The City Council is continuing to innovate, working with others in the city, to work towards our target to be carbon neutral by 2028. The latest scheme sees us working with over 100 community wild.NG volunteers to pilot a pioneering herbicide-free approach to managing city streets with the help of local residents.

In what?s thought to be the first scheme of its kind, wild.NG is taking the lead on managing plant growth on some residential streets without spraying herbicides and to encourage the growth of pollinator friendly plants.

The pilot is taking place in 53 streets around the Sherwood, Carrington and Basford areas, involving 128 Wildlife Champion Volunteers who have pledged to help nature on their street.?

The innovative approach is part of the council?s ambitious Carbon Neutral 2028 targets by reducing travel for operatives to these streets to treat the areas and also by increasing greening on streets. It also links to the biodiversity aims of the city through creating urban greening, encouraging pollinators such as bees and butterflies and improving connectivity between habitats within the city.

I?d like to thank those community volunteers who have stepped forward to take part. We?re always open to ideas like this ? let me know yours here and I will pass it on to the relevant council team for consideration.

More here

There are huge changes underway in the Broad Marsh area, with vastly improved streets creating pleasant areas to walk and relax, along with the new car park that?s already open, bus station that has started running coach services and the Central Library where fit-out is underway.

Of course, one of the major changes is the demolition of the former shopping centre, which makes way for a fantastic vision of what could replace it ? with a bid for Levelling Up Funding submitted to Government last week. We?re pleased that this phase of demolition is now nearing completion, allowing us to open up a new open air pedestrian route between the Southside and city centre for the first time in almost fifty years.

This is a small but significant step towards creating a reimagined gateway to the city that will play an important role in Nottingham?s future, making it a more attractive and accessible part of the city. The walkway will be four metres wide, with lighting and CCTV and bollards at either end, fenced off from the demolition site either side. We are working towards opening it next month.

The new pedestrian route will eventually be fully developed to tie in with improvements on Collin Street and become part of the ?green heart? space that?s been set out in the vision for the Broad Marsh site.

More here

As the Commonwealth Games draws to a close, it?s safe to say the Games were a huge success for England with 175 medals awarded, seven of those to Nottingham/Nottinghamshire athletes!

? Freya Colbert from Nottingham Elite Swim Club Nova Centurion, who trains at various swimming pools including Harvey Hadden Sports Village, came away with a Bronze medal in the Women?s 4x200m Freestyle relay final

? Georgia Holt, Tandem Pilot with Sophie Unwin, were both awarded Silver medals for their efforts in the Women?s Tandem B 1000m time trial

? Claiming her first Paralympic medals at Rio 2016, Queens Baton Relay holder Sophie Hahn MBE took home silver in the T37/38 100m this week

? Gold for the golden girl of weightlifting ? Nottingham?s Emily Campbell became Commonwealth Champion in the Women?s Weightlifting 87+kg category

? Djanogly City Academy alumnus Jamell Anderson won a Gold medal in the first ever Commonwealth Games appearance of the 3x3 basketball event

? Nottingham-born Sabbie Heesh, goalkeeper for England Women?s hockey team, took home a Commonwealth Games gold medal

? Nottingham?s very own ?Dark Knight?, Declan James scooped Gold in a thrilling all-England Men?s Squash Doubles Final this afternoon.

Huge congratulations to all the Nottingham/shire athletes, especially as the Games will be the first big International competition for some, and we?re certain it won?t be the last!

We hope the Games and these amazing Nottingham athletes have inspired people to get active. If so, why not take up a great Active Nottingham membership offer that?s celebrating the Games ? be quick, as it ends today! Pop into your local Active Nottingham leisure centre or visit:?www.activenottingham.com/offers/

The summer holidays are in full swing, and we have many activities to keep the kids entertained at our beautiful Wollaton Hall.

? Wollaton Hall & Natural History Museum

? Outdoor fairytale trail

? Giant lawn games & table tennis!

? Storytelling in the salon

? Family workshops

? Volunteer run Secret Walled Garden Tours

? Meet volunteers in the Tudor Kitchens

? Go big with your family picnic, with cakes & treats in the caf?s.

Discover these activities, and when they're happening: www.wollatonhall.org.uk/school-holidays/

Saturday 6th August marked Jamaica?s 60th year of Independence and I was pleased to attend a Civic Reception at the Council House on the day and a Service of Praise and Thanksgiving at St Mary?s Church yesterday. As Jamaica enters its seventh decade of independence, it is right that we reflect on the contribution made by those who came to Nottingham in search of a better life and celebrate Jamaican heritage right here in Nottingham. Jamaican Independence Day is widely celebrated with parades, official ceremonies and festivals and I was pleased to join many local people with Jamaican heritage and others to mark and celebrate this significant event with them.