Getting tough on Nottingham’s Griminals

Getting tough on Nottingham’s Griminals

Nottingham City Council has successfully fined eight people over £500 each for littering offences over the past two weeks.

All eight offenders were ordered to pay the fines after refusing to pay the initial on the spot fixed penalty notice of £75 when they were observed littering.

Kirsty Michelle Payne of 86 Arkwright Walk, The Meadows, was found guilty of not clearing up dog mess and ordered to pay £603 after the case was proven in her absence on August 10 2009 at Nottingham Magistrates Court.

On August 12 2009, seven other offenders were found guilty of littering after their cases were proven in absence at Nottingham Magistrates Court.

John Bakewell of 4 Twells Close, St Ann’s and Wieslaw Zalikowski of 59 Buckingham Road, Aylesbury were each fined £603 for littering offences.

Ms Sam Tynan of 4 Thurgarton Avenue, Colwick was fined £598 for a littering offence.

Zsolt Nagy of 8 Palace Gate, London; Jurji Sipolev of 83 Newfield Road, Sherwood; Anthony Morrison of 84 Highpoint, Noel Street Hyson and Kindir Singh of 185 Bobbers Mill Road, Bobbers Mill were each fined £594 for litter offences.

The money from the fines will go directly into the City Council’s street cleaning and its commitment to make Nottingham England’s cleanest major city in 2011.

As part of the commitment a new enforcement team is being set up, to work alongside with the City Council’s current Enviro Crime team, to fast-track prosecutions for littering, fly-tipping and other enviro crimes so ‘Griminals’ pay the price for committing a crime.

The City Council have also launched a new ‘Don’t be a Griminal’ campaign which will tackle litter and graffiti in the city and highlight the new services that will be introduced to help combat dirty streets and encourage the community to get more involved in clean up activities in their neighbourhood.

Cllr Katrina Bull, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change, said: “The offenders were given the opportunity to pay their original fine but they did not so we had no option but to take them to court.

“This sends out the message that Nottingham City Council does not tolerate littering of any kind and will take action against those people who continue to do so.

“Naming Griminals and publicising the large fines that are imposed by courts for enviro crimes shows our determination to make sure that grime doesn’t pay. The new grime-busting enforcement team will increase the number of legal actions taken against fly-tippers, graffiti sprayers and others that mess up our neighbourhoods and will also make the whole process much quicker.”

Funding for Broxtowe Country Park

Nottingham City Council has received £330,000 of funding for a major study looking at how to develop Broxtowe Country Park.

Funding for Broxtowe Country Park

The East Midlands Development Agency and the Greater Nottingham Partnership have awarded the City Council funding for the study which will look at how to get the most out of the site.

The study will be in two parts with the first looking at how contamination of the park, due to its previous use as a land fill site, affects the options for development in the area.

The second part will be to produce a comprehensive, detailed master plan showing suggested developments and which ones can be most beneficial for the neighbourhood and the wider area.

Broxtowe, in North West Nottingham, is a neighbourhood facing many challenges. The Strategic Regeneration Framework for North West Nottingham, approved by Nottingham City Council’s Executive Board in April, identifies Broxtowe as a key area for change.

Broxtowe Country Park, with over 40 hectares of woodland and grassland, has the potential to be a real asset to the area. Although there have been several worthwhile schemes to make improvements to specific aspects, such as the new adventure playground and better security at the entrance on Alwyn Road, the park has never been regenerated as a whole site. The City Council is now able to look at the area as a whole.

Councillor Alan Clark, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Regeneration at Nottingham City Council, said: “This funding is fantastic news for the city and the people of Broxtowe who will benefit from the regeneration in the area.

“Local people will have the opportunity to get involved and influence development of the master plan alongside interested community groups, groups with a responsibility for the site, such as the City Council’s Parks section, and suitable experts/specialists.”

Councillor David Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Customers at Nottingham City Council, said; “Parks and open spaces have the potential to benefit people of all ages and we are pleased that funding has been granted to carry out the study to help develop the space.”  

“This funding marks a very exciting development for Broxtowe Country Park which will vastly improve the facilities offered in the area to the benefit of families and children in Broxtowe and the wider area.”

