To receive questions from members of the public in accordance with Standing Order No. 12.
Question submitted by Max Kerley:
“Demolition of Council Houses on Rufford Close, Chesterfield:
At the meeting of the Borough Council on 18 December 2019, I asked a question about the demolition of four newly built council houses on Rufford Close. The Council had previously announced that these houses had been demolished because of a fire underneath them and I had assumed that the fire had ignited in an unremoved coal seam under the houses. However, I was apparently in error and, in her answer to me at the time, Cllr Gilby, the Council leader informed me:
1. That all coal under the houses had been completely removed during the construction process.
2. That there was no fire under the houses.
3. That the gases that were detected and that led to the conclusion that there was a fire which in turn led to the decision to demolish the houses had been emitted from some material used by the contractor to fill the void left by the removal of the coal seam.
Cllr Gilby also informed me that this issue was now to be the subject of a technical investigation which might lead to legal proceedings.
Since I received that answer I have consulted informally with two experienced chemical engineers. They both expressed surprise at the information given by Cllr Gilby as they were unaware of any materials or processes which would spontaneously produce gases closely similar to those given off by burning fossil fuels, particularly coal. They were, therefore, very interested to know what the results of the technical investigation might show when revealed as part of legal proceedings or, if no such proceedings were to be undertaken, when the technical investigation report is made public by the Council.
Therefore, my question is a very simple one:
Has the technical investigation about which Cllr Gilby informed us on 18 December now been carried out?”
Question submitted by Paul Stone:
"I wish to know as a public body, how long Chesterfield Borough Council keeps records of:
a) Contracts
b) Recording of Minutes taken at Full Council?"
Minutes:
Under Standing Order No. 12, the following questions were asked:
(1) by Max Kerley:
“Demolition of Council Houses on Rufford Close, Chesterfield:
At the meeting of the Borough Council on 18 December 2019, I asked a question about the demolition of four newly built council houses on Rufford Close. The Council had previously announced that these houses had been demolished because of a fire underneath them and I had assumed that the fire had ignited in an unremoved coal seam under the houses. However, I was apparently in error and, in her answer to me at the time, Cllr Gilby, the Council leader informed me:
1. That all coal under the houses had been completely removed during the construction process.
2. That there was no fire under the houses.
3. That the gases that were detected and that led to the conclusion that there was a fire which in turn led to the decision to demolish the houses had been emitted from some material used by the contractor to fill the void left by the removal of the coal seam.
Cllr Gilby also informed me that this issue was now to be the subject of a technical investigation which might lead to legal proceedings.
Since I received that answer I have consulted informally with two experienced chemical engineers. They both expressed surprise at the information given by Cllr Gilby as they were unaware of any materials or processes which would spontaneously produce gases closely similar to those given off by burning fossil fuels, particularly coal. They were, therefore, very interested to know what the results of the technical investigation might show when revealed as part of legal proceedings or, if no such proceedings were to be undertaken, when the technical investigation report is made public by the Council.
Therefore, my question is a very simple one:
Has the technical investigation about which Cllr Gilby informed us on 18 December now been carried out?”
Councillor P Gilby, Leader, provided a verbal response, confirming that the Council had received the final report from a full geo-environmental investigation of the site in September, 2019.
Max Kerley asked a supplementary question as to whether the final report would lead to legal action.
Councillor P Gilby provided a verbal response, stating that the issue was subject to potential legal action.
(2) by Paul Stone:
"I wish to know as a public body, how long Chesterfield Borough Council keeps records of:
a) Contracts
b) Recording of Minutes taken at Full Council?"
Councillor Blank, Cabinet Member for Governance, provided a verbal response, referring to the Council’s Records Management Policy and Corporate Record Retention and Disposal Schedule, which recommended retention of contract documents for six or 12 years, depending on their value, and retention of minutes of Council meetings permanently as a historical record.
Paul Stone asked a supplementary question regarding the retention of electronic recordings of Council meetings.
Councillor Blank provided a verbal response, confirming that electronic recordings were considered for destruction once they had become obsolete or were no longer required.