Dear readers, happy Tuesday. Today we have news of a solar farm being planned near Burton Joyce, a charge over the hit-and-run incident in Arnold town centre over the weekend and fury growing over the state of a road in Mapperley.

Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow

David Bratton - Editor

Man charged with attempted murder after hit-and-run in Arnold town centre and remanded in custody

A man has been charged with five counts of attempted murder after a car struck a group of people in Arnold town centre on Saturday.

Multiple pedestrians were injured after a red Vauxhall Astra mounted a kerb and struck them.

One man sustained life-threatening injuries during the collision in Market Place at 1.12am on Saturday (9).

Three members of Woodthorpe Park Rangers FC were injured in the incident.

Detectives have been investigating the incident since then, with police arresting a 40-year-old man later that same day.

Counter Terrorism Police have not been involved in the investigation.

Suspect Duane Anthony has now been charged with multiple offences, including five counts of attempted murder.

He has also been charged with aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified and driving without valid insurance.

Anthony, of Marton Road, Bulwell, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court

Detective Chief Inspector Ruby Burrow, who is leading the investigation for Nottinghamshire Police, said: “As we share today’s news, our thoughts remain with those affected by this incident, in particular the man who sustained life-threatening injuries.

The victims and their families have been updated on today’s charging decision, which we hope will provide some small degree of comfort at this difficult time.

“This was a shocking incident that will have been incredibly distressing for all those involved and anyone who witnessed it happen.

“On that note, I’d ask people to please not speculate about this incident, online or otherwise, as doing so could potentially impede the pursuit of justice.

“As our investigation continues, I would like to thank the entire investigation team, who worked around the clock throughout the weekend to help secure these charges.”

Anthony will appear at Nottingham Crown Court on June 8.

‘There’s more potholes than road’: The Mapperley street in desperate need of repair

Mapperley residents say they risk slipping over on loose tarmac as their road has been left to crumble away.

The steep Beech Avenue in Mapperley, connecting Plains Road to Shortcross Avenue, has reached a dilapidated state over the last two years.

A number of deep potholes and large sections of road damage can be seen up and down the hill, particularly towards the top travelling towards the main Road.

Residents say they have been contacting Nottinghamshire County Council about the growing ‘craters’ since January 2026 but were told by the authority’s highways team, VIA, that the potholes were not deemed a priority and were given a rough goal of June for road fixes.

But the road is getting ‘worse by the day’, with the hill often used as a cut-through to and from the main road, and loose tarmac scattered across has become a slip hazard for pedestrians.

Val Thompson, 78, who has lived in Beech Avenue for about 34 years, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she has been ringing the council for the past year about its worsening state.

She said: “It’s getting worse by the day because of the amount of traffic. I’m continually sweeping [the loose tarmac].

“We’re going in and out of the drive, I try to keep my neighbours’ drive clear, but I’m frightened also of people slipping.

“It’s a steep hill and, if they’ve got shoes on that haven’t got a grip, and they stand on these stones, they’re likely to fall.”

Mrs Thompson said she had become ‘frightened’ to walk down the hill, adding: “There’s more potholes than there are road aren’t there?… I’ve had people visit me in the last couple of weeks and they’ve all said this is the worst road they’ve been on.”

Speaking to the LDRS, Mrs Thompson’s daughter, Lisa Brown, 57, said the road had become a ‘danger’ for her parents to drive on and that she had been contacting the authority since January but was told they wouldn’t be fixed until June as they were not a ‘priority’.

She said: “The one off Birkland Avenue – you can’t call that a pothole, it’s a crater… the whole length of the road is just atrocious.

“We’re just not happy with the timeframe, saying they’re not an immediate danger. They’re not normal little potholes, they’re deteriorating daily because it’s such a busy road and cars do race up and down because they use it as a cut through from Woodthorpe to Mapperley Top.”

Maria Ciliberti, 56, who now lives in her old family home on the road, said she had slipped on the lose tarmac while walking across the street. She added its condition had been deteriorating for around two years.

She said: “It has been filled over the years with a little bit of tarmac and it’s always come out with the weather, when it rains it always sort of disappears.

“It’s upsetting really because of the damage it’s doing to the cars… it’s affecting my car and my tyres, wearing my tyres out.”

