Hucknall Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Mansfield & Ashfield Liberal Democrats

Ashfield DC announce changes to household recycling

23rd July 2017/in Ashfield, Hucknall, News /by webofficer

Ashfield District Council last week announced changes to their Glass road side recycling collection alongside the previously announced plans to reintroduce charges for Garden waste recycling.

From the 25th September 2017 our glass recycling will be collected once ever 8 weeks rather than every 4 weeks. To ensure you have sufficient space for the extra glass your small blue box will be replaced with a blue lidded “small” wheelie bin – a little smaller than your existing red lidded General Waste wheelie bin and around 3 times the size of the existing blue boxes. Your existing blue box will not be removed and you will have to find a home for it, reuse it, or dispose of it at your own expense/inconvenience (please do so responsibly).

Whilst we welcome changes to the glass recycling as the blue boxes were unpopular for a number of reasons, the Hucknall Liberal Democrats strongly oppose the introduction of a dedicated wheelie bin for glass recycling. We urge Ashfield District Council to reconsider this costly policy, instead we propose it would be better to follow the example set by our neighbours in the City of Nottingham, amongst others, who take glass recycling in their normal Recycling wheelie bin. Whilst this would likely increase handling costs it would save the need for separate collections, save the need for replacing thousands of wheelie bins and increase the ease of recycling making recycling rates higher. After initially denying this change was going to happen there has been little public consultation on this change and follows closely on the heels of last year’s costly and hugely unpopular changes to the much smaller red lidded General Waste wheelie bins. Given the previous bin changes cost more than £1,000,000 there are far better things to be spending our council tax funds on.

Changes to the Garden waste recycling are still subject to approval within the council, however it seems likely that their proposed changes will be approved. After removing the charge for Garden waste recycling when giving everyone the new red lidded General Waste, and encouraging residents to use their previous General Waste bin for Garden waste the scheme has generally been considered a success. Indeed the council’s own figure suggest most of the success claimed to be seen following the changes in General Waste collection were down to people switching to recycling their garden waste over the summer with nearly a 130% increase in Garden Waste recycling in the first full month of it’s introduction. However, the council are now set to reintroduce the charges at £34 a year for 2018 and 2019 (reduced to £28 a year if you pay by Direct Debit) and likely to increase in 2020. If you do not subscribe to the service your Garden waste will no longer be collected at the end of 2017. I have asked the council if residents who no longer desire the extra Garden Waste bin will be able to have these removed as the window to have the old General Waste bins removed closed 3 months after the delivery of the red lidded replacements.

Information on the Glass Recycling changes can be found here (http://www.ashfield.gov.uk/residents/waste-and-recycling/glass-recycling-blue-box/)

Information on the Garden Recycling changes can be found here (http://www.ashfield.gov.uk/residents/waste-and-recycling/garden-recycling-brown-bin/)

Dementia Tax puts homes at risk

6th June 2017/in Hucknall, News, Sherwood /by James Harvey

Social care changes hit elderly with crippling bills

Theresa May’s Conservatives have announced heartless plans that will mean sick and vulnerable people will have their homes confiscated to pay for care.

“The Tories’ social care plan is a death tax by another name” – The Economist, 18th May 2017

Becky Thomas and the Lib Dems have criticised Theresa May and the Conservatives for their attack on the most vulnerable in society.
Becky says:

“No one should have to choose between their home or their health.
“The number of people with dementia is at a record high. If Theresa May gets her way, the more care people need, the more her government will take.
“Its a shameful way to treat people and shows the Conservatives simply don’t care.
“The Lib Dems put a cap on care costs when in government and are the only party with a costed plan to save social care and the NHS.
“The best way to send Theresa May a message against her Dementia Tax is to vote Liberal Democrat and get an MP who will fight to stop it.”

Back the Liberal Democrats campaign to protect elderly patients and Sign Up Today at DementiaTax.org

James Harvey – Hucknall North – Biography Leaflet

20th April 2017/in Ashfield, Hucknall, News /by webofficer

James Harvey’s latest leaflet to the residents of Hucknall North is now in the process of being delivered to local residents.

