Village news
HOUSING VIEWS. Residents in East Leake are making their views felt about the amount of new housing going up in the village without improvements to schools, the Health Centre, roads, sewerage, and all the other services and facilities that the place needs. And the parish council are tomorrow ( Thursday March 23) staging their own Consultation event in the village after the Borough Council at Rushcliffe refused to organise one.
The Rushcliffe Core Strategy allocated a minimum of 400 houses to East Leake by 2028 but more than 800 have already been given planning permission and there are applications for two more large sites totalling 430 which, if approved, would increase the size of the village by half.
Villagers are using the Rushcliffe website to make their views felt, with over 500 objections to the two schemes. As one resident says “We’ve had more than our fair share of development. It’s got to stop!”
The Parish Council is also objecting to the two applications. Chairman Coun. Conrad Oatey told the Echo: “It’s not just the number of houses being built in a short space of time that is upsetting people. Of course we understand that the country needs to build houses, and newcomers are being warmly welcomed into our village. It’s the lack of development of infrastructure that really worries people, and this has to be addressed by Rushcliffe Borough Council before they approve any more applications. The Health Centre is the oldest in Nottinghamshire and not up to the volume of people it must serve. The schools are full. The sewage system does not have the capacity for the developments under way. Enough is enough.”
The Parish Council is also responding strongly to Rushcliffe’s three consultations on the Local Plan Part 2, the Green Belt, and Community Infrastructure Levy. Because the large housing sites at Clifton, Edwalton, and Gamston/ Tollerton are not getting under way as quickly as anticipated, Rushcliffe can no longer demonstrate they have the all important “5 year supply of housing land” required by the government, so are seeking locations for 900 more houses across the Borough, on top of previously planned numbers. They are for the first time looking at the smaller villages of Cropwell Bishop, East Bridgford, Gotham, Sutton Bonington, and Tollerton, but the consultation also covers six more sites in East Leake.
Coun. Carys Thomas, Chairman of East Leake Parish Council’s Planning Committee, adds: “East Leake is one of the few places in Rushcliffe currently contributing to house building targets for the Borough. Because we are outside the Green Belt, whereas much of the Borough is in it, it is easier for developers to build here. But we are at the southern edge of the county and this is not where houses are needed. The Local Plan says that most houses in Rushcliffe’s target should be on the edge of Nottingham, so Rushcliffe needs to get a move on with the large sites they have already allocated and find some more sites in the right place. There is little additional employment being created in East Leake, and mediocre public transport, so building homes here will inevitably increase traffic - the surrounding roads and junctions can’t cope. Local Plan Part 2 is just taking far too long, and in the meantime the impact is falling most heavily on East Leake.”
Rushcliffe has organised consultation events in 6 villages, but not in East Leake, so the Parish Council is arranging its own event to help residents respond to the consultation, and will sent the results to Rushcliffe in time for the deadline of 31 March. The event will be tomorrow (March 23) from 10am to 8pm in the Parish Office. Displays will explain the consultation and show the six further sites mooted for East Leake, and there will be forms and activities to help people express their views.
CONCERT. Two East Leake Academy students who are raising funds to travel to Ghana next year to help build a new school are staging a fundraising concert in the parish church.
James Dack and Erin Doherty are currently both Year 9 students and in April next year will be going with other students from the Academy to central Ghana.
“We will be taking part in a community project to build a kindergarten. At the moment the building only has a roof, it does not have any walls or a solid floor which means that it cannot be used during wet and windy weather.”
The two students say their team will create a solid floor, make the bricks and build the walls, thus allowing the children the education they want.
“We have to raise £2150 each. So far we have put together a recipe book of family favourites, had stalls at several Christmas fairs and made soup lunches. We are almost half way towards our target,” say James and Erin.
The next fundraising event for them is the Charity Concert on Saturday next weekend, April 1 at St Mary’s Church, at East Leake with a 7pm start and which will feature Charnwood Concert Band, and Charnwood Training Band.
James and Erin say the concert is suitable for adults and children. “The programme will be varied and contain medleys from musicals, film theme tunes and lots of well known tunes.”
Tickets are £5 for adults and £3 for children and this includes refreshments at the interval.
Tickets are available from Nicky 07906152426 or Fiona 07779840185.
“We hope that you will be able to support us and we look forward to seeing you there!” say the teenage organisers.
DEATH. The death has occurred of long standing East Leake resident Keith Males. He was 89 and died in hospital a day after being admitted.
Mr Males, a former parish councillor in East Leake was well known in the village and took part in many local events. He and his wife Marie, the longest serving member on Rushcliffe Borough Council and a member of the parish council since the 1970’s, had been married for almost 65 years. They met while they both worked for Redifusion although initially Keith worked in his family butchers business. The couple have four daughters, all living in Nottinghamshire.
Mr Males fully supported Marie in all her public work and during the times she was Mayor of Rushcliffe attended with her at most of the many public functions she undertook.
The funeral service is at West Leake parish church on Thursday next week, March 30, at 2.15pm.
