Plans put forward for future of 'abandoned' pub
Your weekly round-up of Ashfield News
Good morning and welcome to today’s edition of Ashfield News. This week, plans have been submitted for an ‘abandoned’ pub and a warning over e-scooter use.
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Homes plan for old town pub
A historic pub that has been abandoned for years could be turned into flats.
Plans have been submitted to convert the Shakespeare Inn in High Pavement, Sutton-in-Ashfield, into seven apartments.
Designs submitted to Ashfield District Council show the homes, which would all contain one bedroom, would be built over three storeys.
Three apartments would be built on the ground floor, three on the first floor and one apartment in the loft.
A pub has been situated on the site for decades, with records dating back to the 1860s showing a ‘beer house’ in operation.
A decision on the plans are due by July 2.
Have your say on £19.5m for town
Residents are being asked to have their say on how £19.5m of government funding should be used in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.
The town will receive the cash over a 10-year period through the Long-term Plan for Towns Fud.
The funding covers a range of projects under three themes – safety and security, high streets, heritage and regeneration and transport.
Ashfield District Council is running a three-week public consultation inviting people to give their views on how the money should be spent.
Jason Zadrozny, leader of Ashfield District Council, said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Council to work with residents, businesses and workers in Kirkby to implement real transformational change. We haven’t decided how we are spending this money so we genuinely want to hear people’s ideas.”
The consultation is running until June 2. You can take the survey by clicking here.
Crackdown on e-scooters in town centre
Police have launched a crackdown on e-scooter use in Sutton-in-Ashfield town centre and the surrounding areas.
Officers say use of the vehicles is illegal in public and described their use in our area as ‘anti-social’.
Private e-scooters can only be used on private land with the landowner’s permission.
There are public schemes run by local authorities, such as in Nottingham, but this does not apply in Ashfield.
A spokesperson for the Sutton Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “I ask that any local residents who are aware of e-scooters being used in an anti-social or unsafe manner report this to the police.
“We will be running operations around Sutton in Ashfield to target hotspots where we have received numerous reports of e-scooter related anti-social behaviour, but I would encourage residents to also let us know of the areas and times that they see e-scooters most, so that we can use our resources in the most effective manner.”
New hospital lounge opens
A new discharge lounge has opened at King’s Mill Hospital.
The new lounge, decorated with artwork by pupils at Mansfield’s Wainwright Primary Academy, has been redesigned to increase capacity.
It was officially opened earlier this month and the artwork was chosen following a competition launched by Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust, which runs the hospital.
Wainwright principal, Jon Chapman, said: "We saw this competition as a fantastic opportunity to educate our children about the hospital and its vital role in our community. It's crucial for them to grasp the various career paths and opportunities available in such a bustling healthcare facility.”
Medical Director of Sherwood Forest Hospitals, Dr David Selwyn, added: “The improved new Discharge Lounge will help us to vastly improve our processes as we transition our patients back to their home or the place they call home.
“It reinforces our commitment to provide outstanding care for all of our patients during the time they spend with us, in the best place at the right time.”
The lounge is now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This will enable patients to stay overnight ready for early discharge the next morning and enhances the care the Trust can offer to patients.
It has an increased capacity for 19 beds and a variety of chair spaces. There are also four isolation cubicles to help avoid the spread of infection when necessary.
Warning over ‘fatal four’ driving
Police in Nottinghamshire have issued a warning over the “fatal four” driving offences and their impact on families across the county.
The four driving offences police are focused on preventing are speeding, drink or drug driving, using a mobile phone while driving and not wearing a seatbelt.
Figures released by the force show 47 people died as a result of the ‘fatal four’ from 2021-23.
In total over that period, 411 people were killed or seriously injured on the county’s roads.
Detective Inspector Kate Savage, of the force’s Serious Investigation Unit and Roads Policing Unit, said: “Whilst it’s shocking that we’ve seen so many deaths and serious injuries caused by these ‘fatal four’ offences, statistics alone can never paint a true picture of the utter devastation caused to those who have lost loved ones and suffered lifelong injuries in these collisions.
“We are very clear that when anyone gets behind the wheel it is their responsibility to make sure they have done everything they can to ensure their safety and that of others.
"This includes making sure you and your passengers are wearing a seatbelt, children are seated safely and securely, and keeping to speed limits.
“The majority of drivers use the roads respectfully and adhere to the law, but it is worrying that we still have some drivers across our area who are putting themselves and other road users at risk by their reckless driving behaviour.
“Enforcing the law across our roads and educating people about the consequences of unsafe driving is a year-round commitment for the force and we continue to urge all road users to think carefully about their driving behaviour and remind them of their responsibilities when they go out in their vehicles.
“The laws are there to save lives and our activity to crackdown on reckless and dangerous driving and to improve road safety will continue throughout Nottinghamshire.”
Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter. If you have a story, send an email to matt.bunn@protonmail.com