Arsonist Arrest, Disabled Bus Travel, Solar Farm & More

Happy Monday to you all and I hope you had a great weekend.

Monday morning has come around fast again, it's time to grab a brew, open the hob nobs, put the phone on silent and kick back for 10 - enjoy a read of today's newsletter covering all things Bassetlaw and surrounding areas.

Todays Quote for the day - "If you can dream it, you can achieve it." –Zig Ziglar

Justin Doddy, Editor

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter if you haven't already and please forward the newsletter to a friend that you think may like it, especially those that may not be on social media.

Man Arrested Following Suspected Deliberate Bungalow Fire in Worksop

A 34-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life following a fire at a bungalow in Worksop.

Emergency services were called to a property in Rayton Spur shortly after 7.30pm on Wednesday 20 August, after a member of the public spotted flames and dialled 999.

Firefighters attended the scene and later raised concerns that the blaze may have been started deliberately.

Thankfully, the property was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported.

Following enquiries, Nottinghamshire Police arrested a suspect in the early hours of Thursday morning (21 August), who remains in custody for questioning.

Detective Sergeant Nathan Bingham said:

“The property has been badly damaged by the fire but thankfully it was unoccupied."

Had it not been for the rapid response of our fire colleagues, it is likely the flames would have spread to adjoining properties.

"Needless to say, we are treating this incident extremely seriously and a suspect remains in custody for questioning.

“To assist us with our investigation we are urging anyone who saw what happened or who may have captured CCTV, dash-cam or mobile phone footage relating to the incident to please get in touch with us as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 636 of 20 August, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Courtesy of #NottinghamshirePolice

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE: ‘Insufficient grounds’ for legal challenge against huge solar farm

By: Joe Locker

There are “insufficient grounds” for a legal challenge against a nationally significant solar farm spanning Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

The One Earth Solar Farm and its battery storage facility will cover nearly 4,000 acres either side of the River Trent south of Dunham-on-Trent, near East Markham in Nottinghamshire.

An application was submitted to the Government earlier this year by Danish energy company Ørsted and PS Renewables, which is one of the UK’s largest renewable energy development and construction companies.

On July 8, the independent Planning Inspectorate confirmed the nationally significant infrastructure project had been granted development consent.

This was in spite of the Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation that it should be turned down for a raft of reasons, including flood risk and visual impact.

However, the Government went ahead and granted approval for the scheme, saying the renewable energy generated – the equivalent to powering 200,000 homes – was vital.

The huge solar park will surround the villages for the next 60 years, and will cover 170 agricultural fields spread across the Bassetlaw and Newark and Sherwood districts, and parts of Lincolnshire.

Campaigners and objecting authorities had been hoping a judicial review could help stop the development in its tracks, however Newark and Sherwood District Council said on Thursday (August 20) this would be unlikely to succeed.

Challenges can typically be made to the High Court, which then decides if there are grounds for a review.

In a statement, the authority said:

“We recognise and share the frustration felt by local residents, communities, and councillors about the proposal.

“Throughout the examination process, the council made clear its concerns about the effect of the development on the landscape, the historic environment, and local communities amongst other things.

“Since the decision was issued, the council has been clear that there is no right to appeal against the decision made. The only option available to us is to consider whether to proceed with a judicial review.

“It is important to be clear that a judicial review is not a rehearing of the planning merits of the project. The court would not decide whether it agrees or disagrees with the Secretary of State’s planning judgement. It would only consider whether the decision was made lawfully.

“To assess whether this would be a viable option, further work has been carried out on issues raised at full council in May and specialist legal advice has twice been obtained from an expert legal barrister.

“The advice is that there are insufficient grounds to successfully launch a legal challenge.

“This will be bitterly disappointing news for the whole community, and, from the outset, it has felt almost impossible for us to have any meaningful influence on the One Earth Solar Farm decision.

“We urge the Secretary of State to listen to local communities and review the consent given for the site. Local voices should be heard, as should the very clearly articulated views of the Examining Authority.

“While the decision is frustrating, we will continue to engage with the process to ensure that, if the development proceeds, the requirements attached to the Development Consent Order are properly considered and that the impacts on local communities are addressed as far as possible.”

All solar farms that generate more than 50 megawatts are decided by the Government’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, rather than local authorities.

Since coming to power in July 2024, the Government has now approved 30 nationally significant clean energy projects.

Speaking previously, the then Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“The only way to have energy security is if we take a pro-growth approach to building more clean energy in Britain. For the past two years, that is exactly what this Government has done.”

Snipe Park Maintenance Update

Visitors to Snipe Park are advised that essential improvement works are now underway as part of Bassetlaw District Council's annual maintenance programme.

The Bassetlaw Parks team will be carrying out tree management works around the play area, including coppicing and cutting back some of the willow trees, as well as managing tall reeds and bushes over the coming weeks.

These improvements are designed to enhance visibility across the park, improve CCTV sightlines, and help create a safer environment for everyone to enjoy.

While the work may appear quite significant at first, the willow trees will naturally regenerate and, over time, return to their original size.

The works are expected to be completed during the early part of next week. Visitors are thanked for their patience and understanding while these important improvements are carried out.

Credit: Bassetlaw District Council

‘Disabled bus pass changes a step in the right direction – but why stop there?’

By: Joseph Connolly, LDRS

Campaigners in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire have long been calling for changes to concessionary bus passes.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced he’ll lift time restrictions for disabled bus pass holders across the country, meaning they’ll be able to get on the bus for free 24/7.

