First look at plan for new homes next to train station
Plus: Movies confirmed for film in park event
Good morning and welcome to your Thursday briefing from Ashfield News. Today, artist’s impression released of new homes next to a train station, stalker placed a tracker in a pram, a warning to drug dealers from Nottinghamshire Police and much more.
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New image shows plan for homes near station
An artist’s impression of new council homes being built next to a railway station has been released.
Ashfield District Council says it is pushing forward with plans for 12 “quality” flats in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.
Work at the site is also expected to “improve the openness and visibility of the station entrance”, the authority said.
A planning application is due to be submitted this summer and, if approved, work could begin early next year.
The project, funded through the £62.6m Towns Fund, was intially planned to develop a pub on the site, but the authority found market interest in this was low.
Matthew Relf, Ashfield District Council’s executive lead member for growth, regeneration and local planning, said: “This is a huge project to improve an important gateway into Kirkby, providing more high-quality energy-efficient homes.
“We have carried out a lot of consultation with residents and councillors to find out what would be the best fit for this location.
“We listened to the feedback to the earlier plans and redrafted our approach to ensure we deliver the right outcomes for our area.
“Work on this project is due to start early 2026, delivering a landmark building at the entrance to Kirkby town centre and more footfall for our excellent town centre businesses.”
Meanwhile, Network Rail is in the process of sourcing funding for improvements to Kirkby railway station, which includes changes for disabled access.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We remain committed to seeing significant improvements at Kirkby which will benefit all visitors to the station and complement the other great developments in the area.
“The plans for these apartments would mean the station entrance space being upgraded, and this would give a glimpse of the more widescale positive changes still to come.”
Warning to drug dealers in district
Police in Ashfield have warned drug dealers they can expect an “unnannounced visit”.
Officers have carried out raids to close cannabis farms in homes in the district as part of ongoing operations.
Closure orders on homes linked to drug dealing and anti-social behaviour are also now being increased, Inspector Chris Boylin said in an update on policing operations in the district.
“These orders – three of which are currently pending for Hucknall alone – prohibit people from entering properties and gives landlords and local authorities time to evict them,” he added.
As you would expect, there is a high evidential threshold required to secure such orders in the courts, but we know from past experience that they are a very effective tool at disrupting the trade in illegal drugs and the associated crime and anti-social behaviour that often goes along with it.”
He added: “Others involved in the sale of illegal drugs can also expect an unannounced visit from their local policing team, as we continue to gather intelligence on local offenders.
“Last year we carried out nearly 30 warrants and hope to beat that number in the year ahead.”
Pub bid to serve alcohol earlier
A village pub has applied for permission to serve alcohol from 9am each day.
The Carnarvon Arms in Teversal is currently permitted to supply alcohol from 10am.
The licencing application, submitted by brewery Greene King, states all other hours and conditions under its licence would remain the same.
People have until 6 June to comment on Ashfield District Council’s website.
Stalker hid tracker in pram
A stalker who hid a tracker in a child’s pram has been sentenced.
The victim raised suspicions she was being followed in a park in Mansfield and that the offender was tracking her somehow, as he’d turned up at numerous locations in March.
He was arrested in the park on 27 March and had his phone seized – police were then given his PIN.
An application discovered on the phone led police to establish there was a device being tracked from the phone.
Officers found the model and serial number for the tracker, which was tracking to Mansfield town centre.
The victim was contacted and it was confirmed she was in the town centre.
When the woman attended the police station, a review of the live location of the device led officers to believe there was a tracking device in her son’s pushchair.
The pram was searched and the offender’s phone used to activate a sound option on the tracker, which led to a faint ringing coming from the pram and the device was discovered.
The offender, who also persistently called the victim and made unwanted contact, went on to be charged and was sentenced in court earlier this month after pleading guilty to stalking without fear, alarm, or distress between 19 February and 28 March.
He was given a 12-month community order with 12 rehabilitation days, 180 hours of unpaid work, and a two-year restraining order when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on 8 May.
He was also ordered to pay £199 costs.
Police have not released the offender’s name after a request from the victim.
Movies confirmed for park film event
Film screenings for this year’s Selston Films in the Park have been confirmed.
The event takes place at Selston Country Park on 21 June.
It has now been confirmed Paddington in Peru will be shown at 2pm, followed by Witches of Oz at 6pm.
The event is free and no booking is required.
Officer saved man’s life over M1 bridge
A Nottinghamshire Police Special Constable who helped save a man’s life after he threatened to jump from a motorway bridge has been recognised with an award.
Officers were called to the M1 in the Ashfield area at around 5am on 27 November 27 amid concerns for a man’s safety.
SC Eryk Lorek found the man, aged in his 40s, in distress on the wrong side of the bridge’s safety barrier, which shut the M1 during the start of the morning rush hour.
“It was clear the man was having a mental health crisis and I was just trying to make him feel comfortable as he was initially very wary of me,” SC Lorek said.
SC Lorek established a rapport with the distressed man and gave him his police jacket to help keep him warm and dry due to heavy rain.
After negotiating for 40 minutes, SC Lorek had built trust with the man and connected over a shared faith and culture.
This allowed his colleague PC Mathew Trinder to withdraw and provide key updates to the control room.
The distressed man then wanted a cigarette, but his lighter was faulty due to the rain. SC Lorek offered to fix the lighter and light the cigarette.
The officer deliberately used the lighter poorly so that it would not light but made it appear that he was doing so earnestly.
This encouraged the man to let his guard down and allowed SC Lorek to get closer to the ledge until he could grab the man and lift him back over the barrier.
SC Lorek was awarded a commendation at an evening ceremony held at police headquarters in Arnold on May 13, recognising his life-saving actions.
SC Lorek added: “Building trust was key to negotiations and the man confided in me over a breakdown in his personal life.
“It was one of my first few shifts and I was concerned that he could accidentally slip, being so close to the edge. I just spoke with him calmly, as a person.
“Fortunately, we were able to connect over faith and culture, which helped to safely resolve this incident.
“After moving here 21 years ago, I never thought I would save somebody’s life.
“I felt very honoured to receive my commendation and share that moment with my family. I never thought I would achieve something like this in my life.”
Fundraising event for hospital
A hospital goveror is planning an event to raise money for the Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity, in recognition of the care his wife received while undergoing cancer treatment at King’s Mill.
Members of the public are welcome to join the Major Oak Pop Choir on 6 July at the Mansfield Civic Centre for the “Power of Love” event.
The choir will perform a selection of music from films, musicals and pop songs.
The event starts at 6pm, with doors opening at 5.15pm, and admission is £10, with all proceeds raised going towards cancer services at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust.
Tickets for the event can be purchased by visiting the Community Involvement Hub in the main entrance at King’s Mill Hospital, calling 01623 676011 or sending an email to sfh-tr.charity@nhs.net.
Peter Gregory, 63, has been a governor at SFH since 2023 and represents the constituency for Newark and Sherwood.
He was driven to become a governor after his wife Helen received treatment for cancer at King’s Mill Hospital.
After undergoing treatment for two years, Helen is making a good recovery, and Peter was so impressed with the care she received he decided to stand for governor as a way of giving back to the trust.
In his role as governor, he volunteered to organise a community event to raise funds for the Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity.