Friday brief: Nursery hit with sexual assault allegation permanently closes
Our Friday round up of some news from across the Northants
A Northampton nursery shut down by Ofsted after a staff member was arrested for sexual assault has permanently closed.
Children First in Moulton sent a letter to parents yesterday telling them the setting, which looked after more than 150 children, will not re-open its doors.
The nursery was suspended by Ofsted in early May after a staff member was arrested for sexual assault.
The letter from chief operating officer Chris Coxhead said:
“We’re incredibly sorry that it has come to this – it was always our intention to reopen the setting as soon as possible.
“However, with the police investigation ongoing, we believe closing permanently is the best course of action. We will, of course, continue to fully cooperate with the police.”
Some families had wanted their children to continue at the nursery setting and had paid deposits for the coming term. The nursery says they will be refunded.
Staff who worked at the setting will be moved to another nursery run by Children First.
Some parents have been critical of how the situation has been handled by the nursery and the authorities. Several spoke to NN Journal last month to say they were concerned they had not been contacted by police and could not be sure their child had not been abused.
They were also critical of the lack of information provided by the local authority, which has a statutory responsibility to safeguard children.
Northants Police said today no charges have been made and the matter is with the Crown Prosecution Service.
News in brief
A housebuilder has launched an appeal against the Council’s decision to reject plans for a 58-home development in the heart of a Northamptonshire village.
Manor Oak Homes applied to North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) for outline planning permission to build a residential estate off Barton Road, Barton Seagrave, on open land next to the Cricket Club.
The developer has now lodged an appeal against the decision, after NNC issued a refusal notice for the development in April this year. The plans sparked massive public interest, with the planning team reporting that more than 1,100 objections were made in response to the controversial application.
NNC refused the plans on the basis that it would “erode the character and appearance of the area” due to the permanent loss of open grassland and increased urbanisation. It added that the influx of people, vehicles and lighting would “diminish the sense of tranquillity” experienced by those who use the green space.
The Government-appointed planning inspector will choose to either dismiss the appeal and maintain NNC’s original refusal, or overrule the Council’s decision by accepting the appeal.
According to the inspectorate, the appeal will be heard through a planning inquiry. A start date for the event has not yet been arranged.
Report by Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
A town council has received backlash over its “band-aid fix” plans to put up fencing around a stretch of riverfront in Thrapston. Residents complaints about anti-social behaviour, noise disturbance and littering in the area spurred the action and Thrapston Town Council (TTC) voted to construct a 1.5m tall fence along the River Nene, by Nine Arches Way.
The decision made on July 15 has now been formally called in for review and will be further scrutinised.
Local resident Kat Hodson said the river was the reason she moved to the town.
She said:
“Thrapston town has a wonderful sense of community where you see people coming together to enjoy the river. The wildlife is abundant in comparison to other places I’ve seen where rivers run through towns.
“What service is served by fencing off the part where families and friends come together to enjoy the water? All this would serve is people using more dangerous parts of the river and could lead to serious accidents.”
According to reports published by the council, the cost of the fencing could range from anywhere between £2,300 to £5,000.
Report by Nadia Lincoln
A cross-party group of West Northamptonshire councillors have visited a Youth Zone in London, that could prove to be the inspiration for a local model.
The council approved a plan last month to develop a new youth strategy and build on services available for young people in the area.
The WEST Youth Zone in Shepherds Bush is staffed with dedicated youth workers and a range of activities, as well as hot meals all at an extremely discounted rate.
Last month’s council meeting heard passionate speeches from young people and volunteers who work with children about the lack of youth workers and activities for young people in the area.
The former county council’s decision to stop youth work in the mid 2000s has had a significant impact on young people’s lives since then.
The decision by the West Northants Council’s cabinet to scrap net zero targets has been called in for review. The authority’s places scrutiny committee will consider the matter after opposition councillors asked for the matter to be looked at. The committee can decide to send the matter back to cabinet for a second look.
The scrapping of net zero by the Reform UK administration was hailed by the party’s leadership with deputy leader Richard Tice proclaiming:
“I am proud that a Reform UK Council will be the first Council in the country to scrap its Net Zero goals in order to prioritise practical, realistic projects that improve lives, reduce energy bills, and support local businesses.
“Reform UK is the only party that is committed to scrapping Net Zero in its entirety to save jobs and put more money in people’s pockets.”
A public inquiry into plans for a large warehousing development near Thrapston began this week.
The logistics site, which was taken to appeal over non-determination, would see 200,000 sqm of warehousing built on green space known as Castle Manor Farm, next to Haldens Parkway along the A14. The development reportedly already has DHL as a confirmed tenant in the first warehouse.
Dr Roger Catchpole, a government-appointed planning inspector, is overseeing the 10-day hearing, which will take place over the weeks until August 13.
In June this year, North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) ruled that it would have turned down Equites Newlands’ development proposals had it been the determining body, against its own planning officer’s advice. Whatever decision the government-appointed inspector makes will trump the authority’s refusal notice.
Cllr Jim Hakewill, who represents Rothwell and Mawsley on the unitary council, told the inquiry:
“The community are overwhelmed by the size and scale of warehousing that’s going on. We don’t see it as a ‘golden triangle’ for logistics; we see it as a ‘golden’ opportunity to make money out of our countryside.
“We should reject this gold rush of warehousing coming upon us and disrupting our local landscape.”
The appeal will not just feature NNC and Equites Newlands, but has seen three further groups come forward as Rule Six parties. This is when interested parties not directly involved in the scheme are allowed to submit evidence and address the inspector.
The parties are made up of local campaign group Staunch (Save Titchmarsh and Upper Nene Countryside and Habitat), who are fighting alongside the Council for the appeal to be dismissed, and developers IM Properties and Harworth Group, who propose that logistics development is desperately needed within North Northants.
IM Properties was recently given planning permission for another warehouse scheme in Thrapston, directly north of the Haldens Parkway Industrial Estate, and Harworth Group is currently seeking permission for a logistics site near Rothwell.
The inquiry will continue over the next few weeks and the planning inspector’s verdict will be published on an unspecified date after the full hearing.
Report by Nadia Lincoln
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Well done to West Northants Council in scrapping the NUT zero targets , good to see common sense prevail in local government at last
While it's good to see that the net zero decision has been called in for scrutiny, 6 of the 11 members of the Place and Resources Overview Scrutiny Committee are Reform, plus the Chair is independent councillor Ian McCord, an outspoken climate change denier. Even if the decision to scrap the net zero targets were to be called in the Committee would probably decide to take no further action
In George Orwell's book "1984" these words are inscribed in massive letters on the white pyramid of the Ministry of Truth:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
I wonder how many of the Reform councillors obeyed Nigel Farage's instructions to refuse the climate change part of their orientation training. I also wonder if they are asking themselves why central office wants them kept ignorant.