The City Council’s Neighbourhood Regeneration team along with the team from Parks and Open Spaces will co-ordinate the project, and are currently setting up the structure to manage this. Work will begin this month with the project will be substantially completed by spring 2010.

Confetti Media Group links up with Creative Business Awards

The Nottingham Creative Business Awards are proud to announce that this year’s awards will be held in association with the Confetti Media Group.

Confetti Media Group links up with Creative Business Awards

Now in its third year, the awards will celebrate the city’s creative sector enhancing Nottingham’s profile as a creative city of national and international importance. They aim to recognise and celebrate the successes achieved by businesses and individuals working in the city’s creative industries and raise Nottingham’s profile as a hotbed of globally influential talent.

Over the past 15 years the Confetti Media Group has grown into a collection of dynamic creative businesses working across education, film and post production, interior design and creative industries support.  Their enterprising approach has created pioneering solutions, work and practice that set new standards in creative expression and learning.  The Confetti Media Group consists of:

· The Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies is one of the UK’s most innovative creative learning centres helping thousands of students, from all backgrounds, to take the first steps towards a career in the Creative Industries.

· Confetti Constellations works across the UK creating highly original, bespoke creative environments now proven to increase engagement and academic success.

· Spool is one of the leading production and post production houses in this part of the UK working on award winning projects with clients such as Universal Pictures, BBC, Warp Films, Disney and Shane Meadows.

· Due to open late summer 2009, Antenna is a new approach to creative working. Offices, state of the art facilities, business support and a members only restaurant and bar, the Antenna project is industry supporting industry offering unparalleled support, facilities and creative inspiration.

Craig Chettle, Managing Director of the Confetti Media Group said: “When setting up Confetti in 1994 our aim was to provide students with a place and an opportunity that was not available to us when we were in education. Our continued investment in creativity has led to a group of companies committed to the development of the creative industries¨.

“We recognise the growing importance of the Creative Industries in the UK economy and as part of being title sponsor we want to support the winner of The Nottinghamshire Creative Business of the Year award by offering them access to our facilities within the Confetti Media Group.”

David Robinson, President of Speedo International and Chairman of the Nottingham Creative Business Awards 2009 said: “Having Confetti on board for this year’s Creative Business Awards is a major boost to the awards and the creative industry as a whole. Confetti provides the opportunity for their students to develop creative skills which is the boost Nottingham needs to put itself in the forefront of creative cities and be recognised for all the creative and innovative individuals and businesses the city has to offer.”

The Nottingham Creative Business Awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday 7^th October at The Council House

Confirmed sponsors for the awards are:

Title Sponsor – Confetti Media Group

Architecture, Urban & Interior Design – Greater Nottingham Partnership

Digital Media – South Nottingham College

Music & Performing Arts – New College Nottingham

Product Design – Nottingham City Council

Photography – Fast Graphics

Film and TV – Broadway

Writing & Publishing – The Arts Council

Visual Arts – One Nottingham

Graphics & Advertising – St Tropez

Fashion & Textiles – Nottingham Trent University

Support by VPoint.TV

£13.5 million to tackle unemployment in Nottingham

Figures released by the Government today show a 15-year high in unemployment with the number of people out of work in the UK expected to hit 2.5 million.

The situation could get even bleaker in the months ahead, when a new crop of university graduates and school leavers enters the worst jobs market for a generation.

Nottingham is tackling unemployment in the city by investing £13.5m into creating jobs and training opportunities for people across the city.

Nottingham City Council’s Jobs Plan is a £7m investment, funded through the Working Neighbourhoods Fund by Nottingham City Council and One Nottingham, to help tackle worklessness and increase employment in the city. It recently received a welcome boost with a successful bid for a further £6.5m from the Government’s Future Jobs Fund.

The combined total of £13.5 million will create 2400 jobs and training opportunities for the long-term unemployed, young people aged between 18 and 24 and others who face significant disadvantage in the labour market over 2 years.

The Nottingham Jobs Plan comprises four programmes all of which will result in the creation of new job opportunities, vacancies and training programmes for those who are finding it difficult to get on the job ladder:

The programmes are:

- The Future Jobs Fund which will create 1,000 vacancies

- The Community Programme will create 900 volunteering opportunities

- 150 Public Apprenticeships will be made available at Nottingham City Council

- The Enterprise Programme will create 350 opportunities for new business enterprise.

