As many of you are aware, last February the owners of the Wheatsheaf Pub, Marstons Estates Ltd, put in a planning application to build a Retail Unit on the site of the Pub's car park.

Our Parish Councillors rejected the proposal, as did Rushcliffe Borough Council at their Planning Meeting in July.

However, when applicants have their planning applications rejected, they are entitled to appeal against the decision. Rushcliffe Borough Council have informed me that Marstons Estates have indeed appealed against their decision.

To download a copy of the letter, click on:

Letter to Residents

The letter explains how you may submit any additional comments to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol.

To download an extract from Rushcliffe Borough Council's minutes listing their reasons for rejecting the proposal, click on:

Reasons for Rejection

I will publish the date of the Appeal when it has been fixed.

Tony Jarrow

Well, not quite true.

On BBC2, at 7.30pm, there was the programme, "Mary Berry's Absolute Christmas Favourites - Episode 1". During the programme, Mary had a guided tour of the Cropwell Bishop Creamery.

Apparently, the programme was made in 2014 and has been on TV a few times since then. Even so, if you have not seen it before, it is worth viewing on iPlayer.

Tony Jarrow

There was definitely a festive atmosphere to the Turkey Trot in Keyworth yesterday.

The half-marathon has taken place every December since 1984. It is an extremely popular event with local runners and all 1000 places were taken within hours of it opening for entries—a bit like Glastonbury!

The route passes through Wysall, Willoughby-on-the-Wolds and Widmerpool before returning to Keyworth. It is a scenic, but far from easy, course with many hills and long drags along the way.

The winner, Andrew Peat of Long Eaton (number 757 in the first photo), got around in 70 min 13 sec. The first female runner was Victoria Nealon (number 697 in the second photo). Most of the other runners were happy to just "trot" around.

I spotted three runners from Cropwell Bishop, maybe you can see more. Take a look at all the photos: click on:

Turkey Trot Photos

Tony Jarrow

The plan to dump thousands of tons of waste in Cropwell Bishop was rejected by both our Parish and County Council but the applicant appealed and today the Planning Inspector announced that he was overruling that decision and allowing the plan to go ahead.

So the developent work can now go ahead but the Inspector has imposed a large number of conditions. I have read his report and below is a summary of the conditions that I believe will be of most interest to residents and businesses of Cropwell Bishop.

No doubt many people living nearby will be checking that these condition are not violated over the coming years.

If you do see a violation taking place, you can report it to: Tim Turner (Senior Enforcement Officer at N.C.C.) on 0115 9932585 or email him at: tim.turner@nottscc.gov.uk

To download a pdf copy of the Appeal Decision click on:

Appeal Decision

Tony Jarrow

Summary of Key Conditions

The development must begin within 3 years and be completed within 3 years of starting.

Restoration work must be completed within 1 year of stopping work.

No waste disposal operation, including the operation of any associated plant, machinery or vehicle shall be carried out and no storage or excavation of materials shall take place.

No development shall take place until the following have been submitted and approved:

• Dust Management Plan

• Method statement detailing techniques for the control of noise and vibration

• HGV Management Scheme

• Ecological walk-over survey

• Biodiversity Management Plan

• Highway improvement works have been carried out

• Detailed restoration scheme

• Aftercare and habitat management strategy

Operations (including the use of floodlights) shall only take place during the following times: Mondays to Fridays 7am to 6pm and Saturdays 7:30am to 12:30pm. No operations shall take place on Sundays or on Bank or Public Holidays.

During school term times, no HGVs shall enter or leave the site between 8:30am to 9am and 3:30pm to 4:30pm on Mondays to Fridays.

No crushing or screening of waste shall take place on or adjacent to the site.

Only one bulldozer (or one tracked excavator) shall be operated on the site at any time. The mobile plant shall be fitted with white noise reversing warning devices and shall be fitted with silencers.

In the event of a noise complaint which, in the opinion of the Waste Planning Authority may be justified, a noise impact survey shall be carried out by the site owner or operator and submitted to the Waste Planning Authority.

There shall be no more than 18 HGV movements to and from the site (9 in, 9 out) in any one working day between Monday and Friday and no more than 8 HGV movements to and from the site (4 in, 4 out) on Saturdays.

The Waste Management Area shall be restored to a nature conservation end-use.

Once again our Parish Council organised a family fireworks display this evening, for everyone in Cropwell Bishop to enjoy in complete safety.

In slick fashion, it took less than an hour to feed hot dogs, mushy peas and drinks to over 200 people—including many children, and then entertain them with a fantastic free fireworks display.

