To receive questions from members of the public in accordance with Standing Order No. 12.
Question submitted by Greg Hewitt, Plastic Free Chesterfield:
“Hello, I am the Community Lead for Plastic Free Chesterfield and tonight at 7pm we are holding an online meeting on addressing people and businesses’ concerns around using reusables and refillables at this time during COVID.
The Coronavirus pandemic led national cafe chains such as Cafe Nero and Starbucks refusing to accept reusable coffee cups in an attempt to prevent the virus. But last week a group of over 100 scientists responded to this confirming that it is safe to use reusable containers during the pandemic, as long as strict cleaning measures are implemented. Local Chesterfield businesses such as Lottie’s Sandwich Bar, El Cafe Verde and Steph’s Sustainable Stuff have taken heed of this advice and are accepting reusables and refillables.
Based on this, and also based on the council’s climate emergency declaration and action plan, will Chesterfield Borough Council be promoting reusables and refillables (reusable water bottles, reusable coffee cups, reusable containers) to Chesterfield’s businesses and public?”
Question submitted by Lisa Hopkinson, Transition Town Chesterfield:
“This time last year the council rightly declared a climate emergency. An enlightened response to the covid emergency can help avert the climate emergency.
I understand that the £7.42 million Hollis Lane Link is to be partly funded by a £3.8 million grant from D2N2 with the balance to be funded through borrowing.
A recent TUC analysis of infrastructure investment options to build back better concluded that the best jobs for immediate job creation are construction projects including social housing building, rail upgrades, cycle lane construction and pedestrianisation, and energy efficiency measures. These all provide the largest absolute numbers of potential direct and supply chain jobs created. The two projects scoring lowest included road building.
https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/TUC%20Jobs%20Recovery%20Plan_2020-06-17_proofed.pdf
Given the immediate priority to create jobs, and the climate emergency that this council declared a year ago, wouldn’t it make more sense to borrow money to fund environmentally and socially beneficial projects, such as insulating homes, than for another road that will add further carbon, air pollution and congestion to Chesterfield?”
Question submitted by Polly Bentley:
“How much consideration is being given to the main points of the Transition Economics analysis for Green economic regeneration in this area? {see below}
My particular interest is in social housing, which seems not to be a priority here. (eg. Development at the old football ground…no sign of any “properly” affordable, as opposed to “executive” housing there). Is social housing never part of the planning consent in the many new for-profit developments (eg. Old Co-op site) or are the rules too easily flouted, as with the gigantic piecemeal developments at Walton, where even the concrete bases laid to imply facilities MIGHT one day be built, have now vanished. Is Chesterfield Borough Council allowing the development of a multitude of mini-Walton deserts?”
{1.24 million jobs across the UK can be created in the coming two years through a two year emergency clean infrastructure stimulus, reabsorbing workers who have lost employment due to the COVID19 crisis. Our analysis recommends 19 infrastructure projects totalling £85 billion public investment, based on investment and employment modelling and ten World Bank-derived criteria including long-term job creation, resilience and sustainability. Broken down by sector, projected job creation (direct and supply chain) is as follows:
? 735 thousand jobs in housing construction and energy efficiency retrofits
? 289 thousand jobs in transport upgrades
? 98 thousand jobs in energy, waste, and manufacturing infrastructure upgrades
? 81 thousand jobs in land, forestry, and agriculture improvements
? 42 thousand jobs in broadband upgrades. These jobs benefit sectors and demographics hit hardest by the COVID19 emergency. Over 75% of the jobs would be created in sectors that traditionally employ non-graduate workers.
Published June 2020. transitioneconomics.net@transition_econ}
Minutes:
Under Standing Order No. 12, the following questions were asked:
(1) by Greg Hewitt, Plastic Free Chesterfield:
"I am the Community Lead for Plastic Free Chesterfield and tonight at 7pm we are holding an online meeting on addressing people and businesses’ concerns around using reusables and refillables at this time during COVID.
The Coronavirus pandemic led national cafe chains such as Cafe Nero and Starbucks refusing to accept reusable coffee cups in an attempt to prevent the virus. But last week a group of over 100 scientists responded to this confirming that it is safe to use reusable containers during the pandemic, as long as strict cleaning measures are implemented. Local Chesterfield businesses such as Lottie's Sandwich Bar, El Cafe Verde and Steph's Sustainable Stuff have taken heed of this advice and are accepting reusables and refillables.
Based on this, and also based on the council's climate emergency declaration and action plan, will Chesterfield Borough Council be promoting reusables and refillables (reusable water bottles, reusable coffee cups, reusable containers) to Chesterfield's businesses and public?"
Councillor Serjeant, Deputy Leader, provided a verbal response, referring to:
· The Council’s commitment to addressing the impact of Climate Change through its declaration of a climate emergency, the formation of the climate change working group and the development and adoption of the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan;
· A range of measures taken by the Council to promote reusables and refillables within its own premises and a commitment to similarly promote the benefits of ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ to Chesterfield’s businesses and public.
Greg Hewitt asked a supplementary question as to whether the Council would put forward a formal motion in support of Plastic Free Chesterfield’s cause, including appointing a representative to sit on the Plastic Free Chesterfield steering group.
