Happy Christmas to all

We would like to wish all of our residents a Happy and safe Christmas and wish you all well for the new year.


Best wishes


Trevor, Gordon & Ben

Report on new housing development

An article recently appeared in the Burton Mail regarding the 306 house development behind Church Street and Thorpe Downs Road.  The article, for which a link is below, extolled the virtues of the development but did not highlight the issues it is likely to create to local residents.  As I was not happy about this I contacted them as neither ourselves or local residents were mentioned in the article.

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/8203-DEVELOPMENT-600-newjobs-300-new-homes-new/story-24516956-detail/story.html

To be fair to the reporter, he was unable to contact any of us but agreed to listen to my views and the following story was printed which balances things somewhat and I am grateful for that.

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/HOUSING-Ben-Stuart-represents-Church-Gresley-ward/story-24557695-detail/story.html

Whilst I am pleased that the article has addressed the issues, particularly from the residents perspective, there are a few points requiring further explanation:

• The local MP has highlighted that there are issues with the design and access and on behalf of the residents will seek to improve this.  Well people, even in the position of MP she has no jurisdiction over the planning function of SDDC.  As local members we pleaded with the planning committee to at least consider a deferral based on the access issue.  Our pleas fell on deaf ears and, as the many residents who were present will have noticed, the development was voted through by the Conservative members.  It is no good shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

• Whilst the news of jobs is always good news, we will be looking to ensure that they are good quality jobs, preferably for local people.

Toy collection for CVS and food bank information

Please see below details of stories recently in the local press.

The first is in relation to the annual toy collection made for the CVS by the local Methodist Church.  This is a much valued collection for those who can not afford toys for Children  The last collection for toys will be this coming Saturday 6th December.

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/COMMUNITY-Church-Gresley-Methodist-Church/story-24524084-detail/story.html

Similarly, the next story features a report on the demand for Food Parcels which seems to rise every year despite the lack of acknowledgement from the government last year to the requirement for food banks.  The food parcels are collected and distributed by South Derbyshire CVS.  There is also a food bank collection point at Sainsbury's local at Glamorgan Way.

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/Food-parcel-demand-rises-25-cent-South-Derbyshire/story-24517534-detail/story.html

Furthermore to the above, the Burton Mail is now running a campaign to promote the food banks.  Whilst the below mainly applies to Burton there is a section on what items are best to donate.

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/CAMPAIGN-Mail-launches-Feed-Families-campaign/story-24600822-detail/story.html

Response to flooding issues on Thorpe Downs Road

Following the recent planning decision to allow the 3 houses at the bottom of Thorpe Downs Road, it had been requested at the committee that the flooding situation needs to be looked into and the following resolution was made:

 

That the Council’s drainage engineer write to Severn Trent Water, requesting a review of the adjacent pumping station problems, with a request that an engineer also inspect the ditch to the rear in order to investigate possible dredging to expand capacity.

 

The issue has now been investigated and the following actions have been communicated:

 

 

• The adoption process of the Sewage Pumping Station is well underway, with very close liaison with Severn Trent Water.
• New Flight pumps have been installed quite recently and these will  have the capacity to take the additional flows from the new proposed three further dwellings.
• It is likely that the transfer will be completed with Severn Trent in the next 12 months, however for whatever reason if this does not happen within this timescale, new legislation will ensure that all Section 104 adoptions will be transferred to STW on the 1^st October 20016.
• The existing site Surface Water system is not adopted either, however it’s likely that this will go through at the same time as the SPS, this is due to the consent being outstanding to discharge to the existing water course.
• Approximately 500m of the water course has been inspected and there does not appear to be any visible restrictions and the amount of visible silt is not excessive as to require dredging.
• Furthermore there is sufficient flow and depths to the ditch is approximately 1.50m which will provide capacity in wet weather conditions

 

Hope this is useful to residents.  If there are any further issues, please let us know

 

 

 

 

Green Dog Walking Scheme

Following work between ourselves and SDDC officers over the issue of persistent Dog Fouling we are very happy to share the following information:

 

The Environmental Health Department have looked into a scheme run by other councils and achieved funding to enable it to run across South Derbyshire.

We hope that lots of people sign up to the scheme and we see a reduction in the amount of dog fouling in the area and especially away from play areas and schools.

It already has an endorsement via the "I Love Swad" page on Facebook, albeit with some tongue in cheek comments too!