Whilst it is lovely to turn up at 6.45pm and enjoy the next hour, we must remember—and fully appreciate—that during the preceeding 3 hours, dozens of villagers, including all available parish councillors, had been labouring to set up fences, slice cobs, cook hot dogs, warm peas, and prepare drinks. And all these thing had to be purchased in the days before. And then, of course, after we went home they stayed behind to clear up everything.

So let's remember to celebrate our good fortune in living in a community where there are people who are prepared to put on events such this, year after year.

Tony Jarrow

On Saturday, local farmer Russell Price opened the doors of his farm to the people of Cropwell Bishop.

Not so many years ago that would have meant holding lambs, milking cows and watching a tractor ploughing. However, in the 21st century, if a farm is going to survive as a business it has to make the most of every opportunity to use its assets in new and enterprising ways.

So now, as well as supplying the general public with crops, Russell is supplying it with electricity. The big domes and buildings sited by the A46 are linked by pipes, ducts and wires and it is continuously feeding electricity into the National Grid—a bit like those people with solar panels on their roof, only on a much bigger scale.

Its output is 1 Megawatt, 24 hours a day. That is enough to power 300 electric kettles continuously, day and night.

Other aspects of the site are still under development but the goal is to make use of every joule of energy that enters its gates in the most productive way.

I was at the site for only an hour or so on Saturday but while there I saw at least 50 people being taken around the site by knowledgeable guides. Mick was the guide for our group and I have to confess that I didn’t grasp all the science of the system, but hopefully I learnt enough to pass on to you some understanding of how it all works. First, a bit of history.

Allesandro Volta was an Italian Physicist who was born in 1745. His fame lives on because the unit of electrical potential difference was named after him, i.e. Volts.

In the year 1776, while Americans were having a party and dumping tea into the docks at Boston and declaring they wanted to be independent of England (no time for referendums in those days), Volta was on holiday on Lake Maggiore in Italy, and his boat went alongside some reeds.

He began to poke the muddy bottom of the marsh beds with a stick and saw lots of gassy bubbles floating up to burst on the surface. He collected some of this gas and discovered it was inflammable. He called it “marsh gas”: nowadays we call it methane.

The bubbles of methane from the bed of Lake Maggiore were produced by decaying plants. Micro-organisms (bacteria) feed on the plants and produce methane as a waste product. These particular bacteria are able to feed on the decaying plants without needing oxygen. For this reason, we call them, ‘anaerobic’ bacteria (‘anaerobic’ means ‘living in the absence of oxygen’).

Russell’s site is based on the same principle. Everything is geared up to getting the maximum methane from dead plants (well any organic matter) using the least amount of energy. He has to use some energy to operate electrical machinery and to keep his tanks warm but he still has enough surplus energy to power the two giant electric generators.

This is how the system works:

• Raw material (plant stuff, etc) is stored under covers for several weeks
• Then it is loaded into a giant mashing machine
• The resulting mush is then pumped into a tank where it is stirred up and warmed until it is ready to be pumped into the first digester.
• There, the temperature is made just right (50 deg C) for the bacteria to get to work and release methane for several days.
• This is all very useful but it is possible to get additional methane from the material by following up with a second kind of bacteria. However, these secondary bacteria live at a higher temperature so the mush is then pumped into an even bigger digester at 80 deg C where yet more methane is released.
• Eventually, the methane gas is fed to the engines that turn the generators that feed electricity into the National Grid.
• For everything to run smoothly, it is essential that timings, temperatures and other settings are carefully controlled and they are all displayed on the computer screen in the site office.
• If something needs adjusting when there is no one on site, that is not a problem; the managar gets an alert on his iPhone and can make any changes from his phone.

The principle on which the plant is based is relatively simple but then, so is the principle behind a nuclear power station. Making the whole thing work smoothly has taken years of development by the companies that supply the equipment.

Below are a few photos from the open day. Many thanks to Russell for the free coffee and cakes at the end.

Tony Jarrow

It was very busy in Cropwell Bishop this morning: it was the day of the 2016 Stilton Stumble.

The Stilton Stumble road running event has become a very popular fixture on the Cropwell Bishop Calendar. It is organised by the 'Friends of Cropwell Bishop Primary School' and the '1st Cropwell Bishop Scouts', who share the proceeds equally, and it relies upon the help of a large number of volunteers.

There are in fact two events, a 24k race followed by a 10k race 10 minutes later. They follow mainly different routes to avoid runners getting mixed up.

The rain clouds seemed to plan their path over the village to match precisely the timing of this year's event. At 10am it was pouring down. Thankfully, the grey clouds did eventually move on and by the end of the morning there was lovely sunshine to greet the late finishers.

To be honest, running in the rain is not much of a problem for runners. Once they have got going and can't get any wetter, the rain stops them over-heating and adds to the fun (maybe not for all runners!).

Heavy rain is more of a problem for the organisers and particularly the marshals who just have to stick it out until the last runner has gone through. Not much fun for them so we have to be thankful for their efforts.

