Firstly, I wanted to congratulate Hope Nottingham for being awarded £75,000 from the Government’s Food Charities Grant Fund to continue their excellent work supporting Broxtowe’s residents throughout this pandemic. The grants are designed to provide immediate support to charities helping to feed those suffering from the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, including the elderly, those who have left home due to domestic abuse, or those who are struggling financially. It was great to catch up with Nigel Adams, from Hope Nottingham, earlier this week and talk about his plans for the funding and long-term vision to support people in our community. I know I speak for everyone in Broxtowe in wanting to thank Hope Nottingham for everything they have done, and continue to do, for some of our most vulnerable residents and I am thrilled the Government has recognised their work.
Last night, I joined Rob Sinclair and the TNC Mountain Bike Group for a 15-mile bike ride taking in Trowell Moor, Oldmoor Woods, The Babbington Horse Track, Erewash Valley Trail and Bramcote woods (and a trip to the White Lion after). Although I was rather achy this morning, I had great fun and the group is a welcoming environment for anyone wanting to start cycling more regularly. I also spoke with Emily and Clare from the group about the barriers to cycling and how to make it more accessible, particularly for women. This included simple measures such as ensuring there was somewhere safe to store your bike and facilities at work to allow you to freshen-up after commuting. I am looking forward to working with local residents, and employers, to ensure that more people are encouraged to consider more environmentally friendly, healthier and cheaper options of travelling to work.
As well as voting on legislation and supporting constituents, a huge part of my role as an MP is to facilitate conversation and make sure your views are heard by the decision makers. Yesterday, I hosted a meeting to discuss the plans to support residents affected by - and prevent - flooding in Trowell. This was attended by residents, Councillors and representatives from Broxtowe Borough Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Severn Trent Water, Via East Midlands and the Environment Agency. I hope the residents who attended found it useful, have a better understanding of the decision-making process and - most importantly - are reassured that the agencies will continue to work hard to protect their homes from flooding.
On this theme, I also hosted the first Beeston Station Improvement Forum meeting this afternoon with Network Rail, East Midlands Railway, Nottinghamshire County Council, Broxtowe Borough Council and Friends of Beeston Station. I have lobbied successfully for Beeston Station to receive funding for accessibility improvements - see this link. I am glad that improvements are planned by Network Rail, but it is important to me that residents’ needs are considered in the planning stage. Soon, more information about how you can get involved in this process will be made available online and I hope that people who live in Beeston (or use the Station) will have their say!
This morning, I also met with Fairgrove Homes in Kimberley. I was impressed at the measures they have implemented to ensure house building, and viewings, were conducted in a Covid-safe way. We had important discussions about the future of the housing market, benefits of Help to Buy and plans for more high-quality homes in the area. It was fascinating to see a local, family-run firm redeveloping a brown field site and I am confident that the new Government announcements, including the stamp duty holiday, will bring positive results for local developers like Fairgrove.
On a final note, I know that this weekend many students across Broxtowe are anxiously awaiting their A-Level results. This has been an incredibly challenging period for us all, but I know that ambitious and hardworking young people have been especially affected. I wish you all the very best of luck and hope you get the results you deserve!
Have a great weekend,
Darren