Agenda item

Under Standing Order No. 14 Members asked the following questions:

·       Councillor Holmes asked on behalf of a local resident, Elaine Cormac, how the Council intended to preserve Tapton House?

The Leader thanked Ms Cormac for her question and for an opportunity to clarify several misconceptions about the Council’s intentions with regards to Tapton House. The Leader specifically referenced the misconception that the grounds of Tapton House would be included as part of the sale terms. The sales brochure had included an indicative red line in recognition of the fact that interested parties would more than likely wish to negotiate the purchase of small areas of land around Tapton House to improve privacy and security. The Council had no intention of including the surrounding parkland as part of the disposal.

·        Councillor Dyke asked what plans the Council had for tennis facilities in the Borough as the tennis courts in King George V park had been removed under a previous administration.

The Leader was pleased to advise that the Council had made the decision to reinstate the tennis courts at King George V Park. It was important for all the borough’s residents to have access to quality tennis courts, not just those residing in more affluent areas. The Leader also referenced that the tennis courts at Parkside School had recently been refurbished and the Council’s commitment to renovate the tennis courts in Tapton Park. These were purposeful steps to ensure equality of tennis court provision across the Borough.

·        Councillor Shirley Niblock read a question from a resident, Mr Brian Heathcote asking Chesterfield Borough Council to support better standards of tax conduct by signing up to the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration. This would help tackle profit shifting, a tax avoidance strategy employed by some multinational firms and also encourage fair tax practices amongst supplier companies when buying goods and services.

The Leader sympathised with Mr Heathcote’s frustration with the present Government and made reference to the fact that the Labour Party had pledged to abolish the use of the non-domicile tax status. The Leader advised that a written response to Mr Heathcote’s question would be provided.

·        Councillor Mann asked how much consultation had taken place with the Friends of King George V park regarding the tennis courts as he was under the impression the facilities were not wanted.

The Leader re-affirmed the Council’s decision to reinstate the tennis courts and commented that such decisions were always taken in the best interests of local residents.

·        Councillor Wheeldon asked how the Staveley Town Deal would benefit the young people of Inkersall, Hollingwood and Duckmanton.

The Leader thanked Councillor Wheeldon for her question and welcomed her election to the Council. The Leader explained that the needs and opinions of young people in Inkersall, Hollingwood and Duckmanton had been a key consideration in the development of the Staveley Town Deal and its component projects. The Town Deal Board’s vision was for Staveley to be a place to Start, to Stay and to Grow, and paramount to this was encouraging the young people of Staveley to remain living and working within the area.

Whilst the Town Deal Board formulated its investment plan for Staveley, accelerator funds had been awarded. These funds had been used at Chantrey Road Playing Fields where the lighting and parking provisions had been improved to make it safer for parents to bring their children to the facilities all year round. New play equipment had been installed at King George V Park and an outdoor performance canopy at Springwell School. All of these projects would benefit the young people of Staveley.

The Staveley Town Deal comprises eleven projects across the Staveley area which had been designed to ensure that everyone benefits. The Leader made specific reference to the Derbyshire Rail Industry Innovation Vehicle (DRIIVe), which in time would create training opportunities and jobs for young people within the rail sector; and to the Constructions Skills Hub, which would initially be based at Mastin Moor and provide young people with practical training in construction based careers incorporating green technologies and modern methods of construction.

A Wheels to Work initiative was also in development to help people of all ages access an e-bike or motorised scooter to enable them to travel to their places of employment.

·        Councillor Snowdon asked when the Council would set a good example and turn off the lights on the market at night, in these times of climate change challenges and high energy costs?

The Leader commented that as part of the Council’s plans to transform the town centre a new Lighting Strategy would be prepared which would seek to strike the right balance between supporting measures to address climate change and others needed to ensure public safety. It was for shop owners to decide if they wanted to keep their lights on overnight however council officers were available to offer advice on how advances in lighting technologies could help to save energy and combat climate change.

·        Councillor Davenport asked if any plans were in place to provide warming rooms during the winter for residents that were not able to pay their heating bills.

The Leader confirmed that the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing had been looking at this very issue, holding workshops and gaining a better understanding of residents’ needs. The Council would be bringing its proposals forward in the Autumn whilst also continuing to apply pressure on the Government to do more to help the borough’s residents with the Cost-of-Living Crisis.

·        Councillor Sarvent noted that instances of social isolation and loneliness were increasing and asked what the Council could do to help?

The Leader advised that the Council had installed more benches  to encourage people to stop and chat with one another and made specific reference to the Elder Friends project which had been running in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire. The project linked lonely people with volunteers willing to offer company to others. Unfortunately, the project had struggled for funding and despite the pandemic highlighting the issues of loneliness it was disappointing that the Government and Derbyshire County Council had not been sympathetic to continuing to resource the project. The Leader concluded by mentioning the support that the Council’s Leisure Services teams had been giving with regards fundraising efforts, one of these being a sponsored swim for The Volunteer Centre. The Leader confirmed that she would be taking part in the sponsored swim herself and would welcome any sponsorship contributions from those attending Council.