The Nottingham Jobs Plan is part of the council’s wider “we’re on your side” campaign and its economic resilience work to support residents and businesses during this period of economic uncertainty.

Today, Westfield and Nottingham City Council have announced that they will join forces to provide a new training facility, called ‘Futurestore’, to provide a dedicated training environment for those looking for a career in the retail – the UK’s largest private sector industry.

Councillor Hassan Ahmed, Portfolio Holder for Employment and Skills at Nottingham City Council, said: “Working with our partners we are investing £13.5m into creating 2400 jobs and training opportunities for people across the city over 2 years.

“Young people in particular are finding it tough to get a foot in the door with fewer openings available. And if we can get 1000 young people into work, it will be a fantastic achievement.”

Business support for inner city areas

Nottingham City Council is funding a new pilot project to provide support to inner city areas to help people develop their business ideas in order to create successful small businesses.

Business support for inner city areas

The Enterprise Ecologies pilot project targets people from disadvantaged areas or socially excluded backgrounds who perhaps have found it more difficult or are less wiling to access business support and finance to help them develop their business skills. Although these groups of people often have the wisdom and desire to succeed in business, the lack of opportunities can prevent or limit start up activities.

Cllr Hassan Ahmed, Portfolio Holder for Employment and Skills at Nottingham City Council said: “The Enterprise Ecologies project aims to engage with disadvantaged groups to help develop their business skills and support each person with their individual needs to succeed in business. The project comes at a time when people need some extra support during this economic uncertainty and provides wider job prospects for residents.”

The project is currently running in Clifton, Radford, Hyson Green, Lenton and Dunkirk. Each area has its own dedicated Community Business Adviser who attends local events and community activities to establish a community presence and engage with potential entrepreneurs.

 The programme is part of the Business Link Start-up service and is being delivered locally by NBV (Nottinghamshire Business Venture). It’s due to be rolled out to the whole of the city as the City Council has now received funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

One company already benefiting from the support and guidance of the Enterprise Ecologies project is company The Thought Garden and owner Adam Bartle-Griffith.

Adam Bartle-Griffith said: “The Thought Garden delivers alcohol misuse awareness workshops for the private and public sector and is due to start trading in September 2009.

“I met Samina who is a Community Business Adviser from the Enterprise Ecologies project at a regular Breakfast Club that I attend in Lenton. I had thought about my idea for a while but only started to focus on it when I started receiving the support from Samina. I needed help in structuring a business plan, prioritising ideas, planning, and training. I received one to one support on a regular basis there was always someone to talk to about my ideas to give me focus. “

Samina and Avril, Regional Contracts Manager-Business Link East Midlands, introduced me and encouraged me to apply for the opportunity to attend the HIVE in Mansfield. This gave me the training that I desperately needed to start my business. Without the support from Business Link I wouldn’t have progressed with my idea.”

Smooth new surface for city road junction

Nottingham City Council will be laying a smooth new road surface at the Hucknall Road and Arnold Road junction from Sunday 16th to Friday 28th August as part of the overall improvements taking place there.

Smooth new surface for city road junction

On Sunday 16th and Sunday 23rd August, Arnold Road will be closed in both directions at its junction with Hucknall Road from 9.00am until 6.00pm except for buses. Two way temporary traffic lights will be in use on Hucknall Road while work is being carried out on these days.

Nottingham City Transport (NCT) 15, 16 and 17 service, Trent Barton Rainbow 3 and 141 and Premiere x3 service will run throughout the works. NCT 15 service will go from Gainsford Crescent, right onto Arnold Road then left onto Hucknall Road. NCT 16 service will run in the opposite direction; right off Hucknall Road, onto Arnold Road then left onto Gainsford Crescent.

Passengers are being advised to allow extra time for journeys when travelling on these services. Due to the closure of Arnold Road at the Hucknall Road junction, traffic will not be able to turn onto Arnold Road on these two Sundays but should follow the signed diversion routes which will be in place.

