Weekly digest: Mar 28

Hello again

Last week’s edition seemed to be very well received with 55% of recipients opening the email and 9% (66) people clicking on one or more of the links. So, we’d thought we’d repeat the format for another week with our main focus being the COVID-19 epidemic and provide both old and new links to steer you to information and where you can ask for help if needed.

1. Some more on-line links….

• Facebook sites, here are 3 groups – 2 from last week, one new one from Stapleford you may find useful. Feel free to join one (or all) of them:
  • Beeston Chilwell Area Mutual Aid Group now approaching 3,000 members.
  • Toton Support Group now approaching 600 members. You will need to join this group to see/share information.
  • Stapleford Helping Hand and Surrounding Areas.   This is a different site that operates out of Stapleford – they have over 1,200 members. As above You will need to join this group to see/share information.
• Virus update sites. To find the latest national and local information and advice try one/more of these:
  • Government document detailing New Rules on Staying at Home (issued March 23^rd)
  • NHS Coronavirus page – as last week
  • Broxtowe Borough Council coronavirus page – as last week.
    The Borough Council is also offering support grants to those local businesses affected by COVID-19 (and who isn’t!). Here’s a link to the relevant webpage
  • Nottinghamshire County Council page – as last week.
    The County Council have also issued an appeal for temporary care and support workers so if you know of anyone who might be interested here is a link that explains more about the role
• Other useful information/links.
  • NET Nottingham Tram have revised the frequency of their services from Toton Lane. Here’s a link to the full details
  • Trent Barton have revised their timetables again for next week (Mon 30^th) including Indigo. Here’s a link to the full details
  • Notts County Council have shut all 12 recycling centres in the county. Nott’m City Council have done likewise. Here’s a link to the Nottingham Post story.
  • Open for Business. Here is a link to a Borough Council page detailing all businesses that are open including restaurants offering takeaways. As the council notes, this is a difficult time for business especially local, small independents so please support them where you can. 

2. More news from Toton Churches – change of parish boundary

• Following on from last week’s edition, we thought you might be interested in more church news – this time relating to the boundary between the ecclesiastical parishes of Toton and Stapleford. 
• You may know that, prior to this change, the ecclesiastical boundary between the two parishes ran along ancient field lines – specifically the public footpath running down (roughly north/south) from Baulk Lane, Stapleford until it reaches the south side of the tram terminus when it turns and runs westerly to the junction between Stapleford Lane & Toton Lane and then on down to the Sidings.
• Given the scale of development expected either side of Stapleford Lane/Toton Lane it was sensible for the boundary to be reviewed. The following is from a letter informing the Borough Council (kindly copied to me by Rev’d Colin Bourne) which explains the rationale for the change:
  • “In view of the proposed […] housing and other developments in Toton arising from (a) the new housing south of the A52 to the west of Stapleford Lane and Toton Lane, (b) the projected sale of the Chetwynd Barracks site, […] and (c) such additional developments [in the area] as may arise from the projected HS2 project, it has been agreed that the boundary between the Ecclesiastical Parishes of Toton and of Stapleford should be changed, better to reflect the fact that such developments would be regarded, primarily, as extensions of Toton rather than of Stapleford. There are ecclesiastical considerations around the rights of residents to be married and to have baptisms and funerals at their parish church of residence which we have also considered.”
• Here is a link to the Pastoral Order and Map which illustrates the change (the area marked ‘A’ on the map) – which came into effect on 1^st Feb 2020.  It remains to be seen when the road signage either side of footpath at the end of Stapleford Lane is realigned to reflect the fact that Toton should now be shown to begin immediately to the south of the A52 at Bardill’s island.

3. Councillor support for the Forum

• We’ve received news this week of welcome support from two of our councillors:
  • (County) Cllr Eric Kerry has kindly donated a further £400 to the Forum to help cover the expenditure we’ll need to publish and promote the final version of the Plan along with the associated referendum when that takes place later this year. Cllr Kerry has been an ongoing supporter of the Forum having made regular similar donations when we have requested help. We do very much appreciate his generosity – it makes a big difference in helping us to effectively publicise and promote our activities
  • (Borough) Cllr Lee Fletcher has also been in touch offering help to any resident who needs it. Cllr Fletcher has signed up to the national volunteer service and although he is self-isolating for the moment, he asks you contact him via lee.fletcher@broxtowe.gov.uk if you have any concerns regarding the current situation.

4. And finally…

• Some Forum news: only to confirm from last week’s digest that the Plan has been sent to the Council for an informal review and we are on track in producing the Consultation Statement.
• Did you know?  Here’s a fun fact relating to our local ecclesiastical boundaries. Did you know that the River Erewash (mostly) represents more than just being the ecclesiastical boundary between the two parishes of Toton and Long Eaton; and more than being the boundary between the two Dioceses of Derby and Southwell and Nottingham. The river also represents the boundary between the two Provinces of the Church of England. Long Eaton parish comes under the southern, Canterbury Province, whilst Toton parish comes under the northern, York Province. Who knew? (Certainly not me!)

A longer edition than normal with little new ‘news’ about the Forum. Nevertheless, we hope you find it interesting with some useful tidbits. See you next time

Kind regards
Graham

Broxtowe Lotto: tickets available from our CTTC Forum page where you’ll also find details of the scheme