East Leake
FESTIVE PLANS. Christmas 2021 may be a long way off, and how it will be marked is of course as yet unknown because of the continuing coronavirus situation, but St Mary’s parish church at East Leake is thinking ahead and making plans for it.
This last Christmas the church introduced a new venture with the very successful presentation of an outdoor Nativity scene, and now there are plans to expand that for this year.
The Rector, the Rev Tim Parker, has expressed thanks for all the positive comments given on their new venture for the 2020. “Time was short when it was planned so there was only time for a basic set of figures,” he says.
“Hopefully next Christmas we can add to it, shepherds, sheep, cattle etc. We could even leave it up longer into January and add the wise men.
Churchwarden Conrad Oatey says if anyone is wishing to be involved this year, to get in touch with him in the Autumn He can be contacted on 01509 852549.
ZOOM CATCH-UP. After their weekly 10am online morning service, East Leake St Mary’s parish church has a Zoom coffee get-together where those present can discuss the sermon, hear the latest news, and catch up with friends.
The Curate, the Rev Michael Allen says anyone who would like to be involved can obtain the Zoom login details from him on 07928 630667 michael@ourbenefice.org
VOLUNTARY TRANSPORT HELP. During the current Coronavirus situation, the call for help from voluntary transport schemes has increased, one reason being requests from people needing to get to vaccine centres, often not on direct routes from their homes for those wanting to go to them to receive a ab.
The East Leake Transport Scheme, where the contact is Maggie Gordon who can be reached on 01509 853866, and who make a charge of 45p per mile, could be available to help. And Rushcliffe Community Volunteer Transport Scheme may also be able to help and call them on 0115 969 9060 They also make a charge of 45p per mile. Funding may be available locally if this is a problem. That group have a need for more drivers and if anyone thinks they could help with driving, please get in touch with them on the same number. They are short of drivers in this area.
PRINTED SERVICES. St Mary’s parish church at East Leake is continuing to provide a service to help people who are not online keep in touch and resource them in prayer and faith.
The Rev Tim Parker, the Rector, says they are producing ‘St Mary’s Weekly’, with printed copies being available in the dispenser outside the Rectory and St Mary’s Church.
The Rev Tim says if appropriate, contact groups may wish to print them off for anyone they are doing food shopping for.
VOLUNTEERS KEPT BUSY. Volunteers from East Leake Community Care Association have remained active within the village during the current Covid-19 crisis.
Thanks to the volunteers and new helpers who joined after the beginning of the first lockdown, residents in the village have been helped with various tasks including tasks such as shopping, prescription and medication deliveries, plant watering and dog walking.
Befriending people, some of whom have become even more isolated during lockdown, have been an important focus for the association. Residents who have been supported in this way have appreciated regular calls from a friendly voice on the other end of the telephone.
Members of all the various groups supported by the Association are looking forward to a time when they can re-start activities with the appropriate safety measures in place.
Hospital appointments have restarted, and the volunteer driver car scheme volunteers have been making journeys as well as taking passengers for medical appointments at the health centre.
Volunteers from the association are happy to reassure local people that they are ready to help in any way they can. For help or advice please telephone an area organiser. Phone numbers can be found on the village website or phone 01509 853866.
NEW ROLE. As already announced, the Church Council at St Mary’s parish church have decided to pursue the creation of a new paid job to focus on their ministry to children and families,
Says the Rector, the Rev Tim Parker, “We hope in the coming months to finalise a job description, lay out a timetable for an appointment and will encourage the church to partner in this vital ministry through financial giving and prayer.
“We are deeply exciting by the prospect of being able to reach more effectively to reach and care for the young families in our growing village and who attend our local schools.”
CENSUS. Parishioners in East Leake are being urged to take part -- and encourage others to do so as well – in the Census 2021 national event in the middle of next month.
The plea for them to support the event comes from the office for National Statistics who say that by taking part and encouraging others to do the same w on March 21 will be helping to make sure their community gets the services it needs.
For more information anyone interested can make contact with www.census.gov. uk
ZOOM COFFEE. Zoom coffee is being served after the 10am online morning service for East Leake St Mary’s parish church with an on-line get-together where those taking part can discuss the sermon, hear the latest news and catch up with friends. The necessary zoom login details are available from curate@ourbenefice.org.
