Announcements of the Leader of the Council.
Minutes:
Councillor Steve Flitter, Leader of the Council, gave the following announcements:
“Chair I feel I must begin tonight proceedings by congratulating our Labour colleagues, on the election of our MP at the recent general election and we wish John Whitby a successful term in office and we have written to him to invite him to engage with this Council on several issues.
I must also express my delight the Liberal Democrat successes bringing 71 seats in parliament, a clear indication of a dissatisfied country with the previous government who are obviously out of touch with the electorate. I also have to reflect on the professionalism of our Elections staff and team throughout this process. We had the best turnout in Derbyshire and we were ranked 36th in turnout out of the 650 constituencies in the UK.
We have received a letter, an encouraging letter, from the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner. This talks about a fundamental reset, expressing the commitment to work with local and regional authorities, built on mutual respect, genuine collaboration and meaningful engagement to improve local services through economic growth. This view was echoed at the previous EMCA meeting by Claire Ward, the new Mayor of the East Midlands and even this morning the Prime Minister in his speech about GB energy referred to a true partnership working.
I attended the East Midlands Council AGM on July 12th and as is normal with AGMs, there were reports electing Members on certain roles but it was particularly interesting to note that although GDP growth in the East Midlands over the last 20 years has been better than most other regions. We have to note that over many years, investment in transport per head has been the lowest in this Country. I also spoke on the recruitment and retention workstream, noting the comments of the pilot scheme in the North East and also had discussions about Travelers and the Local Plan. Surprisingly we are not alone.
It was also reassuring to listen to James Naish, who is the MP for Rushcliffe, raising the issue of flooding and the absence within reports and the need for further dialogue. I was also surprised over lunch to meet Councilor Edwards-Walker, who was also present. He was attending one of the one year on Councilor course, I do hope that he enjoyed it and I hope that he learnt some useful knowledge. It’s nice when you can meet someone at an event that’s of a different political persuasion and still have time to chat.
I want to thank Councilor Franks and the PA Members of the Gypsy and Traveler Working Group for their professionalism and calm consideration of a very difficult issue over previous months and they way that they have conducted themselves under pressure, especially on Monday evening. I would also like to thank Councilor Whitehead, whom I know has been under huge pressure from his own community, for the way he summed up the situation in a fair and logical manor. However, we want to take politics out of this debate and solve a very delicate and emotive subject but alas the Conservative opposition continue to feed the public with misinformation. I refer to facebook and posters that have been spread around parts of the District which referred to making a decision on sites when this was not the case. We were making a decision to go to consultation and that’s what it is all about. They continue to produce these negative comments, not realising there 20 years of being in control or even offering a credible alternative solution. Its because of this negativity that tonight I’ve decided to concentrate on some good news.
It is official that the Derbyshire Dales parks and garden in Ashbourne, Bakewell and Matlock are blooming great, after they have each won a Green Flag Award from Keep Britain Tidy. Bath gardens in Bakewell has now been awarded the Green Flag for the last 4 years and Matlock Hall Leys park is a winner for the previous 17 years. I am particularly pleased that our Ashbourne park is celebrating its Green Flag status for the first time, after narrowly missing last years. This is actually a tribute to the Clean and Green staff because the hard work and effort that they put into their daily chores. Throughout the 30 parks and gardens that we own across the district, our green spaces are a haven for the young and old alike. They are beautiful and crucially also attract visitors which is vital for this Districts economy. The Council coordinated a meeting in Bakewell, for the Bakewell Banking Hub stakeholders on Friday 12th July. As you know we’ve expressed a wish to secure a Banking Hub in Bakewell following the closure of NatWest bank. The Meeting was attended by John Whitby MP, stakeholders agreed to collaborate with preparing a business case to enable Mr Whitby to progress discussions with the government minister. It was proposed that the Bakewell Town Council coordinate this activity and we will support them.
Early bird tickets are on sale for this years District Council Matlock Bath Illuminations. Prices have been held for a limited time and I am delighted to report that we have sold in access of 4,000 tickets which is a great start to the proceedings.
If you have visited Hall Leys Park recently you will have noticed that the old skate park has now been cleared, work will soon start, installing riding services and the facility is due to begin in September. A few people have been asking why this work is being carried out in the Summer holidays. This is due to the old skatepark no longer being fit for purpose and it was the community group that we worked with to make this happen wish that we proceed with this work as quickly as possible. We are also carrying out ground work tests in advance of the parks pathways to be resurfaced in another project which will again start in September. All these improvements are being funded by Government.
Also in Hall Leys and other major parks, banners have also gone up making it clear that our Public Space Protection Orders forbid BBQs. We are trying to urge residents and visitors to respect our open spaces and bring a picnic instead.
Coincidently our neighborhood team organised a community safety event in the park and many are offering professional advice all things community safety wise. Thank you to everyone who helped this successful event be put together.
Looking forward, next month our 3rd annual green event will be taking place at the ABC on Saturday 17th August. We will be showcasing solutions to the climate and nature crisis. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet with local suppliers of green technologies such as heat pumps, solar panels, electric vehicles, parking and charging points.
Just in case you missed it a land owners appeal against the Derbyshire Dales, listing Starkholmes Allotments as an Asset of Community Value was dismissed at the end of May. It was good to see our defense of designation of Starkholmes Allotment as an Asset of Community Value vindicated at the tribunal. We have always recognised the importance of allotments and in the Starkholmes community. We will continue to work with stakeholders to see a positive outcome.
I am delighted to see that our partnership on Hurst Farm Heritage Trail moving forward. We are securing more woodland volunteers in preparation for the busy Autumn season. All equipment and training is provided and if you’d like to get outdoors and take part, learn new skills and help nature then please find details on our Facebook page.
We’ve also joined with Erewash and Amber Valley Councils to survey a sample of private rented properties across our district to help us understand the standard of accommodation and the work required to maintain them. The surveys are being carried out by a specialist company which will work with us until the end of August. Selected properties will continue to receive letters containing further details.
Sadly, our condolences to one of our former Councilors, Judith Twigg and her family following the death of her husband, Leonard Twigg. Leonard himself was a former District Councilor and also served for many years on Bakewell Town Council. He loyally supported Judith as consort during her terms as Civic Chair. Leonard who was particularly supportive of the local theatre was immensely well respected within the Bakewell community and he was a true public servant who will sadly be missed.”