Previously, as with any concessionary pass, they couldn’t get on for free before 9.30am on a weekday morning.

Charlotte Throssel, CEO of Nottingham charity Disability Support, called the announcement “fantastic news”.

“It’s something that in Nottingham we’ve been campaigning for for a long time,” she said. “People don’t work 9.30am onwards. They usually work 9-5. Hospital appointments can be outside of those hours.

“It has previously put people at a disadvantage. I’m really pleased with the idea he’s going to scrap it.”

But while the changes are warmly welcomed by those who fight for change, it’s not all concessionary pass holders that will reap the benefits.

Pensioners in Nottinghamshire – like 71-year-old Nottinghamshire County and Rushcliffe Borough councillor Andy Brown – still face the restrictions.

“For disabled people it’s good,” he says. “They have to go to work as well (as anyone else) or medical appointments, or even to voluntary work, or all three. It’s a step in the right direction.

“I think you’ve just got to go that one step more and think of the elderly people.”

Cllr Brown recently embarked on a challenge to raise both money for charity and awareness of his call for the removal of the weekday restrictions.

It involved travelling as far as he possibly could with his concessionary bus pass – on a weekend, when he could get on for free as early as 6.15am.

At the time of Cllr Brown’s challenge, the disabled restrictions were still in place, and he called for restrictions to be lifted for both disabled and OAP passes.

The idea for the challenge came from an incident he experienced while waiting for a bus himself.

“On a very cold morning, one came two minutes before half nine and none of us could get on it,” he explains. “We had to wait another 25 minutes for another one. It just seems ridiculous.”

He hopes the next step will be the PM bringing the change in for all concessionary pass holders.

“Andy Burnham’s done it for Manchester and it’s been done in other places as well,” he says. “So I’m hoping it’s national. I think it has to be done nationally.”

Old age and disabled residents of Manchester already benefit from free 24/7 travel, courtesy of the PM when he was the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

In Nottingham, disabled pass holders can already get on the bus for free at any time, so this week’s announcement does not affect them.

Sherwood resident Des Conway was heavily involved in the campaigns to reinstate free 24/7 travel for disabled residents in 2018, after the Labour council at the time brought restrictions back in – after they had been absent for years.

He welcomed this week’s news for the rest of the country, including Nottinghamshire.

“I’m delighted,” said the 68-year-old. “It’s great and I totally welcome that. I think Burnham has definitely drawn a line between his government and Keir Starmer, in my view.

“He’s bringing what he implemented in Manchester across the whole country, which is really, really welcome. It’s very good.”

However Nottingham’s pre-existing free travel perk for disabled pass holders does not stretch to pensioners.

“I am hoping that (East Midlands Mayor) Claire Ward will see whether she can use some regional money to also introduce it for senior citizens next April,” said Mr Conway.

It’s not just bus users who have campaigned for the removal of restrictions.

Drivers, such as TrentBarton’s Lee Odams, are also passionate about the removing of all restrictions for concessionary pass holders.

Mr Odams has been highly vocal about his opinion in the past, and says that this week’s news is a “big step in the right direction”.

“I’m genuinely pleased,” he said. “It’s a big step in the right direction and will make a real difference to people who need to travel early for work, appointments, education, caring responsibilities and every day life. But for me, the obvious question now is why stop there?

“Older pass holders have early hospital appointments too. Plenty still work, care for partners or relatives, look after grandchildren, volunteer and rely heavily on the bus because they don’t have another realistic option.

“Life doesn’t suddenly start at 9.30am because you’ve reached pension age. Locally, I think there’s a very clear opportunity for Claire Ward and the East Midlands Combined Authority to go further.”

Lifting restrictions entirely would also help bus drivers, says the 51-year-old.

“I don’t think the driver’s perspective gets talked about enough,” he explains. “One of the old arguments for the 9.30am restriction was that pass holders would fill up early buses needed for commuting.

“But travel patterns have changed massively since Covid. Homeworking, hybrid working and flexible hours have all changed the old morning peak, and the restriction can actually create its own rush at 9.30am.

“You get people waiting until their pass becomes valid, then several boarding together. That means longer dwell times, people needing time to get seated safely, more stopping, and once you lose a few minutes it can be difficult to get them back.”

There’s also the human element.

Rejecting pass holders at 28 minutes past nine isn’t fun for drivers, says Lee.

“Drivers are the ones who have to tell someone, ‘Sorry, you’re too early – we don’t enjoy doing that. We don’t make the rules, but we’re the ones having to enforce them face-to-face.

“That’s why I think this now needs looking at properly, both nationally and locally.”

Court: Gainsborough man handed protection order after being found guilty of domestic violence

By: Oliver Castle, LDRS

Lincoln Magistrates' Court. Photo Google Maps

A Gainsborough man has been issued with a protection order after being found guilty of domestic violence.

Harley Freeman, 32, of Nelson Street, in Gainsborough was found guilty of violence and threatening violence towards a woman.

Lincoln Magistrates’ Court heard Freeman pinned the victim against a windowsill by the throat and had repeatedly followed her and pushed her, causing grazes to her arms and bottom.

Freeman did not attend the hearing but the court heard that he had no previous convictions.

At the hearing on Thursday, August 20, the court issued Freeman a 28-day domestic violence protection order which prevents him from going to an address in Gainsborough.

He must also pay £284 in court costs.

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Have a great day and I look forward to seeing you read our next newsletter.

Justin Doddy, Editor