Below are a few photos taken at this morning's events. If you would like to see a lot more, click on the link below. Once on the Flickr website you have the option of viewing photos full size and are also able to download any that interest you.

Stilton Stumble Photos

Tony Jarrow

Most of you will remember the outcry two years ago when it was revealed that a local company, 'Chris Allsop Properties', wanted to fill the giant hole behind the Canalside Industrial Park with waste.

This hole was created by the same company, illegally. Notts County Council (and everyone else concerned) objected to the plan and so it was rejected.

To remind yourself of the facts of the case, see the news-reports that appeared on this website at the time by clicking on the link below:

"AUGUST 2014 - ALLSOP'S WASTE PLAN"

However, 'Chris Allsop Properties' appealed against the decision to reject its plan. The result is that a final decision will be made at a hearing on 4th October—and you can attend it if you wish. Here are more details taken from the Cropwell Bishop Council website:

The hearing will take place on Tuesday 4th October 2016 commencing at 10.00am. The venue for the hearing is “The Civic Suite” County Hall, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7QP. The venue is fully accessible for disabled people with level access from the car park to the public hall. The hearing is scheduled to last for one day. The inspector appointed to the case will be: N. Palmer BA (Hons) MRTPI.

Members of the public and interested parties may attend the hearing and, at the Inspector’s discretion give their views.

The appeal decision will be published on the GOV.UK website. It will also be available on the County Council’s website.

If you wish to go along to support the Parish and County Council with this appeal process please go along to County Hall on the 4th October.

Tony Jarrow

I am sure that most of you will be familiar with the articles on local history by Anne Terzza that have been appearing regularly in Cropwell Bishop News over that past few years.

Anne has had these, together with some unpublished articles, compiled into a 38 page illustrated booklet and those of you who would enjoy having a convenient, permanent copy of Anne's stories will now be able to buy a copy. They are available directly from her at just £2 each.

She has already sold a number to friends and to members of the Heritage Group but, at last count, has 62 copies left.

For further details, or to purchase a copy for yourself—or maybe for someone at Christmas, phone Anne on: 0115-9893147.

Tony Jarrow

Below are photos of some of our judges and also of the Prize Presentation.

Our external judges are vital to the smooth running of the Show and we have used as many as five — all of them giving their time free of charge. Sometimes we have to book them a year in advance.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Show competition, the people who served refreshments, the entrants who dontated their produce and the many people who purchased it at end of the day.

Because of you and the sponsors, we have avoided any financial loss and look forward to putting on another Show next year. We welcome feedback.

Tony Jarrow and the Show Commmittee

Photos by Judy Thomas.

With over 200 entries from over 50 people, there was something of interest for everyone at the Cropwell Bishop Village Show today.

There were many winners: in fact everyone who made the effort to prepare their entry and put it on show for everyone else to enjoy was a winner. Certificates and prizes are of secondary importance in an event like this.

The fact that our small village is able to continue filling the Old School year after year is a tribute to the community spirit that we enjoy.

One of our main judges was telling us this morning that he is hoping that his own village will put on a Show for the first time next year — and he lives in Ruddington, a far bigger place than ours. Nevertheless, thanks to the support of our local sponsors, particularly Classic Windows and Gary Jowett, we are able to present some prizes.

Our prize winners this year were as follows:

The Gary Jowett "Rock-Man" award for the best rock cakes went to John Field.

The Gary Jowett "Best Child" award went to Harriet.

The "Best Family" award went to the Gladman-Bell family.

The Classic Windows "Best in Show" award went to Lesley Shuttlewood.

Congratulations to all of them.

The Village Show Committee 2016

Photos by Mel Stanley

Just wanted to pop up and say a big thank you to the town for allowing us once again to visit and take in the area where our ancestors lived in the 1500s.

We visited in 2010 with my mom, but this time got to show off the town to our nieces. As always, such a pleasure to be in Cropwell Bishop!

Thank you to everyone who showed us such hospitality during our much too brief visit!

Joe & Diana Presley
(also Maria and Nancy Matlock)

Over the weekend, there was a display at the Heritage Centre about the industrial heritage of Cropwell Bishop. Organised by the Heritage Group.

In spite of the rain showers, hundreds of people gathered on the Memorial Hall Field yesterday evening to enjoy the biggest event on the Cropwell Bishop calendar—Picnic in the Park.

As children played on the play apparatus, 5-aside court, exercise machines and the grass, bands played their hearts out on stage.

People had come prepared for wet weather with gazebos and umbrellas sprouting up all over the field.

The firework finale was spectacular and seemed to last longer than usual. Their sound, spectacular trails and sparkles could be enjoyed by everyone in Cropwell Bishop—including those who watched from their window at home.

