Hello again,
Well, I was hoping to report positive news on the Plan this week. We expected to receive observations from the Council this week, following their review, but unfortunately nothing arrived. This is, perhaps, understandable given the Council’s total focus on the pandemic and its impacts on local services. So, we’re happy to ‘cut them a bit of slack’ and trust the feedback will be with us shortly.
1. As for us?
- All our documentation is now finished and polished and ready to be submitted once we get the green light from the Council. As soon as it has been submitted, we will publish all documents here, so you’ll be able to look at it all.
- As you know, the submission of the Plan is a significant milestone and once it has been passed, we can ‘tick off’ what has been the major objective of the Forum over the last three years.
- The Council will then control the process and take it through the final stages, as documented in the digest a couple of weeks ago
- Of course, we liaise closely with the Council’s Planning team to make sure the process runs as smoothly and as quickly as possible.
2. But, what next for the Steering Group?
- Having spent pretty much all our time on the Plan over the last 12 months, we are now starting to think about our next set of activities. And a number of tasks are emerging:
- Admin catchup. Tasks here include: producing and publishing the annual report and accounts for 2019; deciding what to do about our deferred AGM; reviewing and refreshing the content on our website.
- Stakeholder meetings. We need to resurrect regular contact with key stakeholders. So, we will be looking to arrange meetings with: Homes England/DIO; HS2 Ltd; Peveril Homes Ltd; and local organisations such as local schools and medical practices.
- Implementing the Plan! There are tasks we can start now to implement the Plan – which may sound silly since it hasn’t been adopted yet. However, a key Environment policy is to get our important green spaces formally designated as a Local Green Space. The Plan identifies 7 candidate sites but the Plan, in itself, cannot confer a designated status on these sites. There is a separate process to be followed and there is no reason why we can’t kick off some work to get them designated.
- So, plenty of activities to be undertaken. One of the first will be to figure out a way to hold a virtual meeting so the Group can discuss and prioritise activities for the next few months. More on this in future editions.
3. Beware the COVID-19 scammers
- The number of scammers trying to cash-in on the pandemic is growing fast. I’ve come across a few examples that may be of interest. The core message is to be extra vigilant at the moment, when a lot of us will know of family and/or neighbours who are feeling especially vulnerable.
- ‘WHO are you?’ This link takes you to a Beeston Mutual Aid Facebook post warning of a phone call – supposedly from WHO (the World Health Organisation) – asking for donations to their emergency fund. Naturally, it was a scam.
- ‘It’s Notts us!’. I’ve received an email from Notts Alert warning against phone calls purporting to come from Nottinghamshire Council asking for bank details so they can provide social care payments. The Council categorically states: “Please note we would NOT ask for your bank details and these calls are not from the council. You should not provide your bank details over the phone”.
- TV Licensing. A reader, Jackie S, sent me an email warning against suspicious emails she has received recently “purportedly coming from TV Licensing, and advising that my TV licence is about to expire.” And of course, Jackie’s licence is not due to expire anytime soon, so “I thought it might be useful to let others know about the scam”. Thanks, Jackie, for the warning.
4. And finally…. One new COVID-19 link + all the regular ones.
- Neighbourhood contacts/sites:
- Chilwell Valley & Meadows Surgeries COVID-19 page
- Toton Churches offer support to self-isolating people in Toton. Get in touch via: E-mail contact@totonchurches.org or phone 0115 946 2357.
- Beeston Chilwell Area Mutual Aid Group
- Toton Support Group
- Stapleford Helping Hand and Surrounding Areas.
- Businesses that deliver
- National & local authority information sites:
- Transport links.
And before shutting down this edition, there is growing amount of information being published about next Friday’s VE 75th Anniversary. In case you have missed any of it here are a couple more links to further information:
Broxtowe Council’s VE Day: 75th Anniversary contains ideas to mark the day whilst in lockdown.
Nottingham Post’s 7 ways you can still commemorate VE Day anniversary
Kind regards
Graham
Broxtowe Lotto: tickets available from our CTTC Forum page where you’ll also find details of the scheme