Traffic wanting to access Arnold Road will be able to follow the diversions along; Waterford Street, Southwark Street, Oxclose Lane or Edwards Lane.

There will be four-way temporary traffic lights during weekday off-peak hours (9.30am-3.30pm) and two-way temporary traffic lights during all other times. While we are working in this area please allow extra time for journeys.

Once the resurfacing works are finished these temporary restrictions will remain in place until mid-September whilst the rest of the scheme is completed. In addition to the improvements to the Hucknall Road junction, Nottingham City Council is proud to also be investing in laying a smooth new road surface on Arnold Road from Hucknall Road to Park Lane.

Cllr Jane Urquhart, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Area Working at Nottingham City Council, said: “A lot of work has been carried out on this route to improve the safety for pedestrians and motorists. “Investing in a new road surface along this route is the finishing touch to the improvements that will benefit the thousands of motorists that use the junction every day.”

Work will commence on the 31st August following completion of the Hucknall Road junction resurfacing and is expected to be complete within two weeks. Work will be carried out between 9.30am and 3.30pm on weekdays only.

There will be no work taking place in the evenings or at weekends. Stop/Go boards will be in use and there will be no parking on the part of Arnold Road where work is carried out. This will allow enough room to carry out the works safely, (please be aware that the parking restrictions will come into force a short time before work begins so that the stretch of road is clear).

Please be aware that while the planing and resurfacing vehicles are working across side road junctions, vehicle access into/out of these junctions will need to be restricted for a short time.

 The following side roads will be closed for short periods while work is carried out in front of them; Sunrise Avenue, Mayfair Gardens, Heathfield Road, Britannia Avenue, Fenton Road, Nursery Lane, Barlock Road, Wallis Street, Wilton Street, Lansdowne Road, Blankney Street and Queensbury Street.

Nottingham City Council apologises for any inconvenience that the work may cause motorists and assure that they will do all that they can to keep any disruption to a minimum.

Government confirms NET Phase Two conditional approval and WPL order

NET Phase Two – the proposed extension to Nottingham’s tram network – is now within touching distance of becoming reality.

Government confirms NET Phase Two conditional approval and WPL order

During a visit to Nottingham on Friday 31 July, Sadiq Khan MP (Minister of State for Transport) announced Conditional Approval for the project.

This paves the way for the City Council to begin the process of selecting the companies who will build NET Phase Two and operate the enlarged network. It also demonstrates the commitment and confidence the Government has in the scheme.

Cllr Jane Urquhart (Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for Transport & Area Working) said: “This is a massive boost for Nottingham. NET Phase Two would be the largest single financial investment by government in the city. This will help steer Nottingham out of a recession by creating jobs and bringing in much needed new investment. Equally important is the fact that even more of our residents and visitors will be able to use a clean, modern and efficient tram to travel in and out of Nottingham.”

Today’s announcement is yet further proof of how well Nottingham is weathering the current economic climate. The financial backing of NET Phase Two combined with funding guaranteed for other major projects such as Building Schools for the Future, the Meadows PFI bid, the district heating and carbon reduction projects and the Future Jobs Fund, brings to over £1 billion the total Government investment in Nottingham.

The Government today also confirmed the Order for one of the key funding streams for NET Phase Two – the Workplace Parking Levy (WPL).

As well as contributing towards NET Phase Two funding, the WPL will support the £67m redevelopment of Nottingham’s railway station (The Hub) and maintain the Link bus network which transports people to and from some of the city’s major employers.

However, following discussions with the Government, it has been agreed to delay charging businesses until April 2012 until the economy is healthier. This is very welcome news particularly as the Government will cover the shortfall in revenue so the programme for public transport investment will not be disrupted. It is proposed that businesses will need to be licensed, at no charge, from October 2011.

Cllr Urquhart said: “The fact that we have over two years before the WPL is implemented gives us the opportunity to work with businesses to help them develop more sustainable transport policies, encourage behavioural change and reduce congestion, which has a significant impact on business.

 “While we welcome all of today’s news, we appreciate that there are some residents who will have concerns about the impact the new tram lines may have on them. We will ensure that all affected residents are communicated with fully throughout the entire process to minimise any further concerns and disruption.”