Our readers from across the borough give their weekly take on the biggest issues impacting Gedling and beyond.
Join the debate by sending your letter to letters@gedlingeye.co.uk . Please put ‘Letters’ in the subject line. You can also submit a letter by filling in the simple form below, and it may appear online.
Some letters refer to past correspondence which can be found by clicking HERE
Names and addresses will be withheld by request but must be included in the email. We reserve the right to edit letters. Letters published do not reflect the views of Gedling Eye
Abandon Arnold: there’s no hope for this ‘no-go’ area
Sir,
Following the recent disorder and anti-social behaviour in Arnold, I think the council needs to realise that the town is a white elephant. There is no hope for it.
Millions have been pumped in and it still continues to be a no-go area. When will this funding stop? Still we have more plans for the town centre and propsals to give them new lesiure centres and theatres.
The town has a lot more than other areas in the borough yet still we hear the kids need more to do and its in need of more regeneration.
Really?
Can people in Netherfield access a swimming bath? Is there a theatre in Carlton? Can Calverton people pop down the road to watch a Hollywood blockbuster? No!
I can see us funding a theme park in Arnold to entertain those living in the town – and it still will not be enough.
Let’s have a look at other areas in the borough shall we. Their residents will be more deserving of extra funding – and be more grateful for improved facilities as well.
D Jones,
via email
Changes to current library system would be ‘retrograde step’
Sir,
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the draft proposals put forward by Nottinghamshire County Council, which updates their current tiered system, impacting directly a number of libraries across Gedling (Tier system planned for Gedling borough’s nine libraries – Gedling Eye 21/10/24)
If approved, my local library in Woodthorpe – and twenty-seven others – would be identified as a mobile library or library access point. The latter are described as typically being co-located in community buildings, delivered in partnership with existing community organisations and volunteers. In short, this would fundamentally alter the existing service provided by these vital community assets.
Libraries such as the one in Woodthorpe are not just an essential resource for children, they also provide a warm space, and a lifeline for residents who may feel isolated or lonely. As a regular library user, I have witnessed first-hand the valuable service the library offers – including most recently when an early years group were engaged in singing and storytelling. It has also played no small part in my nine-year-old daughter’s love and passion for books and reading.
I appreciate that the County Council has significant budgetary challenges and has to find savings, but the proposed changes to the current tiered system would, in my opinion, be a retrograde step.
I would strongly encourage Gedling Eye readers to engage with the County Council’s public consultation – which closes on 13th November – to ensure that our voices are heard.
Dr David Hindley,
Woodthorpe
Free buses would cut daily congestion
Sir,
Everyone is fed up with the traffic meltdown, and things can only get worse with the news that bus fares are going up.
The announcement that the £2 fare cap will increase to £3 will surely see even more people using their cars.
The only way to reduce car use and to cut vehicle emissions is cheaper and better public transport.
Gedling has a fantastic network of railway stations, but train travel can be expensive. We need to see fares cut, and the frequency of trains increased to make them a better option for commuting.
However, it is buses that are the best hope for reducing the area’s daily logjam. And cheaper tickets increase bus use, reduce congestion, and make Gedling greener and cleaner.
Rather than upping bus fares we should be moving to free bus travel for all. If buses were free for everyone then it wouldn’t just be pensioners leaving their car at home.
T Robins,
Carlton
Dangerous cyclists deserve to be prosecuted
Sir,
I support recent correspondent in pointing out the dangers of inconsiderate and negligent cyclists who ride on pavements.
However, as an octogenarian and a slow, careful cyclist, may I point out that the overcrowded roads with countless parked cars makes cycling on the roads very hazardous indeed.
I would appeal to pavement cyclists to be more considerate, but if they pose a danger to pedestrians by their unacceptable cycling then they deserve to be prosecuted, not for cycling on the pavement, but for riding without due care and attention.
V Fisher,
Calverton