With her job meaning she travels across the county, Ms Ciliberti said she thought her street was the “worst road” in Nottinghamshire for potholes.

In a statement a spokesperson for the County Council said repairs can be expected “in the coming weeks”.

They said: “We’re aware of deterioration to the road surface on Beech Avenue and whilst it is not included in our current resurfacing plans, we are considering it for a future programme.“Alongside this, the road has recently been inspected and some potholes have been identified for first-time permanent repairs to take place in the coming weeks.

”In April 2026, the County Council announced more than £181 million was being invested to tackle the poor state of Nottinghamshire roads in 2026/27 – the “largest investment ever made”.The boost of cash comes after a September 2025 survey found about 38 percent of the county’s roads in ‘poor condition’, along with more than half of all road marking being in ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ condition.

By Lauren Monaghan (Local Democracy Reporter)

The last ever game of bowls was played at Richard Herrod Centre last week with the centre closing to make way for a new leisure facility known as Carlton Active.

The bowls club has fought a campaign to be included in plans for the new centre but they will not be housed in the replacement building.

In a social media post, the club wrote: "Lockers gone, the last ever bowls to be bowled at Gedling Indoor Bowls Centre, keys being handed in next week. You have broken our hearts Gedling Borough Council."

Have say on plans for solar farm near Burton Joyce

A public consultation has been launched on proposals for a new solar energy project planned for land to the west of Burton Joyce.

The proposed development would generate up to 49.9 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity, enough to power approximately 16,000 homes, and is expected to connect to the National Grid at Gedling Substation via underground cabling.

The project is intended to help deliver clean, home-grown energy, reducing reliance on imported gas and supporting a more secure and resilient energy system. 

The consultation runs from until Monday, June 8 and is inviting feedback from the local community to help shape the final plans before a planning application is submitted to Gedling Borough Council. 

As part of the consultation, an in-person public exhibition will take place on Saturday, May 16, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, at Burton Joyce & Bulcote Village Hall, where local residents will be able to view the proposals and speak directly with members of the project team. 

Developers say the site has been selected following detailed assessments including grid access, accessibility, landscape, ecology and archaeology.

They say the project has been carefully designed to minimise potential impacts on the surrounding environment and neighbouring communities, while also delivering enhancements such as improvements to local hedgerows to support biodiversity and wildlife habitats. 

Alongside generating clean energy, the proposals include the potential creation of a community benefit fund, which could provide ongoing funding for local projects and initiatives over the lifetime of the development. The project could also support the local economy through construction and supply-chain opportunities for regional businesses. 

Barrons Solar Farm is being developed by Perigus Energy, which develops, builds and operates onshore renewable energy projects across the UK and Europe. 

Tom Parkyn, Portfolio Development Manager at Perigus Energy, said: “Barrons Solar Farm has role to play in strengthening the UK’s energy security by delivering clean, home-grown electricity at a time when reducing reliance on imports is increasingly important.

"Alongside that national role, the project has the potential to bring local benefits through a long-term community benefit fund that could help to support local projects throughout the lifetime of the development.”

Details about of the proposals, along with an online feedback form, are available at www.barronssolar.co.uk. Members of the public can also contact the project team by email at info@barronssolar.co.uk or by calling 0800 066 8941. 

BIN CHANGES: If your bin would normally be emptied on Bank Holiday Monday, May 25, it will be emptied on Saturday, May 23 instead.

Community Groups receive a £55,000 funding boost to improve health and wellbeing in Gedling

Sixteen community groups across Gedling Borough have received a combined funding boost of £55,000 to support projects aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of local residents through increased physical activity.

The funding, secured through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and facilitated by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), has enabled local community organisations and sports clubs to expand and improve their provision of physical activity opportunities.

Find out which groups benefitted HERE

🌦️ Weather Update

🌧️ Cloud will increase this morning, with some patchy light rain arriving later. This clearing to sunny spells and perhaps the odd shower during the afternoon. Becoming breezy, and feeling cold for the time of year. Tonight, showers will fade with clear skies developing for a time. However, further showers will arrive during the overnight period, these will become heavy and blustery later.

🌩️ Tomorrow expect a day of sunny spells and blustery showers, some of the showers locally heavy with hail and thunder. Feeling rather cold with temperatures below normal.