Tony

Photos by Mel Stanley and Tony Jarrow

Notts County Council's Planning Officer has changed her mind about the effect of parking at the proposed Co-op shop in the Wheatsheaf car-park.
Her comment was posted today—the final day submission.
She now appears to say that resulting on-street parking will not be a hazard. Read her comment below:

"The Highway Authority’s comments dated 26th February 2016 recommended that this application be refused on grounds of insufficient parking.

The methodology that was previously used to determine the overall level of parking provision was based on the total number of vehicles entering and exiting the site within an hourly period, with the residual value being used to determine parking demand. By averaging the number of trips across the hour, the methodology assumes that all vehicles will occupy a space for that hour. The methodology does not account for the turnover of spaces, which will ultimately have a direct impact on the required level of provision.

The parking study provided by Croft Transport Solutions identifies three sites with an average dwell time of between 6 and 11 minutes. When applying the latter value, this means that each parking space can accommodate 5 vehicles an hour. This by far exceeds the previously expected peak demand for parking (18 spaces) which can be accommodated by just 4 spaces. Even if the average dwell time was increased to 15 minutes, this would require just 5 spaces.

The Wheatsheaf parking survey in the original Transport Statement shows that the demand for parking peaks at 15 spaces on a Friday and Saturday evening. Whilst the remaining level of provision for the retail unit will result in some on-street parking taking place (approx 2 vehicles), it is not considered it will severely compromise highway safety. In view of this, we consider that all issues have been resolved and therefore wish to withdraw our previous objection subject to the following conditions being applied:

1. No part of the development hereby permitted shall be brought into use until the parking/turning/servicing areas are provided in accordance with the approved plan 4698-P01 Revision D. The parking/turning/servicing areas shall not be used for any purpose other than the parking/turning/loading and unloading of vehicles.
Reason: In the interest of highway safety.

2. No part of the development hereby permitted shall be brought into use until the site is constructed with provision to prevent the discharge of surface water from the site to the public highway. The provision to prevent the discharge of surface water to the public highway shall be retained for the life of the development.
Reason: In the interest of highway safety."

If she says that 5 spaces will be more than adequate most of the time, why is it that when you try and park at the exisitng Co-op, you often have to park on the road because the 7 parking spaces are occupied?

And if she is saying that there are unlikely to be more than 5 shoppers in the shop at any one time, why do I often see 5+ in the shop?

And won't these numbers increase? After all, if the Co-op didn't anticipate having more shoppers than at present, why would it go to all the trouble of moving?

Personally, I fully appreciate the reasons for the Co-op wanting to move BUT the owners of the site, Marstons, are letting them down by not providing enough parking spaces. Marstons want to make money by letting the Unit to the Co-op, but still want to have spaces for Wheatsheaf users.

Tony Jarrow

NOTE:

I understand that you can still add comments over the weekend—but you must get them in by Sunday night.

A few photos from last night's sell-out concert at The Chapel. Great performances by Cropwell Bishop Singers. and their Musical Director Derek and Accompanist, Dorothy. Songs from Abba to Adele.

Photos by Mel Stanley

Would you like to see the Memorial Hall building modernised—or even demolished and rebuilt? I know that many people in the village would.

Do you have any idea of what a sensible yet exciting design might look like? Can you imagine how much one might cost? Would it really be possible to raise the money to build it?

Until this evening I would have been at a loss to answer any of these questions, but now my head is bubbling with thoughts and ideas. All because of a presentation that took place at the Memorial Hall this evening.

Chris Keast (of the village and Cropwell Scouts) is a lecturer at Nottingham Trent University and his MSc students of Building Surveying (many of them already employed) were given the opportunity to work in small teams and work out realistic solutions to the questions posed in the opening paragraphs.

This evening, the results of all their hard work where on display in the Memorial Hall. The five teams made use of drawings, sketches, paintings, computer animations, models, costings and samples of building materials to present and explain their ideas.

Our Memorial Hall is almost 100 years old and the designs on show illustrated how building and material technology has progressed in that time. Their designs were a reminder that the family of today yearns for different facilities to those of a century ago.

These photographs give you a taste what was on offer. Will these exciting proposals stimulate younger people in our village to push for change? Could one of these designs—or one like it—be built by 2020? It would need at least £500k to make it happen. That figure is too huge for use to consider in our personal life, but in the world of public funding, it is not.

The students explained how VAT can be avoided, how funding can be applied for if you make your facilities suitable for certain sporting activities, and even suggested the possibility of Crowdfunding.

Many of us in the village are already familiar with Lottery grants and Matched funding. All in all, a new Hall is possible—as long as we have the people to support it.