COUNCIL CO-OPTED. The Co-option of a new councillor on the parish council at East Leake to fill the vacancy for a seat in the Castle Ward has been agreed, and Nick McGowan is to take office. The council received three nominations for the single seat. The Clerk Sue Lewis was requested to write to other two candidates informing that they were not successful on this occasion but inform them there will be another vacancy to fill in December and that their application will be put forward for that.
OPPOSITION TO PLAN. Two Labour members of Rushcliffe Borough Council have come out opposing a call by a Conservative member who wants the Vale of Belvoir to be singled out as a special area of beauty, fearing it could push more development in other places in the Borough, such as East Leake, where already development has seen hundreds of new houses given permission.
Conservative Coun. Tina Combellack has written to parish councils in the Borough says she is hoping to get Conservation areas and their implications for planning applications, scrutinised in the coming months. “To this end I would appreciate your comments as Ward Councillors or members of the Parish Council with Conservation Areas within your Parish.
“If you have concerns regarding the use of Conservation regulations or interpretation, particularly around ‘harm’ please let me know. If you can put forward examples where you feel Conservation areas may have been harmed together with Planning application numbers, that would be very helpful. Similarly, if you can demonstrate where the Conservation Area has had a positive affect again let me know.
“In order to get an item scrutinised I need evidence of wider concerns and benefits of scrutiny to the general public. I therefore need your help,” she says.
Coun. Combellack says Conservation areas are places of special interest where it is considered especially important to preserve the character and appearance of the area. Extra planning controls are in place to help the Council manage change in conservation areas so that the special interest can be preserved.
The special interest of a conservation area may come from the quality of its buildings, its landscape setting, the quality of open spaces, boundary materials, the layout of streets and buildings, evidence of past functions and other distinctive characteristics.
And Rushcliffe has 30 conservation areas with each area having its own appraisal and management plan.
In her letter to the parishes, Coun. Combellack says it may be of interest, particularly to those of you in Vale of Belvoir Wards or Parishes, that Robert Jenrick MP put forward a proposal for the Area to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
“Our Rushcliffe MP Ruth Edwards, together with MPs from other Vale of Belvoir constituencies, is looking to push this matter forward and I would appreciate knowing your appetite for support. Designation would have planning implications but of course be infinitely invaluable to those in Conservation areas.”
Labour members Couns Jen Walker and Mike Gaunt say they strongly oppose the Vale of Belvoir being designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, saying that while don’t disagree that it has beauty, but the designation would lead to even more development towards other parts of the Borough including East Leake and neighbouring Ruddington.
“The Vale of Belvoir is not unique within the south Nottinghamshire farmlands and is itself a poorly or ill-defined geographical area. As well as this it is punctuated by areas of old industry such as an old airfield, a category C prison and a household recycling centre, to name but a few. This is in no way an attempt to suggest that the area is not special, but other areas locally are of equal value environmentally.”
Costock
MEETING. CALLUM Smith, Notts County Council flood section officer attended a meeting of Costock parish council and updated the meeting on the ongoing situation of flooding in various parts of the county. He was told there were a number of areas in Costock where flooding was evident, including Church Lane, Chapel Lane and Main Street.
Mr Smith said he would investigate the reports, thanked the council for the information, and said he was always happy to be updated directly on any matter his department were responsible for.
The chairman Coun. Kath Owen said she felt since the County had carried out resurfacing work on Church Lane the flooding there appeared to be in a somewhat different area in that part of the village.
Mr Smith said the County had been in touch with the farmer whose land fronted part of Loughborough Road and some drainage work was being carried out there…
Vacancies: Co-option has been confirmed for Lindsey McGowan and the councillor was welcomed to her first meeting. The clerk Mike Elliott said the council was now able to co-opt again to fill the second vacancy and the chairman proposed that Victoria McCourt should be put forward for the position and this was unanimously agreed. The new member was in attendance and signed her acceptance of office form in front of member via the Zoom screen.