CINEMA. The last showing of the present season for the popular Community Cinema film evening at East Leake St Mary’s Parish Church has been held. This season’s titles were all recently-released family-entertainment adventures or comedies, certificated PG to 12A, and visitors agreed they provided a good night out for all ages.
CHOCOLATE EGG. Keeping in line with the coming Easter Period, the prize for a village raffle being organised in East Leake by the village Traders Association will be one huge chocolate egg.
The competition will take place between April 1 and 16 and entries handed in after the final date will not be included in the draw.
To be eligible for the draw those taking part must complete a loyalty card using the April edition of Did You Know? (available from participating local traders e.g. The Greengrocer) Collect eight stickers, these will be stuck to your copy of ‘Did You Know?’ and counter signed by the Trader. The sticker must be stuck on the appropriate DYK fact.
Entering the Draw: When complete with eight stickers, complete your contact details and hand in your leaflet to nominated Traders.
PLAN. Borough councillors at Rushcliffe have given the go ahead to a planning application for Unisory UK Ltd to change the use of 18 Gotham Road at East Leake from an office to retail premises.
BUDGET. East Leake Parish Council management committee, under the chairmanship of Coun. Kevin Shaw, have approved a budget figure for the council for the financial year 2017-18 of £240,535 which equates to a Band D property charge of £88.96 for parish purposes.
The committee have also approved Earmarked Reserves expenditure of £63,400 for the same period.
The precept figure for the current year was £197,196 and the Band D council tax figure currently is £75.80.
CONGRATULATIONS. East Leake Academy has received letters of congratulation following the presentation of a special certificate.
It came in recognition of the community work undertaken by students when they received the Notts Lord Lieutenant Award.
The Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Mr Arthur Sandford, who interviewed the students last summer said he had been impressed with the range of voluntary work in which the students are engaged. He stressed he was awestruck by their determined attitude, and their enthusiasm to volunteer.
Following this two students Rosie Hill and Jacob Bates attended a presentation ceremony on behalf of the Academy. They received it from the Lord Lieutenant Sir John Peace.
Principal Mrs Kath Hardy commented: “It is a real testament to what we stand for as an Academy – celebrating success in all forms. Sir John Peace was extremely complimentary of our Academy and suitably impressed with our students, our achievements and our philosophy.”
Now letters of congratulation have been sent by Mr Sandford and Coun George Davidson, Mayor of Rushcliffe.
QUIZ. Plans have been confirmed for the next Men’s Sports Quiz and Curry Evening at East Leake. It will be on Monday next week. March 27 at the HEAT Restaurant in the village.
PARAMEDIC. East Leake Academy student Beulah Perriman, a cadet at the Loughborough branch of St. John Ambulance Brigade since she was old enough to join, has begun to realise her ambition to become a paramedic.
Recently during the halfterm break she attended a four-day First Aid course, culminating in a final assessment, which she passed with flying colours. This means that she is now a trainee First Aider, a real achievement as she was by far the youngest cadet taking part! “Well Done Beulah,” says Academy principal Ms Kathy Hardy.
NATURE RESERVE. Friends of Meadow Park nature reserve at East Leake have drawn up a plan to ensure that conditions of the area are well maintained and have proposals for numerous important work activities in coming months .Some of the plans show forward work up to five years ahead.
The work list is: Hedge A1 (East side of Gibsons/West side of Batemans), Cuttingand-laying (2017/18), Hedge A2 ( West side of spinney, SW corner of Batemans), Cutting-and-laying (2016/17), Hedge A3 (South side of spinneys, SE Gibsons/SW Batemans), Cutting-andlaying (2016/17), Hedge B (Park boundary, south side of Arboretum area) Prune sides as necessary. Hedge C ( West side of Batemans/East side of Oak Meadow), Prune sides as necessary. Hedge D1 (East side of Play Field/West side of Lagoon Field), Nonintervention, except cutting back as necessary, Hedge D2 (East side of Play Field/West side of Little Meadow) prune sides as necessary, possible cutting-and-laying (2020/21), Hedge E (North side of Little Meadow) Non-intervention, except cutting back as necessary. Hedge F ( West side of Stonebridge Field) Prune sides as necessary, possible cutting-and-laying (2019/20), Hedge G ( West side of Play Field) , Cutting-&-laying (2018/19), Hedge H (South side of Hall Field) Cutting-&laying (2021/22).
WRITING CONTEST. Students from East Leake Academy were among the winners in the annual Rotary Club Young Writers competition, and picked up their awards at a presentation ceremony at Kegworth.
Academy principal Mrs Kathryn Hardy and staff member Mrs Slack attended the event and saw the presentations.
Mrs Hardy said they were happy to be at the ceremony to celebrate the success of their students and wished to congratulate them all on their efforts.
The winners were: Years 7 and 8 – 1, Freya Kemp 2, Amelia Trencher and 3, Theo Marshall and Years 9, 10 & 11 – 1, Joe Humphries; 2, Zoe Barnett and 3, Stuart Finch.
The principal said a special mention is made to Shane Pepper who received a ‘most improved’ student award.