In the last 50 years, groups of people in Cropwell Bishop have got together to organise and promote big events and projects: the 10 mile Run, Bike Ride, Stilton Stumble, Picnic in the Park, Old School, Church repairs, Heritage Centre, Cropwell Care, and lots more.

To launch a scheme to rebuild our Memorial Hall only needs a few villagers to get the ball rolling. There must be people in the village who can generate the enthusiasm needed.

Tony Jarrow

In recent weeks, the fence at the bottom of Clarke Close appears to have attracted a lot of attention.

It began when the poor state of the fence was brought to the attention of the Parish Council. The Council were at first uncertain who was responsible for the upkeep and safety of the fence.

A study of old documents revealed that the Parish Council took on responsibility for maintaining the fence at one of its meetings 40 years ago.

The view of the current Parish Council is that it must abide by that decision or face possible legal action that could cost it (and hence us who live here) money.

The issue was debated at the April Parish Council Meeting and again at this evening’s May Meeting at the Old School. Villagers attended both meeting as “members of the public” and were invited to express their views.

I have listened to all the arguments presented at both Meetings and decided that it would be worthwhile summarising the situation as I see it.

To the best of my personal knowledge, villagers have accessed the Memorial Hall Playing Field via Clarke Close for the last 40 years. I remember sometimes having to climb over a low wooden fence and sometimes being able to walk through gaps in both fences.

I am not aware of this ever being a problem for villagers or the owners of the lands involved.

The bridle path is a right of way (it was noted in the first Ordnance Survey made in 1816) and there is no dispute regarding it being used by pedestrians walking along it. Even so, it should be noted that the land it is privately owned.

None of the current residents of Clarke Close object to people accessing the Memorial Hall Field via the Close.

The owners of the land through which the bridle path runs, insist that the access to the public bridle path from Clarke Close, a public road, is illegal. I am unable to explain why.

Let’s assume you have accessed the bridle path from either end—Nottingham Road or the public path at the top of Hoe View Road—you now face the problem of entering the Memorial Hall Field (in the corner near the swings) via the fence.

Cropwell Bishop Parish Council rents the Memorial Hall Field from the Trustees of the Memorial Hall. Your Parish Council has provided all the play equipment, 5-aside court, zip wire, swings, etc. and encourage you and your children to use it. The adult fitness equipment is the latest addition to the park.

Even though the Council rents the field, the whole site remains the responsibility of the Trustees of the Memorial Hall and it would seem that they (or the land-owners of the bridle path—I am not sure) insist that access is illegal and the fence must be maintained.

Access to the Memorial Hall Field via Clarke Close avoids the busy Nottingham Road and is quicker than walking up Nottingham Road. Children are safer taking that route.

The vast majority of people in Cropwell Bishop appear to want easy access to the Playing Field via Clarke Close to continue.

If this is going to happen it will be the result of the people of Cropwell Bishop working together. This is a Cropwell Bishop issue and only we can resolve it.

Tony Jarrow

Important Planning matter: phone mast in the village centre.

The Parish Council has received a letter from a consultancy company informing us of a proposal to install a radio base station and associated equipment in the centre of the village. The companies that have identified the potential site are Telefonica UK Limited and Vodaphone Limited, who have entered into an agreement to jointly operate and manage a single network grid across the UK. Their arrangements would be overseen by a joint venture company called Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Limited, which is owned by Telefonica and Vodaphone.

The proposal is to install a lattice tower, which will be 15 metres tall (50 ft), and 9 antennas, 2 dishes and 2 equipment cabinets. These would be enclosed in a fenced compound. The location of the proposed tower is in the rear of the farm yard at Home Farm, number 22 Fern Road. This is obviously very much in the centre of the older part of the village, and would be visible from the Church, Old School, the rear of all premises on Nottingham Road and Fern Road etc. As a point of reference the Church Tower is approx.. 18.3 metres tall (60ft).

The letter, plan and specifications can be seen below.

At this point, it is important to note that no planning application has been submitted, but the companies are committed to consultations with communities on their mobile telecommunications proposals. Having been informed of this general intention, the Parish Council has a short period in which to respond. We are therefore now informing all residents of the parish, and providing as much information as we have. If you have any comments or representations on this proposal please send them by letter or email to the the Clerk to the Parish Council. Any such representation must be with us by the end of Tuesday 22nd March.

