News Roundup

Things have been rather quiet on our local NCN Routes recently, but lots of things are ticking over in the background.
Mickleover Greenway (NCN 54).
Two on-going problems here, one being the use of the Station Road Car Park by a person selling second hand cars there, and the other being the blockage of an access path by the landowner. We are in discussions with both Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council on these issues.
Breadsall Greenway (NCN 672)
We are anxious to see work done to repair the vandalism  to the brickwork at Breadsall Station, but it may be some time before this is done, due to the allocation of funding for the work. I would like to see the area tidied up and we may do this subject to confirmation.
The good news is that phase 2 of the Greenway is still on the cards for next year, subject to finance being available of course..
Hilton Greenway (NCN 549)
After some minor vandalism to the Don Amott Seat, we strengthened the fixings and all now seems OK. The seat was sponsored by Don Amott and the cheque for £150 has been paid into our bank account, restoring our dwindling finances.
We have a second seat ready for installation at the East end of the path (Birch Trees Farm end).
Over at Hatton, work continues on the new path circumnavigating the Nestle factory extension site.
Fortunately for us, the path has to be done before work can start on the factory building.
Derby City
Several improvements to cycle routes in the City are under consideration or in progress.
1. Removal of the "build out" on Babington Lane, permitting a cycle lane joining Gower Street to Lara Croft Way.
2, Improved cycle route signing in Heatherton, Blagreaves Lane/Carlton Road, St.Andrews View/Raynesway, Windmill Hill Walk/Markeaton Island/Lyttleton Street, together with an audit of NCN R66 signing.
3.A new Toucan crossing on Ascot Drive.
4.A new path at Mickleover joining the Varsity Grange Estate to Devonshire Drive shops and school.
5. Minor improvements to the Inner Ring Road cycle paths.
6. Work continues on improvents to R54 between The Silk Mill and Darley Fields.
Sustrans Festivol and Volunteer Days
You should all by now have received invitations to both these events.
We are involved in the Festivol organisation, in particular one of the rides, that being from the Walesby Site to Creswell Crags.  Peter Ford and I will be checking out this route shortly.
If you have not attended a Volunteer Day before please come along for an interesting and stimulating day out. Our nearest event is in Birmingham on 6th October, but alternatively Stockport (20th October) or Doncaster (29th September) are available. Travel expenses are paid by Sustrans and food is provided.
Biking BBQ
Preparations are in hand for our annual event on Sunday 8th July and we hope for better weather than last year, which happened to be the wettest day of the year. This is our major fund raising effort, which has in past years meant that as a group, we have been financially independent of Sustrans.
Probation Service
Throughout the Winter, the Community Payback Teams have done an enormous amount of work in cutting back the hedges on NCN 54/68 West of Mickleover. This work has now ceased due to the bird nesting and glow worm season.
We have more work for them in October.
Nest Boxes
We now have over 30 nest boxes installed on R54 at Etwall and Mickleover.
Derelict Railway at Little Eaton.
There are long term plans for this to be converted  to a Greenway, which would extend R54 from it's current termination at Little Eaton, through to Denby and a virtual link with the Ripley Greenway.
We understand that the railway lines have been lifted and that has two good features - (a) it is no longer a railway as such, and (b) the conversion to a Greenway is slightly more likely .Don't get too excited, it is still along term project, but I seem to recall being told that about the Breadsall Greenway but a few years ago.