Drains in road gutters – known as gullies – help stop flooding by diverting rainwater away safely. Or at least that’s the idea.  Too often they seem to be blocked. This morning I passed a gully-clearing wagon working on Haven Baulk Lane, and later followed it along the lane towards Mickleover.  I hoped to catch […]

The pretty pink flowers of the Himalayan balsam are past their best, but the plant is ready to do its worst.  This invasive plant loves damp places and grows along most rivers and streams in Britain, squeezing out many native plants.  At this time of year the seed heads are ripening, ready to scatter their […]

Have you spotted one of these ‘loops’ on the road recently?  There are hundreds about! Over the last few weeks there have been exhibitions about how the A38 might be altered to remove the islands at Ashbourne Road (A52) and Little Eaton (A61).  If you’ve not responded to this, then the consultation details are here. […]

After the Royal Derby Hospital was built, a row of trees was planted along the boundary with Kings Drive which in time would help to obscure the buildings from Jackson Avenue.  After a shaky start (quite a lot died and had to be replaced) they are now looking good. But if they aren’t looked after […]

A week ago I passed on a complaint from a local resident to the Council about the state of the pavement at the top of Pastures Hill. If it wasn’t for the wide grass verge, pupils would have been walking in the road because of the trees and other plants growing across the path.  I […]

Last night Lib Dem councillors won the argument but lost the vote. We had ‘called-in’ Labour’s decision on which suburban shopping areas the council should spend around £8 million improving. Liberal Democrats are very supportive of local communities and see such local shopping areas as a vital part of the local area. When leading the […]