Contact Details: clerk@cropwellbishop-pc.gov.uk telephone 0115 9894656

Thank you

Janice Towndrow – Parish Clerk

You can download a copy of the letter received from Harlequin Group (the phone mast surveyor) and a copy of the site plan here:

Letter

Plans

Cropwell Care was established almost twenty years ago by a group of compassionate individuals in the village. Its aim was to enhance the lives of any residents of the village. The main activities have been to provide a regular coffee morning, a monthly lunch and a driving service, principally to take people to medical appointments. Over the years many village residents have benefitted from the services provided by Cropwell Care, in terms of social stimulation, companionship and practical assistance. The efforts of those involved, who have contributed their time and efforts completely free of charge has been remarkable. Huge thanks are due to the committee members, the volunteer drivers, the coffee morning helpers and the luncheon ladies. Particular recognition should go to Linda Hatton, Linda Field, Pip Edwards, Myra and Howard Kendall and Jenny Eyre who have devoted many years of service to this organisation.

The time, alas, has come though when many of the original volunteers are no longer able to carry on their roles. Indeed, some of the original volunteers have become users of the services, and others have passed on. Those that remain now find they have other responsibilities or calls on their time, and they are ready to step back from their positions. So, in consultation with the Parish Council, some decisions have been reached about the future of Cropwell Care. The Committee will be formally dissolved and the coffee mornings and driving service will cease at the end of May 2016. Those that used the drivers service will be provided with written details of the other medical services now available and information about local private providers. The luncheon club will continue in its present form for at least a year, but with a review after six months. This will continue to be non-profit making, and arrangements will be made for community transport to be provided for those who would otherwise have difficulty attending. There will be some ongoing liaison with the Parish Council concerning some of the outstanding formalities in the dissolution of the Cropwell Care committee, and support will be offered.

For now though, the village would like to recognise the tremendous contribution made by all those who have helped to make Cropwell Care a truly caring institution over the last two decades, and, on behalf of all those who have benefitted, offer our wholehearted thanks. Cropwell Care has certainly made the village a better place to live and demonstrated, in a very practical way, the generosity and compassion that thrives within this community.

Cropwell Bishop Parish Council

To make sure only those allowed to use our recycling centres do so we're introducing a scheme so you must register your vehicle(s) with us first.

The Council is facing huge budget pressures and this will help us to reduce our costs by £200,000 each year and will also make sure our recycling centres are only used by people who live in Nottinghamshire, improving our quality of service, for example by reducing waiting times.

If the registration number of the vehicle you use when visiting a recycling centre has not been registered with us first, you may not be allowed to use the recycling centre.

It’s quick, free and easy and you only need to do it once (unless you change your car or address). We are encouraging people to register now ahead of the scheme being fully enforced later this year.

Notts CC

The setting for the photo below will be familiar to anyone living in Cropwell Bishop. I am not able to date it but would guess it is early 20th Century—if anyone is able to be more precise, please let me know.

It looks tranquil enough but is in fact the site of a very sad accident that happened at this very spot in 1892.

Printed underneath, is a precise copy of a news item that appeared in the Grantham Journal in March of that year.

It refers to a boy named John Down. However, it is now known that this is a reporting error: the name of the boy was John Dawn. His parents' names were also, of course, Dawn and not Down.

At that time in Cropwell Bishop, there were families by the name of Down as well as families by the name of Dawn. This may have been the source of the reporter's error.

Tony Jarrow

Grantham Journal 5 March 1892

THE FATAL ACCIDENT TO A BOY — On Tuesday, the District Coroner held an inquest at the Wheat Sheaf Inn, Cropwell Bishop, on the body of John Down, ten years of age, son of Samuel Down, labourer, of Cropwell Bishop, who died at nine o’clock on Monday morning, from injuries received by being knocked down and trodden upon by a heavy horse, on 8th February, as reported in the Journal.

At the inquest, Sarah Down, wife of Samuel Down labourer, said that her son was brought home injured on Monday evening, February 8th. He was unconscious, and had a wound over the left eye and a fracture of the skull. The unconsciousness lasted three or four days, and he died on Monday. Dr. Windley, of Colston Bassett, attended him up to the time of his death.

Edmund Loach, carter, of Cropwell Bishop, said that on the 8th of February, he was in charge of a horse and cart proceeding along the Nottingham Road, Cropwell Bishop. He was going to turn off the high road to the mill and shouted to the deceased, who was following him, that he was about to turn sharply. Deceased did not seem to hear, and tried to cross the road in front of the cart. He ran with his head into the horse’s side and fell under the animal, which trod on his head. It was a heavy horse, and the cart was empty. Witness could not pull up in time to prevent the accident. He and another man took the injured lad into the Wheat Sheaf Inn. The horse was walking round the corner.

Wm. Julian, drainer, of Cropwell Bishop, said he saw the accident. He heard the last witness call out to the deceased and other children who were about. The horse’s near foot trod on the deceased’s head, and then kicked him against the far side wheel, which passed over his legs.

Loach was not to blame—A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.

The funeral of the deceased took place in the village churchyard on Wednesday. The Vicar (the Rev, A. J. L. Dobbin) officiated, the masters, scholars, &co, at the Day School attending as a mark of respect. The lad was a general favourite, and his untimely end has cast quite a gloom over the village.

