Wildlife – RUDDINGTON.info

Play Area Refurbishment Plans Announced

21st March 202421st March 2024 Graham Wright

Plans to refurbish the children’s play area in Ruddington’s country park have been revealed today by Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC). The authority says the changes at Rushcliffe Country Park will be made after the Easter holidays in April as part of its £175,000 of investment into local facilities. Works will include replacing the existing central space net with a new Kanope Tower multi-play unit featuring 14 different play elements and a new wooden trail. RBC says this will offer panoramic views of the park, increase play opportunities with a new pendulum pod swing…

A Smoke-Free Ruddington?

5th March 20247th March 2024 Graham Wright

Residents and businesses in the village are being invited to share our views on a proposal to expand an existing ‘Smoke Control Area’ to cover all of Rushcliffe. Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) is considering revoking its existing Smoke Control Order in West Bridgford and Edwalton and replacing it with a single Smoke Control Order, covering the whole of the Borough, including Ruddington. The authority says its proposed plan is in line with the government’s air quality strategy which seeks to reduce levels of very fine particulates. This is with the…

2024/2025 Ruddington Council Tax Rises

22nd February 202423rd February 2024 Graham Wright

Ruddington residents now have a better idea of how much more we’ll need to budget for from this April, following our County Council’s annual announcement today (22nd February 2024). During the full Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) budget meeting at County Hall it was agreed their Council Tax precept (the biggest share of the bills we pay) will rise by 2.84%, making it one of the lowest increases in the country. NCC has even created two handy pie charts (below) to show where the Council’s budget comes from and how it is…

Kids’ Fun Run Turns Ten

9th February 202411th February 2024 Graham Wright

It’s hard to believe that Ruddington’s free, weekly park run for children aged 4 to 14 and their families is now a decade old! When Rushcliffe Junior Parkrun was launched in Rushcliffe Country Park, at 9am on Sunday 2nd February 2014, it was only the eighth junior event to be set up in the world – and yet it managed to attract 118 participants and 20 volunteers for the very first one. This 2k ‘fun run’ was set up to encourage kids, families and friends to enjoy exercising in open spaces,…

Junction Works to Last Until October!

4th February 20244th February 2024 Graham Wright

After another short period back on the old traffic lights, following the timely completion of cable re-routing work by Virgin Media, potentially disruptive work resumes at the Kirk Lane/Loughborough Road/Flawforth Lane crossroads this week. Since this major highways project began in July 2023 – to improve the layout and install or reconfigure utility connections at the busy Ruddington junction – it has caused major frustration due to long, peak-time delays for drivers and bus passengers, and had a significant impact on nearby residents. The latest bombshell from Via East Midlands is that it now anticipates…

‘Have Your Say’ on New Development Design

2nd February 20242nd February 2024 Graham Wright

Ruddington’s green spaces have seen significant shrinkage over the past few years as a result of infill housing within our village and, most recently, because of the ‘Rushcliffe Local Plan Part 2’. Not only was planning permission granted by Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) in 2020 for hundreds of new homes on four large areas of our village’s former Green Belt, developers are also continuing to benefit from ‘windfall’ land which wasn’t originally included but had its ‘protected’ status removed at the same time. So far this has allowed a significant…

Swapping and Sowing Seeds for Spring

30th January 202431st January 2024 Graham Wright

It’s now over a year since Ruddington’s last remaining public telephone box, in front of our War Memorial, was saved for future generations by being put to a completely different use. Adopted by Ruddington-based charity The Mustard Seed Project (Uganda) for just £1, since being launched in October 2022 {top photos} the kiosk has served as a seed exchange; dubbed ‘The Mustard Seed Box’. With spring now just around the corner, Trustee Clement Dixon thought it would be a good time to remind villagers about this free facility for all who enjoy…

Will You Open YOUR Garden for Charity?

28th January 202428th January 2024 Graham Wright

After returning post-pandemic in 2022, it’s been confirmed the (usually) biennial ‘Ruddington Open Gardens’ event is being staged again this summer. In fact, planning is already underway for Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June 2024, when gardens and allotments in our village will be opening in aid of two charities from 2.00pm to 6.00pm on both days. As previously, all proceeds from the event will be split between Save the Children and Action for Children. Residents willing to participate in this year’s two-day horticultural feast are now being invited to get in touch.…

Recruiting Ruddington Runners!

16th January 202416th January 2024 Graham Wright

Do you enjoy running and socialising? If so, a new, free-to-join group of like-minded Ruddingtonians would love to see you. Ruddington Running Club was started by 29-year-old villager Jack Simkins in 2023 but has only been active since the start of this year. Members currently run together twice a week; with one session in the morning and the other in the evening. Jack, who moved to Ruddington just eighteen months’ ago, reveals: “In 2022, while solo training for a half-marathon, I had this idea – why not turn the pavement…

Traditional Hedge Laying at our Country Park

13th January 202413th January 2024 Graham Wright

Visitors to Ruddington’s top tourist attraction may have noticed a time-honoured hedge laying technique to help manage its hedgerows sustainably, which aims to provide a valuable habitat and food source for wildlife. Further winter work is being undertaken at Rushcliffe Country Park by its Park Rangers and Friends of Rushcliffe Country Park (FoRCP) volunteers using a traditional, manual technique which involves cutting the hedge tree thinly at the base and lying them on their side, as can be seen above. It’s an annual practice they have used for decades in certain…