Clerk’s Report: Two residents had passed complimentary comments on the council Christmas tree at the village hall. Rushcliffe Borough Council and Notts County Council had written to remind the council to be aware of the current danger of flooding.
The monthly report on the Website for December showed 25 page views per day including six first time visitors.
The clerk said he was happy that the Website met the requirements of the accessibility regulations.
Planning application 19/02205/ful, land east of Cornflower Way, Costock Road, East Leake. Erect 22 new dwellings and a 3.5m high ball strike net to the eastern side boundary. The council express strong concerns on the effect of traffic through the parish of Costock, causing even more congestion at the Main Road / Loughborough Road junction. The application has not been determined by Rushcliffe Borough Council and an appeal against this has been lodged by the developers. The parish council had made comments on the original application and these would have been sent to the Planning Inspectorate with now an addition of flooding and drainage concerns.
Nature Reserve: The chairman said she felt there was a need for a member to take specific interest in the well-being of the Nature Park and this would be a matter to be looked at in the future. Planting of an oak tree as a memorial to Everard Robinson has been completed.
Coun. John Finney presented a written report on Old Main Road dealing with issues affecting the built-up section of Old Main Road on fly tipping, flooding, and the condition of the pavements.
His comments had been sent to Coun. Cottee and the local MP. The chairman said she would be meeting Laure Trussler when she visited the village on highway matters at the request of Coun. Cottee. There would be a need to point out the condition of the footpath on Main Street as well as those mentioned in Coun. Finney’s report.
Mountsorrel
FIELDFARE. Building continues at Jelson’s Fieldfare development off Halstead Road.
The site map shows a cricket pitch at the top north-west corner of the site.
This facility is certainly something to look forward to for our village cricketers.
After the pandemic saw the cancellation of the 2020 Leicestershire and Rutland cricket league campaign, league officials are hopeful that the 2021 season will take place.
PERFECT WOK. To mark the start of the Chinese New Year, the Leicester Mercury has compiled a list of the Chinese takeaways and restaurants in the city and county which have been given the top five-star food hygiene rating.
The list includes Perfect Wok, which has been visited by inspectors from Charnwood Borough Council. Perfect Wok is at 52 Loughborough Road. Telephone number 0116 2303507.
NAME THAT WAGON. Charnwood Borough Council asked for inventive names for a new fleet of refuse and recycling vehicles in Charnwood.
From over 150 entries, 24 names were judged as the winners.
Leicester City fan Jude Waine from Mountsorrel won a goody bag prize and a certificate for suggesting the name Gary Bineker for a new bin lorry.
All the winning names will be added to Serco’s collection vehicles, including street sweepers, later this year.
Once the names have been added, the vehicles will be seen around our village on Wednesday’s collection day.
MILESTONE BIRTHDAY. On February 8 one of Mountsorrel’s oldest residents, Mrs. Dorothy Norwell, celebrated her 100th birthday. After her retirement she moved to the village to live nearer to her daughter, Sandra and her family.
Until recently Dorothy had been an active member of the local Methodist Church but, like many of us, the latest restrictions has altered our way of life.
Although she was only able to have a minimal birthday celebration the highlight of the day was to receive a special birthday card from The Queen.
Normanton on Soar
NORMANTON ON SOAR COMMUNITY SHOP. Due to the new COVID-19 restrictions, the Normanton on Soar Community Shop will be shut until further notice. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as possible.
EASTER LILIES AND EASTER GARDEN AT ST JAMES CHURCH. We hope that the church will be open for services by Easter but please do check the church noticeboard for any updates. Even if we aren’t able to have services by then, the church will be open as usual. On Easter Sunday (4th April this year), we will place lilies in the church to remember those who are no longer with us. If you would like us to remember your loved ones in our church at Easter, you may wish to make a donation to Anne Lawes to buy the lilies and advise her of the name(s) you wish to be mentioned. Terry Tyers will again be preparing the lovely Easter garden at the altar. If you would like to donate some flowers (eg. daffodils, small pots of primulas or bluebells etc,), please leave them in the church porch on Good Friday, 2nd April. If you’d like to put any flowers in vases, we will leave some in the porch for you.