 20) purchased their properties (this includes Mr Middleton) they did so knowing that Mile End Road was the access to the industrial estate, can now complain about the industrial traffic accessing the estate via Mile End Road.

He and his Action Group’s argument for stopping industrial traffic using Mile End Road is always the same, traffic accidents, children using the park and the elderly residents walking on the pavements. I cannot recall any accidents in the 37 years I have lived in Colwick involving industrial traffic, children or the elderly on Mile End Road .

None of the recent traffic accidents in Colwick have involved industrial traffic on Mile End Road or even at the Mile End Road/Loop Road junction. Yet this has not stopped Mr Middleton and his Action Group jumping on the bandwagon to try and further his campaign. I was disgusted in just how quickly he had an interview in the paper and gave yet another TV interview only a day or so after the tragic death of the pensioner recently.

Yet again this was an accident that had nothing to do with industrial traffic using Mile End Road . It was at the First Avenue/Loop Road junction and the car transporter (from the photographs) was going straight along the Loop Road .

Mind you now that the lane designation has been changed (explain why?) exiting Mile End Road to the Loop Road I can foresee there being accidents. The left hand lane was turn left only and the right hand lane straight on and turn right. This has now been changed to right lane right turn only and left lane left turn and straight on. To go straight on now into First Avenue you have to drive at an angle across the junction as it is not directly opposite as is was in the right hand lane. Plus now people turning right out of First Avenue will not be able to tell if the cars in the left hand land are coming straight across or turning left. If you have pulled out of First Avenue to turn right and are sitting in the middle of the junction to allow right turners out of Mile End Road, anyone going straight over will either hit you straight on or have to hold up the traffic turning left from Mile End Road to allow you to filter into the lane of traffic. As far as I know there was no advanced warning of this change of layout. On Sunday evening my husband and I had to swerve to get into the left hand lane to go straight over to First Avenue , as we were totally unaware of the changes until we drove back along Mile End Road . Obviously decided by someone who never uses this junction!

As stated earlier I have lived in Colwick for 37 years and when I (and a large number of others) purchased my property it backed onto a field with horses in it. I now have incessant traffic 24/7 from the Loop Road , and this extra industrial traffic will mean that I and the other residents of Valeside Gardens , First Avenue and Manor Farm will have to endure even more noise. Why were we not consulted before this was implemented to enable us to voice our opinions/objections?

Will this then mean the widening of the Loop Road , to accommodate the extra traffic, will go ahead as Mr Middleton (where does he keep getting his information from) is telling people will happen. If this is not correct perhaps someone should tell him to stop spreading wrong information.

You can count this email as a definite objection to the Councils plans to keep in place the weight restriction temporarily enforced on Mile End Road and any attempt to widen the Loop Road will be met with the fiercest opposition.

Finally a point for you to think about, when the extra volume of traffic causes tailbacks on the Loop Road where do you think the overflow will go to too avoid sitting in a queue? Vale Road would be my guess, which has a large number of elderly residents and also St Johns School

Mrs Evelyn Handley

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15 Gedling

Hello
You asked for views on the planned new road between BJ and Mapperly Top a couple of months ago - and the existing new road.The latter has made a huge difference to the timeliness of the Pathfinder - its really good now. It has also reduced congestion around the Burton Rd traffic lights at rush hour completely. Whilst traffic reduced on Shearing Hill, I think this should be set against possible increases on other local roads - in particular the road thorugh Netherfield. Netherfield always gets it! We are totally opposed to the new road in terms of the amount of out lay and the destruction of local countryside. I dont think it will make enough difference to Gedling as a village as you describe as there will still be high amounts of local traffic - particularly with the additional housing on Gedling colliery. It will also cut off Lambley. Traffic calming and weight limits through Gedling could prevent the ridiculous size of some lorries that pass through. They can get from the North to South on our East side in a number of different ways.Anyway - thats some feedback!Thanks for your up- dates by the wayThey are very useful.Linda Metcalfe and Paul SmithPS Is there ever going to be a plan for the waste land besides Inn for a Penny - it does look awful. I saw some old photos in the library when some of it was gardens, it looked lovely.
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Dear Ms Metcalfe and Mr Smith Many thanks for your email and the points you make particularly about the road. I would be very keen to take up your points about HGV limits on local roads. I totally agree with your observations about lorries charging up and down. I will also look into the waste ground. Possibly there might might be some funding if we can find out who owns it. I will ask the County Council land department.
Many thanks again James O'Riordan

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