The main purpose of this leaflet is to give you background on James, and details about what he stands for.

Dear neighbour,

I was born and raised in Nottinghamshire and have a lifelong connection to the county. More than five years ago I moved to Hucknall and have now settled in the town with my wife Yvette, living on the Merlin Park/Papplewick Green estate in the Hucknall North ward.

I have an established career in IT having been a software developer for 14 years. I’ve always had the ability to look at problems sideways, enabling me to see solutions that aren’t immediately obvious. This has served me well both professionally and personally, and I know that ‘out of the box’ thinking could really benefit Hucknall, and Nottinghamshire County Council, especially in these turbulent times when problems are frequent and complicated.

I believe passionately in making Hucknall a town everyone can be proud of. This includes building a greener, more caring community; cooperation between councils on housing, infrastructure and waste; and attention to infrastructure demands before large housing developments begin.

In our area, Conservative austerity cuts to public services have gone too far. The cuts Labour have implemented, as a result of this, has caused savage reductions in support services to the most vulnerable residents: children, the disabled, and the very elderly. The Liberal Democrats believe that our priorities should always be valuing public services and taking care of the environment.
Our Councillors, across the county, will work to bring these policies into action to the best of our ability. You can rely on Liberal Democrat County Councillors to work hard for you, your community, and your county.

I am proud to be standing for election in a town I care so much about. If you agree that I will make a positive impact on the County Council and the people of Hucknall please vote for me on May 4th.

Thank you for your consideration.

James

Hucknall Market Survey Results

9th March 2017/in Ashfield, Hucknall, News /by webofficer

A big thank you to everyone who took part in our Market survey. From your answers and detailed comments, it’s clear Hucknall residents are just as angry and saddened with the state of our market, as we are. Below are the results of our survey, in our next article on the subject we will be putting forwards our ideas. With a few changes, we can make Hucknall a destination on a tram and not see the millions wasted on pedestrianising the high street.

High Street

Even though we have lost a lot of shops and increasingly services on the High Street a high number still shop in our town centre. Almost 95% of those asked use the high street every month for food and household essentials. Just under 2/3rd of those asked use the High Street one time or more per month, to buy gifts, clothes and use the services remaining.

How many times per month do you shop on the High Street?

Market

Of those surveys only 11% use the market more than once a month, with most of those only using 1-2 times a month. The most common comments focused around the day, with majority of people working while the market is on and the lack of stalls. We put forward a suggestion of moving the market to a Saturday and this came across as a common idea in the comments.

Of course its not only the day which is behind such small numbers who use the market, the lack of choice is also at the heart of the problem. Stall holders stop attending if people are not shopping on the market and people stop attending due to lack of stall, its a vicious cycle which has been happening for years. On top of asking people if they would rather see the market held on a Saturday, we also polled residents on what they would like to see more of on the market.

Please check back later or follow us on social media if you would like to hear our suggestions for our market.

Hucknall Market

19th February 2017/in Ashfield, Hucknall, News /by webofficer

Hucknall has reinvented itself many times, from a large area which included Hucknall Torkard, Hucknall-under-Huthwaite and Alt Hucknall in Anglo Saxon times to the commuter town we have today. Over the centuries the area has been used for farming, frame knitting, mining and aviation. Throughout all these transitions our marketplace has been at the heart of it all, flanked on side by our medieval church, with the Whyburn (Town Brook) on the other.

The biggest moment in the town’s growth was the sinking of both Top and Bottom pits in 1861, which saw the town grow at rapid rate, from a small village to a thriving market and mining town. As we all know mining and most other forms of Industry has left the town and over the years has become a commuter town for those working in Nottingham or further afield (thanks to our proximity to the M1). To ease traffic and make Hucknall a more desirable place to live, we have seen big changes. The opening of the Bypass in the 90’s gave easier access for those in the west of the town to not only get into the town centre but also easier access north (M1, Mansfield & Ashfield) and to the south (M1 & Nottingham City). Improvements in public transport made it much easier to nip into neighbouring towns (Bulwell, Sutton & Mansfield) and into Nottingham. This has continued to this day with the Train (Robin Hood Line) and eventually the Tram, now opening up the east of the town.

