Potters Langley Mill ... And Smiths

As noticed at AVBC by ALLEY - I've not looked this week, busy, busy, busy :)

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POTTERS SNOOKER CLUB - 51 Cromford Road.

Planning Application AVA/2013/0380 Applicant Mr. Nicholas Henrys (Hucknall)

Change of use from retail units to licensed premises. Refurbishment of interior ground floor area into bar.

It states that the new bar, which will be on the corner of Dean Street and Cromford Road, will show 'live sport' and will put on 'live entertainment' aimed at all generations and all tastes !

Hmmm ...

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Smiths

Wellingborough-based Whitworth Bros. through Dogsthorpe Acquisitions paid £450,000 for the business assets of Smiths Flour Mills 3 sites in Worksop, Holbeach and Langley Mill and as far as I can see still own the site here in Langley Mill!

Cromford Road Car Park - Free Short Stay

Information from fellow grumpy ALI

The Cromford Road car park is again under the control of AVBC, after making the choice to return it to a FREE short stay car park. A nominal rent is to be paid to the new landlord.

Please be aware that it is free for ONLY a 3 hour maximum stay, so Council enforcement officers may be keeping a lookout when it reopens for those wanting to stay for much longer periods, thinking they are able to park all day as they did before

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Thanks ALI. There were 3 ... I repeat THREE police persons stood outside the car park yesterday morning. If we'd had time, I'd have asked them to get the car shifted that was stupidly parked on the corner of Cromford Road/Bridge Street. Neither grumpy nor myself could see around it to check for traffic whizzing down Cromford Road. Grumpy was already having enough problems judging how fast the speeding morons were coming from Station Road ...

Cromford Road Car Park

Before I get onto my next proper grumpy whinge, I just thought I'd mention that it looks like Cromford Road car park is for sale. Or something? ...

Charity Shop and A Chippy?

HH's glamorous fence and Asda's trolley under the bridge

Rumours first:

1. There's going to be a Dr Barnardo's in one of the Asda units.
2. There's going to be a chippy in the end unit ... Hmm?

I'm all for charity, but has anyone else in other towns or villages noticed that when a 'just out of town' retail outlet opens, the only shops left on the high street are charity shops, fast food restaurants/takeaways and bookies.

Facts:

1. Application AVA/2011/0605 - Potters Co-op conversion to 5 retail shops, 8 offices, 12 one and two bedroom apartments has been passed. The applicant was a Borough Councillor so you'd have thought planning permission would have been sought before work was started. Ooooh, I say ... Langley Mill is one of the most deprived areas in Amber Valley. And they think that by creating this retail and office space, employment will be improved in the 18-25 age group blah, blah, blah.
2. The application AVA/2005/1268 - for depression boxes a Residential development adjacent to 130 Station Road is still pending.
3. Mr Heanor Haulage was the only objector to Pottery Lane becoming a 'claimed route' and tarted up accordingly. This presumably, is because he has acquired land adjacent to it and has received planning permission for open storage ... I do believe he was ignored. And I really must search again for this permission, but I suppose it could have carried over from the previous owners - Network Rail.

Um, when I said I wasn't going to look at any planning applications until after Christmas, you do know that was obviously a huge fib ... I don't imagine anyone believed me anyway.

My grumpy old man witnessed two intellectually challenged tw**s taking an Asda trolley - empty - up the street, they struggled to take it up the bridge steps, then hoiked it up and threw it over the top and back on to the footpath. It's only a matter of time before these morons progress to throwing one onto the railway lines or trundles one down to chuck it on the bypass. I still have to ask ... who breeds them?

Grace Landscapes, who promised to put more plants in across the road from us in autumn have been nowhere to be seen - not even to blow back the bark. It is possible that their contract is now up, I'm not sure if it was for one year or two. Either way, across the road from us looks a tip, I think someone chavvy emptied a bag of rubbish on their way up the street. There are two more bags of rubbish atop HH's fence - very un-festive they look too, I think I'll go and wrap some tinsel around them and hang up some of my unused baubles.

Anyway, if things aren't tidied up soon, I may be forced to pop over to Asda and threaten to plant all my weeds across from us ... and at this moment, I have many, many deadish specimens. Mind you, I'd need to take a bin bag with me to clean up all the dog-crap first ...

Update - 17th December:
Alas, it doesn't look like Asda want my weeds. This afternoon someone came up with a big bin and cleared the mess up across from us ... but lo - the rubbish is still adorning HH's fence at slurry corner, I will go and bedeck them with tinsel as befits my grumpiness ...

Cromford Road Model Shop

Yes, I've been nosying at AVBC. The last time until after Christmas [I promise] because I'll be work, work, working - a good time to get your applications in if you don't want them spotting by a grumpy - and noticed an application to turn the old model shop at 21 Cromford Road into:

A Fresh Food Deli and Eaterie catering for Hot and Cold Food to take away and eat in. The property owners are to open it along similar lines to their previous business 'Fresh Basil' at Belper.

Which my Grumpy Old Man says is a coincidence - or is it? - as this shop used to be owned by Basil, who sold er ... deli stuff ... spooky.

I can't see a problem with this ... it'll fit in well with all the other 'eateries' in the area ... Oh dear Asda, it's a bit close isn't it?

Rumours Update:

1. A nearby ethnic 'eaterie' has been offered even more money by a developer.
2. The council's lease on Cromford Road car park is up and so now back in private ownership.
3. I've not bought any Christmas presents yet.

