GUEST COLUMN: Machines are just the ticket, by Ashfield MP, Gloria De Piero

In the spring I told you that East Midlands Trains had announced that the railway stations at Sutton and Kirkby were getting new ticket vending machines.

It has now been confirmed that in December, Sutton Parkway will get two machines – one on each platform – and Kirkby will get one by the entrance to its car park.

This is fantastic news for everyone who catches the train from these stations and passengers will now be able to pick up tickets that they have booked online or over the phone.

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At my recent coffee morning in Kirkby, residents raised a number of issues that I took up on their behalf with Ashfield District Council.

With regards to the gates at Kingsway Park being locked and difficult for mobility scooters and pushchairs to enter, the council says that this will be fed to the park management plan. The main gates are locked from 6pm to 8am in autumn and winter to reduce anti-social behaviour.

Extra car parking for customers wanting to use the businesses located on Kingsway is also going to be looked into and the council will report back in due course. The council is also going to see that wardens patrol the several locations with littering problems that were mentioned.

Everyone who came to the coffee morning will get a detailed response from me.

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It’s Children in Need this week and I am sure that many of you are doing lots of weird and wonderful things to raise money for this fantastic cause. Two young men who go to Quarrydale Academy are organising a big raffle and are looking for donations of prizes from local businesses and restaurants. Lewis Mallinson and Owen Layton are hoping to raise £1,000, so if you can help them, email [email protected].

As the Christmas shopping season is upon us, I want to draw your attention to the Respect for Shopworkers Week campaign by trade union USDAW. This week aims to remind customers that retail staff do not deserve to be abused, threatened or assaulted and I am pleased to be supporting it.

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