The ease of getting into bigger towns/cities, retail parks/supermarkets and of course e-commerce has had a disastrous effect on our high street and to our once thriving market (as is the case all over the UK & Europe). Our market is now a scant but varied selection of widely spaced stalls and our high street, (even with the addition of chain/franchise businesses) continues to get barer and barer of actual shops. The redevelopment/pedestrianisation of the High Street and new relief road has cost over £13m (mainly funded by the national government). While this will make getting across the town easier, will it;

Encourage more people to shop here rather than hopping on the Bus/Tram to Nottingham
Drive more business to the market and encourage others to take pitches
Attract a more diverse selection of Bars, Restaurants and Cafes to the town

Sadly we fear not and our market could be effected even more, but is it only the markets lack of choice and variety that is at the root of the problem? Most people work these days and while Fridays used to be early finish in the factories, it’s now just a regular work day (well for many of us). Could holding the market on a Saturday encourage more business to take up pitches? Could we try and encourage the small web based business we have in the town to try out pitches? The Hucknall Liberal Democrats feel both of these could breed new life into the market, as for the town centre we all have to do our bit there!

We as consumers hold more power in this debate, than either councils or national government. We choose to grab a bargain on eBay or Amazon (other e-commerce retailers are available) and to travel a little further into Nottingham for even more choice. If we do not make use of our local shops and market we will loose them and our town centre along with them.

“Use it or lose it!”

Please let us know what you think by getting touch with us. It’s our town and its future is in the hands of not only Local/National Government, but also our own.

Our open spaces

16th February 2017/in Ashfield, Hucknall, News /by webofficer

Hucknall couldn’t be positioned better, to the south we have the City of Nottingham and in all the other directions we have farms, parks and woodlands with other former industrial towns and rural villages between. We get the best of both worlds and while most of the land is private, the open spaces we do have allow us to enjoy the countryside and still have all the luxuries of the city on our doorstep.

Of course these open spaces need to be managed and the councils have potential to make money by selling them on to developers. With the reduction in funding from central government, loss of EU funding and also the bribe offered for creating the combined Notts & Derby authority (which is going well with the looks of it). We can not allow the idea of even discussing this at county hall or in council chambers.

The Liberal Democrats will fight tooth and nail to retain our open spaces and ensure they are properly maintained.

The Ranges park in Hucknall is beautiful, in the spring and autumn you get to look out across Hucknall to the Misk Hills and towards Bestwood and Linby. The park is used frequently by dog walkers and locals to enjoy the fresh air.

Being a former pit spoil heap, drainage is a problem and much of the water run off collects in the small pond at the town centre end of the park. The pond has had no life ring now since October and has been reported repeatably to both ADC (who claim its a Gedling BC problems) and NCC (who say it will be looked into, but never is). Its not only this, litter is strewn all over the park (not helped by the lack of bins) and covered in dog mess. While these are problems caused by a few within the local community, the slow speed these things are cleaned up just adds to the feeling of “No one else cares so why should I!”.

Come on @NottsCC almost 4 months and still missing on the Ranges. Do I need to buy & donate one myself? pic.twitter.com/6mcQi9F1VN

— Glynn Quelch 🇬🇧🇪🇪 (@glynnquelch) February 7, 2017

So alongside protecting our open spaces from being sold off, we are also campaigning for more attention to keeping our areas clean. If the council can not afford to maintain these areas correctly without scaling back on other essential services. They should be open and honest, asking the local communities if they can help with community groups and working side by side.

If you believe our open spaces should never be sold and maintained to a high standard, please vote Liberal Democrats on May 4th.

Click to read our Manifesto for the Nottinghamshire County Council elections in 2017

NCC Recycling Centres

14th February 2017/in Ashfield, Hucknall, Mansfield, News /by webofficer

While we understand the increased costs business and tradesmen bring on the council when they use our public waste/recycling centres. The current registration approach taken by Nottinghamshire County Council, does reduce the volume of commercial/trade waste. Sadly it also creates major problems for those who don’t drive and rely on friends or family to help out. With all vehicles needing registration prior, this prevents those visiting elderly relatives from outside our county helping. The system treats the car owner as the person doing the recycling and the automated approach leaves little room for compromise, often leaving a driver having to return the waste (and occasionally fly tipping along the way)

One of the biggest problems facing the county is the lack of City Centre recycling centres. With the city only having a single site, many city centre residents were using county sites. This is due to distance and ease, with residents in Bulwell having to travel to the other side of the QMC to access the cities recycling centre.

