Police raid cannabis factory in village home
Plus: Plans for new estate on derelict land
Good morning and welcome to your Thursday briefing from Ashfield News. In today’s edition, a warning after a house fire, police raid a cannabis farm in an Ashfield village and much more.
If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing to get Ashfield News straight to your inbox every week by clicking the link below.
Arrest as police raid cannabis factory
Almost 200 cannabis plants were seized during a raid on a home in Huthwaite.
Officers from Nottinghamshire Police’s Sutton-in-Ashfield Neighbourhood Policing Team were called to a property in the village on December 6.
The raid came after reports of a strange smell, continuous humming noise and people coming and going at unusual hours, police said.
The force added the entire four-bed property was being used to cultivate cannabis.
A 21-year-old man was found in the property and arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis.
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said: “This was a fantastic result as part of a team effort, of which could not have been achieved without information from the community.
“These types of grows are far from a victimless crime, with people often exploited or brought into the country illegally to look after them.
Not to mention the damage and high risk of fire that comes with these types of setups, due to the low-quality electrical modifications often done by people with little or no electrical knowledge.”
“This grow’s electrical supply was adapted in such a way that the meter had been removed entirely and the household electrical supply bypassed.
Directly connected to the main supply removing all safety features – this was a fire waiting to happen which in turn could have potentially damaged numerous neighbouring properties.”
Homes plan for derelict patch of land
Dozens of homes could be built on a patch of land which has laid derelict for more than 35 years.
Developers want to build 35 properties on a site in Omberley Avenue, between Skegby and Sutton-in-Ashfield.
The area planned for the homes was a former tree nursery north of Beck Lane, but operations ceased in 1988 and “the on-site buildings have remained unused since then and the site has become overgrown”.
Planning documents submitted to Ashfield District Council state: “As part of the development, the application seeks to improve facilities for neighbouring residential areas through the provision of a new turning head to Omberley Avenue and improvements to pedestrian and cycle routes by providing a 4m access path off Beck Lane to the development.
“Whilst the site has historically been part of the open landscape, this has been significantly reduced through the encroachment of residential developments.
“It is considered that the recently approved large residential developments on surrounding land establish a precedent for the development of this site infilling a brownfield site within an established urban area.”
The properties would be a mix of two-storey and semi detached homes, with quarter houses proposed for parts of the site. A decision is due on the proposals by March 5.
Warning after house fire
A warning has been issued after cooking which had been left unattended caused a house fire in Ashfield.
Two crews from Ashfield fire station and one from Alfreton were called to the incident in Huthwaite on Tuesday evening, December 10.
One hose reel jet was used to bring the incident under control.
A spokesperson for Ashfield fire station said: “On investigation it was found that cooking had been unattended and was the cause of the fire.
“This caused a lot of smoke damage to the property.
“Please keep an eye on that cooking, a distraction of any type while the pan / oven is on could ruin your Christmas.”
Free Christmas tree collection
People decorating their home with a real Christmas tree will be able to get it collected for free after the festive period.
Ashfield District Council is running the scheme but you will need to book in advance for the service.
Trees must be outside your property by 6am on the day of collection and trees over 6ft must be cut down.
The collections will take place on:
Monday 6 January - Sutton area
Tuesday 7 January - Kirkby area
Wednesday 8 January - Hucknall area
Thursday 9 January - Selston, Underwood, Jacksdale
To book a collection, visit https://www.ashfield.gov.uk/ChristmasTreeCollection/
Holiday lodge plan gets the go-ahead
More than 60 holiday lodges can be built on a “five star” luxury camping site in Nottinghamshire.
Plans for the 62 lodges at the Teversal Camping and Silverhill Woodland Retreat, just north of Fackley, had been met with opposition by residents.
The Teversal, Stanton Hill and Skegby Neighbourhood Forum claimed an extension of 31 static caravans had already “altered the character and appearance of the site, especially when viewing from Silverhill Country Park”.
It also raised concerns that an extra 62 static homes would increase traffic and would also lead to more congestion in the surrounding area at weekends and during holiday periods.
But Ashfield District Council approved the proposal when its planning committee met on December 4.