Fuller, Heather Local Government Boundary Commission for England 14Th Floor Millbank Tower Millbank SW1P
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Fuller, Heather From: DEPIERO, Gloria Sent: 31 July 2015 09:22 To: reviews Subject: Enquiry Attachments: VSboundary reduced.pdf Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Completed Local Government Boundary Commission for England 14th Floor Millbank Tower Millbank SW1P 4QP Our Ref: 31 July 2015 Re: I have been contacted by the above constituent. Please see the attached email. I would appreciate it if you could investigate the matter and advise me accordingly. Yours sincerely Gloria De Piero MP for Ashfield UK Parliament Disclaimer: This e-mail is confidential to the intended recipient. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system. Any unauthorised use, disclosure, or copying is not permitted. This e-mail has been checked for viruses, but no liability is accepted for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail. 1 Email: 28th July2015 Dear Sir/Madam I am writing further in response to the Boundary Review and the proposed changes in relation to the current ward of Beauvale. My comments are in relation to the proposal to combine Brinsley with Eastwood rather than keep the current ward of Beauvale (Brinsley with Greasley). Ergo my comments may then be applied to consideration for the removal and the abandonment of the whole of the Beauvale Ward. I am writing as a resident of Brinsley, however until recently, I have also been a . I have grave concerns over such a proposed change due to the very different needs between a rural village and town. I am concerned that the Parish of Brinsley would not be adequately represented if combined with the town of Eastwood. It would be very hard to identify many commonalities between the two areas. Our needs are very different and wide ranging, whereas currently the Parish of Brinsley shares similarities and priorities with our nearest neighbour Greasley. I have included within my correspondence evidence to support my statements and comments and where able have provided reference to sources. My own comments are indicated with bold text and bullet points. • Your recent draft consultation document refers to a major road link between Eastwood and Brinsley, however it needs highlighting that the very road you refer to passes through Greasley, our nearest neighbour, before reaching Eastwood. In the other direction the very same road connects with Underwood in the Selston Parish. Brinsley also has a good road link to the Village of Jacksdale. I would question therefore whether this is a persuasive argument to support your proposal, I am of the firm opinion your statement serves no purpose in validating your recommendations. • Previous consultation documents shows a response from a Cllr who favours Brinsley merging with Eastwood, and states that Brinsley residents shop in Eastwood. For your information we have our own Post Office, newsagents, hairdressers, pharmacy, minimarket and mobile library in Brinsley. We also travel further afield for our shopping, beyond Eastwood, as there is lack of ‘expected’ town centre /high street names sited there. There is an abundance of take away and charity shops though. Additionally I must point out that the catchment secondary school for Brinsley children is Selston High School, the clue is in the name and not situated in Eastwood! Maybe this response is borne out of the fact that the Cllr represents a ward that would gain from your proposals? “while we acknowledge that Brinsley is a village, our tour of the area confirmed that it has good road links into the north of Eastwood.” 1 • The two share the course of what is known as the Brinsley Brook and furthermore share and enjoy greenbelt land and its footpaths. As you will see from the maps.Shown below, maps taken from DH Lawrence collection (Nottingham University) 3 • I would suggest that these long standing shared boundaries would be a strong argument to keep the two parishes together, given your own criteria below. “- the desirability of arriving at boundaries that are easily identifiable - the desirability of fixing boundaries so as not to break any local ties “ 4 • The relationship between the two Parishes has been positively enjoyed for many years in addition to the great historical significance shared by both over many centuries that is well documented. To change this now would change the course of history forever. This is of great concern not only for the years ahead but also for future generations to come. • As you will read on the following pages not only is the relationship between Brinsley and Greasley made clear you will also note that the reference to Beauvale is frequent, therefore I would also like to make clear that