£10K Grant received from The Big Lottery Fund - "Awards for All"

Further to the Parish Councils Survey carried out last year with regards to the possibility of having Outdoor Gym equipment in the village, we received many responses from our parishioners who said a resounding “YES” to applying for funding towards this equipment.

Subsequently the Parish Clerk applied to The Big Lottery “Awards for All” scheme for a £10K grant towards the equipment. The application was successful and the funds have been received by the Parish Council to progress with the Outdoor Gym at the Memorial Hall playing fields.

The equipment is suitable for ages 12 upwards and will include something for everyone and the Parish Council hope our parishioners will benefit from the Outdoor Gym for many years to come.

This equipment will be installed during April and will include:

2 person Sit Up Board
Double Air Walker
Combined Fitness Bike Stepper
Leg and Arm Strengthener
Waist and Chest System and
Safamat surfacing

Janice Towndrow – Parish Clerk

Photos by Keith Herrington

A huge thank you to all of our parishioners and families, Cubs, Scouts, Beavers, Explorers and Parish Councillors who turned out last Saturday on a cold but beautiful morning to take part in the Cropwell Bishop Clean for the Queen.

Our Village Ranger Ray Kimpton does an excellent job of keeping the inside of our village pristine and free of rubbish, therefore, the areas that the Clean for the Queen concentrated on were ditches, dykes, entrance and exits to the village hedge bottoms etc., where our wonderful Ranger can't access on a daily basis.

Over 30 bags of rubbish was collected during the morning, including; toilet seats, skiing goggles, old pop up tents, bottles, beer cans, Macdonald’s bags and general litter.

Sadly there were two major points in the village where lots of “Drug Use” rubbish was found as can be seen on the picture above. The two sites identified were the back of the skate park ramps at the Memorial Hall where our children play and at the back of the Wheatsheaf Car Park. The Police have been informed of both of these sites.

As you can see from the pictures the “Clean for the Queen” was a huge success and we can only hope our clean village stays this way for the foreseeable future. Once again thank you to all who took part.

Janice Towndrow – Parish Clerk 7/3/16

The area around Mill Lane is of topical interest this month and I am sure that many of you will enjoy this old photo.

It was sent to me by Jonathan Good. He has researched the history of the Steam Mill and has discovered:

"The Steam Mill was developed in the 1850s by William Saxton after the local windmill blew down. Unfortunately he later went bankrupt and it was sold on together with the Mill Lane cottages."

Sadly, in 1904, there was an explosion at the Steam Mill and several workers were injured. It happened around 10.30am on Tuesday 2nd February 1904. Reports of the accident appeared in local newspapers and Jonathan has sent me a copy.

I have included a photo of the site as it appears nowadays, about 150 years later.

If you look back to a photo I posted on 7th February, you will realise that a label may be incorrect!

Tony Jarrow

Did you know that the road gets narrower as you drive towards this spot on Nottingham Road?

Probably not, because it is a gradual narrowing that starts at Barratt Close. However, by the time you get near the Butchers Shop the road is 60cm narrower.

That means your side of the road has lost 30cm (1 foot) of width. Almost as much narrowing takes place if you approach this spot from the opposite direction.

At the same time that cars, lorries and buses are having to squeeze closer to the kerb, the pavements on either side of the road get narrower. By the time you reach the white house on the left (opposite the butchers) the pavement has narrowed by 25cm, leaving you with just 104cm between the wall and the road. That is just 20cm wider than your front door.

Imagine trying to walk alongside an old person or young child at this point: it is impossible—unless you step into the road. But remember, this is the spot where vans and buses are running out of space and squeezing their tyres up to the kerb!

As they do so, let's hope they remember that their wing mirrors stick out much further—at head height!

Incidentally, the width of the pavement on the other side of the road is even narrower—just 87cm where the lamp-post stands.

During the last 6 months people have been "brushed" by cars and buses and one person was hit on the shoulder by a van's wing mirror: the mirror broke off. Thankfully, no bones were broken—and the children walking in front of her were not affected.

Can this situation be ignored?

Tony Jarrow

The future of the car park at the Wheatsheaf Inn is currently the focus of much attention.

It interesting to see what the area looked like around 1958. The car park was a paddock but a year later a Netherfield Co-op shop was built on the site. Villagers who remember say that it lasted only a short time before it was closed.

This was a time when the "Bells Estate" and the "Wimpey Estate" of houses had not even been thought about, let alone the many other new "Cul-de-sacs" of new houses that have arisen since.

Tony Jarrow

I wish to carry out a small survey.

Imagine yourself walking down Nottingham Road towards the Church, using the left-hand pavement. As you pass the white house on the corner of Mill Lane, the pavement narrows.

