Category: Wildlife

Village Planners’ Petanque Practice on The Piste

Gavin Walker

There’s been a lot of activity around the Neighbourhood Plan consultations in the past month, but that doesn’t mean the Village Plan group has been sitting idle. With a pétanque piste proposed on The Green, that’s just ONE of the things they’ve been working on! Chair Gavin Walker writes: Committee members meet monthly and work hard with other organisations to ensure that the development priorities identified by the villagers of Ruddington stay on track as far as possible. Active links with the Parish and Borough Councils are important, as well…

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Safer Footpath a Step Closer

Graham Wright

Villagers frustrated by the lack of progress in building a safe and convenient pedestrian access to their homes may finally have some good news! Nottinghamshire County Council has revealed that moving things forward is now just a signature away – meaning the long awaited footpath/cycleway from Clifton Road via the Old Station Drive development directly into the Pasture Lane Estate (see aerial view above) can then be constructed. Residents’ anger even prompted them to start a petition to the County Council and Crest Nicholson Homes this week. It details how hundreds of Ruddington residents…

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What Next for Ruddington’s Green Belt?

Graham Wright

Ruddingtonians have now had a little time to digest the shock news that around 175 new houses are to be built off Asher Lane – a Green Belt area formerly known as RUD07 (in red on the map) – after Rushcliffe Borough Council’s original planning refusal for the site was overturned by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate. The appeal ruling was all the more surprising given the long standing opposition by Ruddington Parish Council (RPC), the many hundreds of objections from local residents, and the fact that it was no longer…

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Asher Lane Housing Approved!

Graham Wright

Ruddington has LOST its long running battle with housing developers who’ve applied to build a major new housing estate on Green Belt land off Asher Lane. Following an appeal hearing last month granted to Space Foods Limited by The Planning Inspectorate, Rushcliffe Borough Council‘s decision to refuse them outline permission for the site has been overturned. This means around 175 new homes can now be built on this land – bordered by Asher Lane, Musters Road, Western Fields and the footpath alongside the Great Central Railway line (see top photo). Hundreds…

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Ruddington & District U3A Gets Underway

Barbara Breakwell

In March, around a hundred retired and semi retired local residents who attended an information meeting decided unanimously to start a U3A (The University of the Third Age) in Ruddington. Nationally there are over one thousand U3A’s. The aim of this new venture in our village is “to enable members to enrich their lives with new skills and experiences, pursue their interests, form new friendships and enjoy a sense of belonging to a vibrant community”. At the launch meeting a small group volunteered to form a steering group to plan the inaugural…

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Local Development Plan Published

Graham Wright

The final consultation phase before rescinding substantial areas of Ruddington’s Green Belt for new housing development began today at 5pm with the publication of the Draft Rushcliffe Local Development Plan Part 2. This was approved at Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Full Council meeting on April 26th. At that meeting, all but ONE Councillor in the Chamber voted to go ahead with the publication of the Plan as drafted – with all three of Ruddington’s Borough Councillors approving the three final shortlisted sites on Ruddington’s Green Belt to build a total of around 350 homes. This was…

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Traders’ Task Force Takes Shape

Graham Wright

Businesses in Ruddington have begun exploring innovative new ways they might work together in order to attract more residents and visitors to use our village centre. On April 12th an extraordinary Ruddington Parish Council meeting was called in the wake of worries about the closure of Thomas’s Greengrocers – the latest of several long established independent traders here who’ve gone out of business or decided to shut up shop. Now a form of “Village Centre Partnership” is being proposed after dozens of concerned locals put their names forward offering to help.…

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Housing on Ruddington’s Green Belt Moves Closer

Graham Wright

Rushcliffe Borough Council’s “Local Plan” reaches a very important stage this Thursday, with a decision on whether it will move to the final “consultation” phase. The publication draft of the Local Plan Part 2 is due to be discussed at their Full Council meeting on April 26th. The most significant aspect of this plan for Ruddington residents is that it would recommend getting rid of three long-designated Green Belt areas on the edge of our village to accommodate up to 350 new houses. The three sites chosen to be rescinded, following…

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Asher Lane Planning Inquiry Concludes

Paul Reedman

Today was the final day of the Public Inquiry into the appeal against the decision by Rushcliffe Borough Council to refuse planning permission for 175 homes off Asher Lane. After the first two days on Tuesday and Wednesday, proceedings got underway again yesterday morning (19th April) at Rushcliffe Arena with evidence from Neil Bennison, a Highways Consultant, on behalf of the appellant, Space Foods Ltd. The afternoon session heard evidence from Richard Mapletoft, Planning Policy Manager, and Kirsty Catlow, Area Planning Officer – both for Rushcliffe Borough Council – and…

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Update from the Asher Lane Inquiry

Paul Reedman

The Public Inquiry into the refusal by Rushcliffe Borough Council to grant planning permission for the building of 175 homes off Asher Lane in Ruddington began yesterday (Tuesday 17th April) at Rushcliffe Arena under the appointed Inspector, Nick Fagan. After opening speeches by Counsel for both sides, the first person to give evidence was Ruddington Parish Councillor Paul Reedman who made a statement against allowing the appeal, issued jointly by Ruddington Parish Council and Ruddington Action Group, before answering questions from the Inquiry. Rushcliffe Borough Councillors Jean Greenwood, Martin Buckle…

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