the removal of the ward of Beauvale would eradicate a long established name that has great significance to both Parishes. Indeed DH Lawrence looked towards Brinsley over the Parish of Greasley describing it as ‘the country of my heart’. He was not looking the other way into Eastwood! The following text is from a desktop search Nottinghamshire History (nottshistory.org.uk) Sheep+farming for wool had invaded Brinsley by 1281, for in that year Margery, widow of Gilbert de Brunnesley, the late lord of the manor, gave a bond to Robert SCot, a woolstapler of Nottingham to deliver to him half a saCk of Clean wool from her farm here by a speCified date. The village was growing and in 1303 Roger de Brunnesley had liCenCe to have "a Chapel in Brinsley in the parish of Greasley." Until that date the inhabitants had parished at Greasley, whose ChurCh was two miles away and difficult of aCCess in bad weather, but henCeforward they would probably be allowed to worship in this Chapel exCept upon speCial ocCasions when all had to attend the mother ChurCh Early mining. The tandem headstoCks on the site of Brinsley Colliery date from 1872. The Coal reserves at Brinsley were exhausted by 1930 (photo: A NiCholson, 2003). In 1392 the viCar of Greasley was granted liCenCe to bestow upon Beauvale Priory a gift of messuages, lands and rents, part of whiCh lay in Brinsley and the rest in neighbouring villages. In 1400 the priory, by an exChange of lands with Thomas Samon, obtained "divers messuages, lands, Coals, &C., in Selston, Underwood, Risshall in Selston, and in Brynnesley and Brynnesley Asshe." This is the earliest known referenCe to Coal+getting here, assuming that the referenCe to Coal applied to Brinsley, whiCh is probable. Coal was then beComing more generally used, and there must have been a considerable outcrop. The GeologiCal Survey states that "the outCrop of top hard Coal, stretChing visibly from, Eastwood, may be seen (1909) forming the floor of the quarry of the Stone Road Brick Works at Brinsley," but it was not until late in the 18th Century that Collieries were established in this viCinity though there had been workings at Selston in mediaeval time. It may have been because of this industry that the village was able to send as many as 14 men to the military muster in the time of Henry VIII. The Brunnesley interest ended early in the 17th Century, when Gilbert Brinsley sold the manor to Gilbert Millington, and the manor+house and demesne to PatriCk Cocke and others. During the Civil War, Millington was a prominent Parliamentarian, and when the war was over he sat as one of the regiCides who condemned the king to death. At the Restoration he was similarly condemned, but making abject submission, he saved his life, but not liberty, and died after seven years' Captivity. Wm. CoCke, on the other hand, fought for Charles, preserved his estate in 1660 by a fine of £195, and in 1659 partiCipated in Sir George Booth's rebellion; and esCaped further penalty by the Coming of the Restoration. 5 The subsequent history of Brinsley has been uneventful. In 1669 the village blacksmith, Robert Horsley, issued Copper tokens to overCome the prevalent shortage of small Change, and in 1733 the Duke of NewCastle fifteen farms brought in a total rental of only £145. Most, of the loCal soil was still waste: it was not until 1775 that the enclosure took plaCe and the land was developed; about that time the Coal industry was expanding and New Brinsley Came into being the making of the Canal expediting this progress. In 1838 a Chapel+of+ease was erected, whiCh was enlarged in 1877. In 1861 Brinsley became an ecClesiastiCal parish and in 1896 it was Created a Civil parish, Carved out of Greasley. A Century ago Brinsley was "a neat village" with a population of 1,139 now, thanks to its collieries and brickyards, the number of its inhabitants has nearly doubled. It was at the pit here that D.H. Lawrence's father went to work at the age of seven, and that distinguished author introduCed local sCenes into his "Sons and Lovers" where the village appears as Selby. The last 100 years have witnessed important Changes. Kimberley has been Carved out of the parish: Brinsley was detaChed in 1861; in 1877 Giltbrook and Gilthill were transferred to it from Nuthall whiCh reCeived Greasley's outlying portion of Hempshill. The Duke of Rutland's Castle Farm Estate passed to the Grammers and Earl Cowper, the Barbers and Rollestons beCame Chief loCal owners. But the aspeCt, especially around Beauvale, preserves muCh of its old woodland Charm and D. H. LawrenCe++the Nottinghamshire Thomas Hardy++has portrayed it in his various works. The Graymede of his "White PeaCoCk" is Felley Priory: Moorgreen reservoir he Calls Nethermere and High Close is the Lamb Close at the wider end of the lake.