Councillor Serjeant provided a verbal response, undertaking to progress such a motion at the next available opportunity, to engage positively with Plastic Free Chesterfield to reduce plastic consumption across the borough and to consider appointing a representative to the steering group in line with the Council’s criteria for making appointments to partnerships and other external organisations.
(2) by Lisa Hopkinson, Transition Town Chesterfield:
“This time last year the council rightly declared a climate emergency. An enlightened response to the Covid emergency can help avert the climate emergency.
I understand that the £7.42 million Hollis Lane Link is to be partly funded by a £3.8 million grant from D2N2 with the balance to be funded through borrowing.
A recent TUC analysis of infrastructure investment options to build back better concluded that the best jobs for immediate job creation are construction projects including social housing building, rail upgrades, cycle lane construction and pedestrianisation, and energy efficiency measures. These all provide the largest absolute numbers of potential direct and supply chain jobs created. The two projects scoring lowest included road building.
(https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/TUC%20Jobs%20Recovery%20Plan_2020-06-17_proofed.pdf)
Given the immediate priority to create jobs, and the climate emergency that this council declared a year ago, wouldn’t it make more sense to borrow money to fund environmentally and socially beneficial projects, such as insulating homes, than for another road that will add further carbon, air pollution and congestion to Chesterfield?”
Councillor P Gilby, Leader, provided a verbal response, referring to:
· The £3.8m grant awarded to Derbyshire County Council towards the construction of the first phase of the Hollis Lane link road from Hollis Lane to the Railway Station car park, which would include improvements to the pedestrian steps, and to Chesterfield Borough Council working with the County Council to deliver the first phase as part of the emerging overall HS2 Station masterplan;
· The link road facilitating the delivery of the wider HS2 masterplan vision for the station area, creating a significant number of jobs for Chesterfield in the longer term, including approximately 350 jobs for sites directly opened up by the first phase of road;
· The potential wider economic benefit to the town centre of being able to divert some traffic out of the town centre, increasing opportunities for regeneration, and of improving wider access to the station by walking, cycling and public transport;
· Spending for other purposes by the Council, such as £13.7m investment in its own housing stock for energy / thermal efficiency up to 2023; new build social housing projects to a value of between £10m and £14.6m by March 2022.
· The Government’s announcement of a £2bn green homes grant scheme for householders and a £1bn fund to de-carbonise public buildings and social housing, which the Council would explore as more detail emerged.
Lisa Hopkinson asked a supplementary question as to whether the Council would be able to borrow funds for other projects, such as those within the Climate Change Action Plan.
Councillor P Gilby provided a verbal response confirming that the funding, including options for borrowing, of projects arising from the Climate Change Action Plan would be considered alongside all other projects and plans taking account of the Council’s wider strategies and priorities.
(3) on behalf of Polly Bentley in her absence:
“How much consideration is being given to the main points of the Transition Economics analysis for Green economic regeneration in this area? (transitioneconomics.net@transition_econ)
My particular interest is in social housing, which seems not to be a priority here. (e.g. Development at the old football ground...no sign of any "properly" affordable, as opposed to "executive" housing there. Is social housing never part of the planning consent in the many new for-profit developments, e.g. old Co-op site, or are the rules too easily flouted, as with the gigantic piecemeal developments at Walton, where even the concrete bases laid to imply facilities MIGHT one day be built, have now vanished. Is Chesterfield BC allowing the development of a multitude of mini-Walton deserts?”
Councillor Serjeant, Deputy Leader, provided a verbal response, referring to:
· The Council’s policy to negotiate a proportion of affordable homes as part of all new housing developments of 15 or more houses and there being a relatively low need for new affordable housing in the borough, due to a combination of high existing supply of council properties, a relatively cheap private rental sector and the availability of low-cost home ownership in Chesterfield;
· National planning policy and guidance requiring the Council to recognise the viability of development when negotiating the proportion of affordable housing, but despite this, almost 1 in every 5 dwellings built in Chesterfield between 2014 and 2019 being an affordable one;
· The new Local Plan aiming to secure a proportion of affordable housing on a range of developments, with up to 20% of properties in the west of the borough, where prices are highest;
· The commitment within the Council Plan for 2019-2023 to provide 100 new units of affordable housing in the Council’s stock by 2023, including three sites under development – the former Brockwell and Heaton Court sites in Loundsley Green and Brampton respectively and Manor Drive at Brimington, and the recent purchase of ten houses from a developer to house local families from the Housing Needs Register. Further schemes were being prepared for a number of sites to enable the original target of 100 new social rent homes to be exceeded;
· The Council’s Local Plan aiming to concentrate new development, as far as possible, in locations where new residents can walk to a range of facilities, including shops, schools, and health services, or where this was not possible, to work with the landowners and other agencies to provide new facilities;
· The Council’s focus, over many years, to provide new quality employment opportunities for local people, such as through the construction of the innovation centres at Dunston and Tapton, the introduction of local labour clauses and support for the town centre;
The Council seeking to supplement its existing local focus with an increasingly ‘green’ focus to its regeneration activities through its Climate Change Action Plan, such as the current construction of a new enterprise centre on the Holywell Cross roundabout and developing plans for a sustainable community around the railway station to provide greater choices for non-car based travel.