Shop where you can fill basket for £5 opens in former Boots store
Plus: Homes set to be approved for old factory site
Good morning, readers, and welcome to your Thursday briefing from Ashfield News. This week, a new community grocery shop opens in a town centre, firefighters are called to a lorry blaze and more.
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Grocery store will help those in need
A new grocery shop aiming to “bridge the gap” between foodbanks and supermarkets has opened in a Nottinghamshire town.
Customers are asked to pay a £5 annual membership fee at Community Grocery in Lowmoor Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and can then fill up a basket for as little as £5.
The shop officially opened on Wednesday, March 12, and will be open from Monday to Wednesday and on Fridays from 9am-4.30pm, and 10.30am-6.30pm on Thursdays.
The store sells a range of products from canned goods and frozen products, through to fresh fruit and vegetables.
A spokesperson said: “At the Community Grocery we're here to keep families fed and offer people the support they need.
“With access to five shops a week, you can buy food for your whole family from just £5 a shop.”
The initiative has been created by the Illuminate Hope community interest company, a non-profit Christian organisation.
The shop redistributes surplus food to provide affordable weekly shops, in addition to other support services.
People can buy a small shop, up to 12 items, for just £5, £7.50 for up to 18 items, £10 for up to 24 items and £12.50 for up to 30 items.
Additional products above this are charged at 50p per item.
The spokesperson added: “By shopping at the Community Grocery you are helping the environment as many of the items we redistribute are short dated or just passed their best before date meaning they would have often ended up in landfill if we hadn’t rescued them.”
The shop is based in the former Boots pharmacy in 48 Lowmoor Road.
Homes set to be approved for factory site
Dozens of new homes are set to be built on the site of a former Nottinghamshire factory.
The old Quantum Clothing Factory in Huthwaite was demolished after initial plans were sent in for up to 90 homes in 2016.
Since its demolition, the area, which runs along High Street and parts of North Street, has been described as “unsightly and in need of development”.
Now, Ashfield District Council’s planning committee is being recommended to approve a proposal for 61 homes on the site.
The properties, which would be a mix of two-, three- and four-bed homes, would be accessed from High Street, the plans show.
In documents released ahead of the council’s planning meeting on Wednesday, March 19, state: “The scheme would deliver 61 high quality homes which would provide long term, sustainable accommodation.
“The provision of these new houses or a commuted sum to the council (in lieu of on-site provision of affordable homes), would make a significant contribution to meeting the objectively assessed housing need of the district.
“Given the lack of a five-year housing land supply, it is considered that substantial weight should be afforded to this social benefit of the proposal.”
Lorry filled with beauty products catches fire
Motorists faced major delays on the M1 due to a lorry fire.
The incident involved a lorry carrying beauty products between Junction 28-29 just before 9am on Wednesday, March 12.
Firefighters from Ashfield fire station were among the teams sent to the scene.
A spokesperson for the station said: “Lanes had to be closed while the firefighters safely dealt with the fire.
“We know what inconvenience this causes and we always try to get lanes open as soon as we can, crew safety must be the priority.”
No Mow May is back in Ashfield
Green areas across Ashfield will be left to grow this spring as part of a national campaign.
Selston Country Park and Titchfield Park in Hucknall will be among the areas where grass will not be cut for No Mow May.
Ashfield District Council is backing the campaign, run by conservation charity Plantlife, in May again to support biodiversity.
The move is aimed at providing food for pollinators and insects and helping tackle pollution.
Other areas included in No Mow May are Micky’s Field at Sutton Lawn, Summerfield open space in Kirkby and Acacia Rec in Annesley Woodhouse.
Jason Zadrozny, leader of Ashfield District Council, said: “The Council is committed to making Ashfield a cleaner and greener place to live and No Mow May is one of the ways we are doing this.
“Increasing biodiversity is a top priority for us and we are proud to be supporting this campaign. There is also something very beautiful about wildflower meadows as nature takes over.”
Grass that needs to be cut for safety reasons, such as corners of roads, will still be mown in May.
The authority will also plant wildflower meadows that will be left to bloom over the next three to five years.
Programme aims to reduce suicide rates
A new programme has been launched aimed at reducing suicide rates and improving mental wellbeing in Nottinghamshire.
The Self Harm and Suicide Prevention Strategy is a partnership between the county council and Nottingham City Council, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and other local groups.
The initiative also includes £96,000 in community grants to fund 34 local groups focused on supporting mental health.
The strategy has been developed with input from people with experience of suicidality and bereavement by suicide, who have shared their stories to shape its vision and objectives.
The collaborative effort aims to promote wellbeing, reduce self-harm, and prevent suicide through four key ambitions: reducing stigma, promoting mental health, ensuring timely access to support, and using local data and experiences to guide interventions.
As part of the launch, several organisations, including Nottinghamshire Police and local charity Harmless, have pledged their commitment to the strategy and the associated Suicide Prevention Charter, which emphasises hope and recovery.
For those in need of urgent mental health support, the Nottinghamshire Mental Health Crisis Line is available 24/7 on 111, option 2.