Agenda item

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

·        Councillor Snowdon considered the recycling of waste to be an important part of protecting our environment and referenced the Council’s target to recycle 50% of household waste. The latest figures published by DEFRA indicated that the recycling rate in Chesterfield had fallen again for the fourth year in a row and was now down to 40% whereas the top performing council in England was achieving 64% and the top ten performing councils above 60%. Councillor Snowdon asked the Leader to confirm what actions had been taken to improve the rate of waste recycling and why these actions had not worked?

The Leader provided a verbal response explaining that there had been a significant problem during the pandemic with the Council’s waste recycling contractor and emergency action had been taken to keep services running. The Council had now secured the services of a new contractor and was already working with them to improve the waste recycling rate.

The Council would continue to encourage its residents to recycle and was currently running a social media campaign educating residents on the importance of ‘getting it right’ when separating their waste. The Leader suggested that Cllr Snowdon might wish to speak with the Cabinet Member for Health & Wellbeing who had a wealth of knowledge on this matter.

·        Councillor Mann had asked at a previous meeting how much Chesterfield Borough Council would be committing itself in support of the 11 Staveley Town Deal projects. He confirmed that he had received a response but that he hadn’t asked about how much was being spent building houses or bungalows at Middlecroft or how much was being spent on the A61 corridor. The question he had asked was how much of its own money – capital not revenue – the Council would be investing in projects such as Staveley 21.

The Leader provided a verbal response explaining that Chesterfield Borough Council had played a pivotal role in securing the £25.2 million Staveley Town Deal. The Council’s overall vision was to put its communities first, and this commitment extended to all areas of Chesterfield borough, including Staveley. The Council was also committed to its priority of ‘making Chesterfield a thriving borough’ and there were multiple examples of the Council investing both capital and revenue funding in the Staveley area.

·        Councillor Fordham expressed concern that rates of suicide and attempted suicide had risen yet again in Derbyshire. One response measure would be to take preventative measures at locations where a risk to life is real or perceived. Councillor Fordham asked if the Leader would agree that it was time to cease the practice of Council staff removing Think Again signs from the footbridge to the Town from the railway station over the A61. Councillor Fordham also asked if the Leader would undertake to ask Network Rail and all associated agencies to look at closing Platform three at Chesterfield Railway Station to pedestrians at night during the dark winter months?

The Leader provided a verbal response confirming that the Council was committed to working in partnership with other agencies on this important and challenging issue. One such partnership forum is the Derbyshire Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention Partnership, with members drawn from Derbyshire County and Derby City Councils, Highways England, Network Rail, Derbyshire Police, Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Derbyshire Healthcare and the Samaritans, as well as all the Derbyshire district / borough councils.

The Partnership had recently refreshed its Strategy and agreed a new action plan through 2025. The action plan reflected the Partnership’s understanding of high risk groups, including males aged 30-60.

Derby City Council was in the process of developing a new policy to support the safe upkeep of high-risk structures and sites, such as bridges and multi-storey car parks. This would enable the advancement of preventative measures at such sites and the management of notices and notes left by members of the public (to align with national Samaritans Guidance).

It was proposed that, once developed, this policy would be shared with partners, including district and borough councils, for potential adoption. This would support preventative and mitigation measures in relation to suicide and attempted suicide.

The Leader offered to send her briefing notes to Councillor Fordham after the meeting which would provide an overview of some of the partnership work that the Council were involved in around suicide prevention.