At this spot, have you ever been fearful for your safety—especially if you hear the sound of a car or, worse still, a lorry or bus approaching from behind?

These photos of the spot show: the narrow pavement, two people unable to walk side by side without one stepping onto the road and a lorry passing by.

I would very much like to hear of your experiences: please email me at: tony@CropwellBishopPlan.co.uk (or my personal email address)

Thank you

Tony Jarrow

The traffic report submitted as part of the planning application for a Convenience Store in the Wheatsheaf car park, states that the peak period (for traffic) will be on a Saturday. These photographs were taken around 2pm today.

It's busy outside the Butcher's car park, care is needed to exit Mill Lane, cars and vans occupy the parking spaces up the road and even beyond the double-yellow-lines cars fill most available spaces.

If a Store is built, customer traffic and parking will add to this.

The report states, "parking demand can easily be accommodated by the on-street parking provision available in the vicinity of the site". Really?

Tony Jarrow

A study of other documents in the planning application for the "Wheatsheaf Store" reveals the following statements:

• opening hours: 0700-2300 hours daily.
• (the applicant accepts that the) parking levels proposed are below the maximum parking requirement as per the Design Guide
• (the store) will benefit significantly from walking trips in that it serves a local need and is located in the heart of the village.
• whilst parking spaces will be allocated 10/6 between the store and pub, there will be an informal element of shared parking as the peak times will not clash
• additional parking demand could be accommodated on-street without resulting in a severe adverse impact on highway safety
• it is not considered there is any safety issue detrimental to the proposed development
• in terms of design, layout and heritage the proposals have been designed to fit in with the character of the surrounding area and preserve the historic setting of the listed (pub) building.

In the application, the following issues appear (to me) to have been overlooked:

• some residents of Mill Lane currently have an agreement with the Pub to park their cars in its car park: where will they park in the future?
• Hair Barn (and Beauty Box?) also have an agreement with the Pub that allows customers to use its car park: where will they park in the future?
• parking restrictions (double yellow lines) have recently been imposed on Nottingham Road to help overcome problems with traffic flow. Did the applicant take this into account when it declared that there was "on-street parking provision available in the vicinity of the site"?

Reminder: closing date for comments is 26th February.

Tony Jarrow

A planning application has been made by Marstons Estates Limited to erect a retail unit on the Wheatsheaf Car Park on Nottingham Road.

Printed below are statements in the planning application that should be of interest to Cropwell Bishop people:

• the proposals will comprise a 325sq.m convenience store on the site of the existing Wheatsheaf Public House car park
• a dedicated delivery and servicing area is to be provided to the east of the building
• average dwell time at this type of store is generally just five to ten minutes, as customers “pop in” for top-up shopping.
• up to 76 vehicle movements during the Saturday peak hour (forecasted)
• deliveries will occur between 7am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 6pm Sunday
• the largest sized vehicle (for deliveries) would be a 12.6m articulated vehicle.
• 16 car park spaces will be provided, with 6 spaces allocated for patrons of the public house and 10 spaces allocated for customers of the proposed retail unit
• although (6 spaces for the public house) is below the current demand levels it is considered that the Wheatsheaf public house is within easy walking distance for the majority of residents within Cropwell Bishop.
• (extra) parking demand can easily be accommodated by the on-street parking provision available in the vicinity of the site
• limiting parking provision will encourage residents within walking distance to access the public house and convenience store on foot

The planning application is number 16/00139/FUL and full plans can be seen online at:

https://planningon-line.rushcliffe.gov.uk/online-applications

To comment on the application you will need to register as a member of the public using the register tab at the top of the screen.

In the box provided if you enter the application number 16/00139/FUL you will be able to view the plans for this site.

The full plans are available at the Parish Council Office if you would like to go and view them. Please contact the Clerk on 0115-989 4656 to arrange a convenient time to do so.

The closing date for comments on this application is the 26th February 2016.

Tony Jarrow

Do you ever see at an old Village photograph and wish you could step back in time to experience the scene first-hand? You would need your own Tardis to do so but here are some images that might help your imagination. Steve Scullion has emailed me to say ....

"I am a regular visitor to the Cropwell Bishop Plan website and have enjoyed seeing the historical pictures of the village that have been posted over the past few weeks.

I have no idea if it is a well known image, but I thought you might be interested to see a postcard that I recently purchased on Ebay. It shows Fern Road, looking towards the church, from around 1915.

As a bit of fun I like to combine old images with the same view today. The results highlight just how much has changed (or not, in some cases). Anyway, I have done this with the Fern Road image, and also with a colourised view of The Wheat Sheaf, taken around 1905.

I hope you enjoy them."

Well I certainly enjoy seeing them, I hope you will too.

Tony Jarrow