Sutton Bonington Mike Elliott 0115 937 6506 elliottnews@btconnect.com
HOUSING PLANS CONSULTATION. Residents in Sutton Bonington have an opportunity on Thursday this week, March 16, to question Rushcliffe Borough Council planning officers about the possible plans for more housing to be developed in the village.
Currently the Borough Council say that they have to look to find sites for 900 more homes they need to cater for in their area and Sutton Bonington could provide some of the land that would be required.
Overall the borough are having to find sites for 13,000 homes in the period up to 2028 and while they have allocations for the major areas within their boundaries -such as East Leake, Ruddington, Bingham -- they are short of being able to totally match their required figures using them alone.
Sutton Bonington is one of five new areas the borough are looking at for additional housing provision, the others being Cropwell Bishop, East Bridgford, Gotham and Tollerton.
A spokesman for the Borough says all the five villages concerned could meet the requirements they need to have for development, including having a school and a shop.
The consultation event being held tomorrow is one of the five they are holding and will be in the village hall on St Anne’s Lane from 3pom to 8pm when planning officers from the Coujncil will be there to take questions and receive comments.
Mr Richard Mapletoft from the Borough Planning Policy section, says they are carrying out consultations on the Rushcliffe Local Plan, the Green Belt Review and the Community Infrastructure Levy and comments can be given them up to the end of the month.
“We are currently preparing the second part of our Local Plan (Local Plan
Part 2). It will include further policies and proposals for housing, Green Belt,
employment, retail, open spaces, nature conservation and some other
matters,” he says, adding that they consulted last year on what should be included in Phase Two of the Local Plan, including where new homes might be built.
“We are now undertaking an additional round of consultation to consider further where new homes might be built.”
Mr Mapletoft has confirmed the main reason for this latest consultation is because extra land may potentially be needed for housing development within Rushcliffe. “This could include identifying sites for new homes at a wider range of towns and villages than was previously being considered,” a comment explaining why Sutton Bonington could find itself in the midst of proposals for additional housing.
The officer says they are also consulting on a draft Green Belt Review for some extra sites.” It will provide supporting information when considering possible revisions to Green Belt boundaries within the rural parts of Rushcliffe,” says Mr Mapletoft.
All the documents the Borough are consulting on are available to view on the Council’s website: www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/planningpolicy, at Rushcliffe Community Contact Centre, Rectory Road, West Bridgford, at local libraries in Rushcliffe Borough and at Clifton Library, or through the Council’s online consultation system at http://rushcliffeconsult.objective.co.uk/portal
CONCERT FOR SPRING. The next concert - for spring - by the Sutton Bonington Singers will be on Saturday this weekend, March 18 at 7pm in The Barn, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, College Road when the now 60-strong choir will be performing Songs in Spring, presenting an evening of pop music, show tunes and light classics.
In addition to a cash bar, free refreshments will be provided.
Tickets are £4 each (under-16s free if accompanied by an adult) and are available at Sutton Bonington Post Office, or at the door. For further information please e-mail Steffi Pratt on svyslp@nottingham.ac.uk or ‘phone 0776 9920011.
The next joint concert of the Sutton Bonington Symphony Orchestra (SBSO) and SB Singers will be part of SB Fest, a now annual event which you can look forward to on Saturday 13th May. Keep an eye out for more information as the date approaches.
Sutton Bonington’s World Champion Whistler Shelia Harrod will also be performing in the concert in one of the pieces and also performing 2 solos.
STAR INN EXTENSION. Plans for a two storey rear extension to the Star Inn on Melton Lane at Sutton Bonington have not been objected to by the parish council. And providing the plans are compliant with the Borough Councils ‘Development in the Open Countryside’ policy they did not oppose an application for alterations and extension to the coach house and stable block to facilitate conversion to four ancillary dwellings at St Anne’s Manor at 1 Hungary Lane.
INSPECTOR REQUEST REJECTED. A request by the parish council at Sutton Bonington to be able to accompany a Highways Inspector from Notts County Council when he visits the village has been rejected by the local authority.
The County Council have stated that it is not practical for the highways inspector to undertake accompanied inspections, as their workload can change and alter on a daily basis in response to urgent incidents.
SCOUT HUT LEASE. Sutton Bonington parish council have agreed a new lease for the siting of the village Scout Hut on the playing field. The lease has been set at £320 for the next 6 years.
EASTER LILIES. A warm invitation is being given to anyone who may wish to contribute towards the cost of Easter Lilies at Sutton Bonington St Michael’s and St Anne’s churches, in memory of a loved one.
Those involved are told: “A box will be available in St Anne’s during services with a card on which to write your loved one’s name.
These names will be remembered at the Easter morning service at St Michael’s.”
In addition. contact can be made with Beth Clarke, at 16 Gables Lea, tel. 672110 or frankandbeth@onetel.com
TRIBUTES TO GORDON FIRTH. The funeral has taken place of well known and respected Sutton Bonington resident Mr Gordon Firth.
Born in Yorkshire in 1924, he was the older of twin boys.
He won a scholarship to Bradford Grammar School, but had to leave halfway through his 6th form course as his father’s health was failing and Gordon had to find a job to help with the family finances.
He found work in a textile factory and, when war broke out, he enrolled as a Police Messenger, which involved reporting to the police on his bicycle when the air raid warning sounded, to answer any emergencies.
He later joined the Home Guard and went to evening classes studying textiles, French and Spanish. In 1942 he was accepted as an Engineering cadet in the armed forces and paid to study engineering for two intensive years.
In 1944 he joined the Fleet Air Arm as midshipman and did a course in Aircraft engineering at Plymouth.
At the end of the war Mr Firth signed on for an extended and then a 4 year, Service commission.
He met his wife Meg during 1948/9 when she was a Wren Air Mechanic and he was an Engineering Officer.
When the Korean War broke out, Gordon was ordered to join an aircraft carrier enroute for the Far East. A long distance courtship took place and they were married in 1951.
They were able to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary with their family last August.
In 1952 Gordon joined Rolls-Royce and the couple moved to Aston-on-Trent.
In 1960, now with two children, David and Joanna, they moved to Sutton Bonington where Sara and Emma were born. Gordon soon became an invaluable member of the community with the Scouts, Village Hall and Christmas Dinner Committee.
He worked tirelessly for St Michael’s and St Anne’s with Lunch Club, the Old Schoolroom, fund raising events, Church Council, as Planned Giving Secretary and Churchwarden.
For many years, while his health allowed, he laid the wreath on behalf of the church on Remembrance Sunday.
He was a former parish councillor in Sutton Bonington and also represented the village on Rushcliffe Borough Council.
A thanksgiving service for his life was held in St Michael’s parish church.