Rather than seeing the County Council penalise residents who don’t drive, we would like to see the County and City working closer together and either supporting each other in regards fees, or new joint ventures offering city residents more choice. Anything that reduces the likelihood of fly tipping in our more rural/remote areas.

Fighting for Open, Tolerant and United solutions to problems in our county.

Click here to read our 2017 NCC Manifesto

Nottinghamshire County Council information on using the recycling centres
http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/recycling-centres/using-our-recycling-centres

Hucknall Residents’ Survey 2017

13th February 2017/in Ashfield, Hucknall, News /by webofficer

While our fellow political parties rely on focus groups and postage paid surveys to selected residents, the Liberal Democrats believe in hearing from residents directly. To give the residents of a Hucknall a chance to give their views and opinions on issues which matter greatly for the community.

If you live in Hucknall, please take part in our Residents Survey. If you have any issues you would like to raise, you can leave additional notes or comments at the end.

Sorry this survey for 2017 is now closed.

Nottingham CAMRA award for Hucknall Brewery

9th February 2017/in Ashfield, Hucknall, News /by webofficer

The Hucknall Liberal Democrats are proud to see local companies not only bringing much needed employment to the town but also winning awards. Lincoln Green brewery in Hucknall have been given an award of excellence by Nottingham CAMRA. Anthony Hughes who started the brewery in 2012 has seen the company grow from his garage, to running two pubs and hosting events sharing the wonders of micro brewed beers. You can read more about this on the Hucknall Dispatch web site.

The Lincoln Green brewery are also behind the reopening of the Station Hotel near the railway station only half a mile from the brewery. The new and improved premises will carry 20 cask ales, from Lincoln Greens own brewery and from large and small brewers from around the country.

The doors open again on the 17th February and we look forward to hosting a Lib Dem pint there in future. The company’s green ethics and commitments to local communities, are qualities which benefit all within our society.

Nottinghamshire Liberal Democrats Launch County Council Manifesto

6th February 2017/in Ashfield, Hucknall, Mansfield, News /by webofficer

Towards an Open, Tolerant, United Nottinghamshire

Today, Nottinghamshire Liberal Democrats are launching their Manifesto for the 2017 County Elections.

The main themes of the Manifesto are A Greener County, A Caring County and A County which invests in the future.

Speaking earlier, Leon Duveen, the Chair of Nottinghamshire Lib Dems said:

“We are please to have a such wide range of candidate standing across the County this year, from long time Lib Dem Councillors to new members taking their first steps into local politics. Each bring a wealth of experience and talents to the role of potential County Councillor and will make a great representative of their community. What unites is our desire to serve all those who live around us.
“We realise that there are tough times ahead for the County, with the Tory Government determined to cut its finances while push more and more responsibilities on it but only the Lib Dems are able to make the hard choices in the coming years.”

On the Environment, the Manifesto includes promises to protect the County’s Green spaces, to promote renewable energy, to fight Fracking and to improve recycling across the County.

Nottinghamshire Lib Dems also commit to support Children’s Services, to support those who need care, both at home & residential and to keep press for fairer funding from the Government for Social Care.

If elected, our Councillors will work to bring investment into all parts of the County, promote training and improve public transport and for openness in in contracts with outside suppliers. They will also campaign for the County’s farmers and other businesses to carry on receiving support from Central Government if the EU subsidies disappear after Brexit.

Leon Duveen added “This Manifest reiterates the Liberal Democrats commitment to creating an Open Tolerant & United County, to work with others who share our aims. No one party has all the answers and a strong Liberal Democrat presence in County Hall will mean an end to ideological polices and a return to what is best for the people of Nottinghamshire”

You can read our Manifesto for the May 2017 Nottinghamshire County Council elections here.