Weekly digest: July 14th

Hello again

I thought I’d spend this week introducing you to some more of our subgroups who are working on different elements of our Neighbourhood Plan. Last week I covered the Barracks and Housing subgroups.  Two more subgroups working on the Plan cover: a) Environment; and b) Infrastructure. Some initial approaches and thoughts from these groups are shared below. If you have any comments about these workstreams or wish to get involved, please get in touch!

  1. Environment
    • The Lawton Review took place over 10 years ago. This was a government sponsored enquiry into the state of the natural environment and its report, “Making Space for Nature”, was published in 2010. It has since become the blueprint for environmental actions by both the government and environmental organisations/charities.
    • The report identified the need for more, bigger, better and joined ecological networks and the Forum has adopted its five key principles:
      • Improve the quality of current sites by better habitat management.
      • Increase the size of current wildlife sites & avoid further fragmentation.
      • Enhance connections between sites, either through physical corridors, or utilising ‘stepping stones’.
      • Create new sites.
      • Reduce pressures on wildlife by improving the wider environment.
    • The subgroup’s main objectives are:
      • To protect and manage the natural environment in our Area in order to achieve sustainable development
      • Create new green infrastructure to enhance human and natural environment connectivity and thus provide social and economic as well as environmental benefits.
      • Our Area will be a clean and green place, an attractive area in which to live, work and play and where the environment (in the broadest sense) is cared for and respected.
    • The main thrust of the subgroup is to develop the idea of a new ‘horse shoe’ environmental corridor linking Toton Fields LNR in the west and Hobgoblin Wood in the east.
  2. Infrastructure
    • Areas of scope
      • There are currently 3 points of access to our Area: north (Bardills island); west (from Long Eaton) and east (from Attenborough). Clearly, we experience bottle necks at all points at the moment. It will only get worse without significant modifications
      • How do we encourage people out of cars?
      • Bus service. How to improve local services and what new services will be required to meet demand from Barracks development and HS2 hub station?
      • Cycle ways and pedestrian footpaths. Examine ways to encourage more cycling and walking – especially through the Barracks and to/from the HS2 site
      • Assess on-street parking to stop kerb parking and loss of pavement.
      • Electricity substation – possibly remove the one at top of Stapleford lane. Sink all electric cables below ground (Remove pylons)
      • Superfast broadband / Provision of fibre optic to door
    • Key to road infrastructure for the Area is the review/redesign of Bardills Island. Projects that impact on this are:
      • A52 between Nottingham and M1/Derby. Redesign of this route, around M1 junction 25, is being planned by Highways England
      • Traffic to HS2 hub station inc. the classic rail services that will operate there
      • Traffic to west of Toton Lane – Innovation Village + housing.
      • George Spencer School traffic drop off / collect
      • Tram Park and Ride site
      • Access to Garden Centre itself
  3. And finally….
    • Broxtowe Local Plan. I briefly mentioned last week that the final version has been published. The relevant committee (Jobs and Economy) meet this Monday 16th to discuss. We haven’t finished reviewing the Plan, but what we’ve seen so far is encouraging. The council have incorporated a number of the suggestions we made following the consultation phase. I’ll share a more detailed review in a future edition. In the meantime, I’ve managed to break out from the overall Plan the 2 key sections that affect our Area:
    • Toton Fete. Takes place next Saturday 21st on Manor Park, Toton. We will be there with a stall showing latest ideas both for the Barracks and the HS2 station. Please come along and have a chat – it will be great to see you.

With the fete taking place next week, a number of us are involved in planning, setting up and running the stall – which is a roundabout way of saying there won’t be a digest published next week!

And, as last week, there now another footie match about to start on the telly. Not quite the final but – hey –  3rd place is something no-one believed possible only a few weeks ago. So, time to don the scarf and dust down the rattle again.  ‘ere we go, ‘ere we go, ‘ere we go…..

Kind regards
Graham

Post match script: Ah well! 4th is still a great place to be……

This entry was posted in Chetwynd Barracks, Green Belt, HS2 Hub Station, Latest News. Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Weekly digest: July 14th

  1. Mark T says:

    A comment received from a reader:

    In terms of links between Toton and the wider area I think key is to and from
    long Eaton and Stapleford. It was always with great annoyance that when the pedestrian railway bridge was replaced over the sidings between Long Eaton and Toton never allowed for cycling, pushchairs or wheelchairs. Links to Stapleford are not much better. Obviously with HS2 coming these links no doubt will be improved but is it worth highlighting this in the neighbourhood plan?

    Thanks.

    Matthew

    • Mark T says:

      And our reply:

      Thanks Matthew for the comments – they are much appreciated.
      You make very valid comments about the current connections between Long Eaton and Stapleford – especially the steps-only bridge over the railway lines behind Asda. Technically west side of the HS2 station is outside our Area but I think we do need to take a wider view when it comes to writing the Plan so I’ll make sure to add your thoughts to it. And the links to/from Stapleford also need improving but I know the current HS2 plans include new thoroughfares to Stapleford/Sandiacre – both cars and footpaths.

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