That last one isn't a rumour, it's a horrible fact ...

Update:
The application for a Fresh Food Deli was approved on 10th January 2012

Plans for Residential Development on Station Road.

Having just had a cruise around AVBC, I noticed an old - AVA-2005-1268 - application, is on the planning board agenda for 12th December 2011, these also appear in the document 'Items Recommended For Approval'.

This is on the bit of wasteland next to the railway lines adjacent to 130 Station Road, Langley Mill. It's an outline plan for 92 [reduced from 113], two and three bedroom modest semi-detached and terraced homes with a density of 34.5 dwellings per hectare. Roughly translated as peasant shacks with little elbow room and a back yard barely big enough for a window-box.

I presume they're described as modest because of the proximity to the railway lines and the industrial estate it backs up to. There is also a flood risk on part of the site - this bit of land is to be turned over to wildlife ... hmm, I thought it was probably already inhabited by wildlife. There will also be some grassed areas for informal play. In all, the land is described as low quality.

Having browsed through a few pages of the documents - I've probably missed lots of pertinent facts, but reading any more would require dedicated nosiness - I noticed there were local council objections for several reasons, I'm not sure if all the objections raised in 2005 are still relevant today, with other developments having since been completed in Langley Mill.

But there is every likelihood that there may be more objections, because although these dwellings are to be accessed from Amber Drive, the main way to get there is via Station Road which is now - at times - thanks in part to some of these recent developments, chronically congested. The transport assessments were done in 2006 and 2007 ... and so, in my humble opinion, are worthless.

I've also read - in the same documents - that Langley Mill has some of the lowest incomes in Amber Valley ... really? I'd never have guessed. And shock, horror, I'm probably living in a non-decent dwelling myself, because apparently it's hard to heat and maintain. Yeah, yeah, I am interpreting what's written to suit myself, if you're actually interested in the real facts, try reading the documents yourself - yawn.

I do not await the outcome of these plans with bated breath. In all probability, they'll match the ugly, cheap peasant dwellings I can see just over t'railway lines, because these are the only boxes that a low income area attracts.

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Also on the same agenda is the Potters/Co-op building - 47 Cromford Road AVA-2011-0605 application - a proposed conversion to form 5 retail shops, 8 starter offices, 12 one and two bedroom apartments, etc. Which is just as well really ... they've been working on it so long now, it must be nearly finished ...

Langley Mill Roadworks Autumn 2011

I've just had a google alert ... you know the sort - where 'Langley Mill' and 'Asda' are mentioned in the same sentence ... mostly with a direct link towards some mad drivel [ie written by me].

But this time it was about the final phase of the gas mains revamp that affects Station Road and Cromford Road, so thought I'd provide a link to the website with the information - I get nicer every day.

Info about using links - in case you're technologically challenged - is on the interesting, informative side bit of my blog ...

What's Happening At The End Of Cromford Road?

Hmm, because there seems to be a large amount of inactivity - as in empty or closed - at the bottom end of Cromford Road, we're now wondering if a recent rumour that I mentioned at the beginning of my moany 'lack of flowers' blog - businesses at the end of Cromford Road being offered large wads of cash - is in fact true.

If there is a hint of truth in the rumours then we're puzzled about who wants to buy land and businesses there, and what they want them for [Godwins next attempt at McDonalds in case their current plans are thwarted, perhaps].

I can see many days ahead - when sufficiently bored enough, I'm not that nosy ... no, really - of t'Interweb cruising to see what I can find out ... failing that we'll interrogate some likely candidates.

There's still no sign at AVBC that the plans are being passed for McDonalds on CJ Cars plot,  I'm NOT ever so convinced these plans will be passed as - in my humble opinion - that stretch of road isn't safe as it is now, even without a McDonalds there, because the roundabout is too small and drivers from both Asda and Eastwood actually treat Station Road with an 'I've got right of way' mentality and are totally oblivious to Cromford Road.

And anyway, I have already suggested [ok, rumoured] that Netto would be a much better place for McDonalds - as Asda aren't likely to keep Langley Mill's Netto, which is almost closed - but no-one takes any notice of me.

You'll have to excuse the shortness of this post, but my friends are waiting for me to go out and play [bowls] ... and I still refuse to wear the uniform ...

Plans Submitted For Co-op/Potters in Langley Mill

I always wonder when a certain person looks at my blog 'WHAT IT IS THEY THINK I SHOULD KNOW?'. A little visit to Amber Valley Borough Council's planning applications soon put me in the picture.

I mentioned a while back [April, rumour 1.] that Potters on Cromford Road was being made over with no planning permission. It now seems that the plans were submitted - dated 13th July 2011. Yes I know I'm slow - I have to work you know.

I would call it a 'retrospective planning application' but I'm only a nosy peasant so don't really know the rules on planning - although the application form is ticked 'NO' after the question 'Has the building, work or change of use already started'?

Anyway, here's the application number, off you interested parties go and have look for yourselves.

AVA/2011/0605 - MIDLANDS CO-OP SOCY LTD 47 Cromford road Langley Mill Derbyshire NG16 4EF

Proposed conversion of existing building to form 5 retail shops, 8 starter offices, 12 one and two bedroom apartments and miscellaneous storage areas. Roller shutters to provide security to each shop and solar panels.

I wonder why it's still called the Co-Op? I thought it was Potters, Hmm, further reading will be done after I've lunched ...