Below is an explanation of the scheme from SDDC Environmental Health Manager Matt Holford:

 

On the 27^th November we launch a new initiative to improve dog stewardship across our district and to seek to reduce dog fouling.

 

The Green Dog Walker Pledge is an initiative which asks dog owners to sign a Pledge whereby they;

 

·         Make a commitment to always clean up after their dog;

·         Will give other dog walkers extra doggie bags if they do not have any, and;

·         Agree to promote the Green Dog Walker message with other dog owners by wearing branded leads, armbands and badges which they will get for free when they sign up.

 

Academic research indicates that one of the biggest influences which makes irresponsible owners pick up is peer pressure. Our Safer Neighbourhood Wardens do their very best to catch and deter irresponsible dog owners, but academic research and experience on the ground shows that the biggest successes in reducing fouling come when communities come together and make it clear that it is socially unacceptable not to pick up.

 

The philosophy of the campaign is therefore twofold.

 

Firstly to increase conscientiousness amongst the majority of responsible dog owners to make sure that they always pick up.

 

Secondly, to use responsible dog owners to promote the Green Dog Walker brand to help build the peer pressure and shift public attitudes so that it becomes socially unacceptable not to pick up after a dog.

 

We launch the Pledge in Eureka Park on the 27^th where we are hosting a joint event with the Dogs Trust who will be micro chipping dogs for free.

 

A page on our website will also go live on the 27^th where residents can sign up on-line.

County Council consultation on bus and community transport cuts - closing date 14 December

The following email was received via South Derbyshire CVS and has links to an online consultation.

If you use Public or Community Transport this will be of interest to you....


If you or your service users/members use public or community transport services in Derbyshire, please alert them to the proposals and encourage them to respond to this consultation.

Derbyshire County Council needs to make cuts of £157 million by 2018.  This includes proposed savings of £3.96m  from local bus and community transport services.

Most bus services in Derbyshire are run commercially by local bus companies who set the routes and fares.   But around 15 per cent (including a number of South Derbyshire services) are funded by the council which currently spends £3.7m on subsidised bus services.  A cut of £2.5m from this budget over 2 years  is proposed.

Local bus services which currently receive a subsidy include service numbers: 19 Ashby –Swadlincote-Burton via Netherseal, 21E and 22 Burton-Swadlincote services, 24 Swadlincote-Midway, 70 Barrow on Trent-Derby, 73 Weston on Trent-Derby, V1 Sunday service Derby-Hilton-Tutbury-Burton, V2 Derby-Burton via Eggington, and V3 Derby-Willington-Repton-Burton.

Around £1.4 m is also spent on grant funding for Community Transport dial-a-bus services throughout the county and £500k revenue funding Wheels to Work − a moped loan and cycle scheme which helps people get to work, education or training.  The proposal is to cut £1.46m from this budget over 2 years.

But before any decisions about reducing or withdrawing services are made bus users are being asked to tell DCC about the journeys they make − which routes and community transport services they use, and the impact on them if any of these services were taken away or changed.

Full details can be found, and the bus user survey can be completed online at
http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/council/have_your_say/consultation_search/Consultation_search_index/local_bus_and_community_transport_consultation.asp or printed copies are available from all Derbyshire branch libraries.

Closing date for responses is 14 December 2014. Feedback from this survey will then be used to develop proposals for how transport, funded by the council, could run in the future.
These proposals will then go out to full consultation in 2015.

More Scam Phone alerts and Derbyshire Alert website information

The following message is from Derbyshire Trading Standards via the Derbyshire Alert Website (see details below).  
Trading Standards is warning consumers to be aware of an incident in the Wirksworth area.  A consumer received an unsolicited call from a business which claimed to be working on behalf of the Government.  The caller told the consumer that all homes must have a ‘green deal assessment’ by 2020 - this is untrue.  The business also told the consumer that he would have to pay £179.

The Green Deal is a Government initiative to improve the energy efficiency of homes by offering loans to pay for energy saving measures such as loft or cavity wall insulation, double glazing or new boilers.  The loan is repaid through savings made on electricity bills, therefore bills shouldn't be any higher than usual.  When the loan is paid off consumers can take advantage of the energy savings made. In order to apply for Green Deal finance, a consumer must have an energy assessment from an assessor accredited with the Green Deal Quality Mark. On 24 July 2014, the scheme was closed as all of the funding available had been claimed.  In April 2015, more funding will become available, but full details of the new scheme have not been released.  Trading Standards is concerned that some unscrupulous traders may be misrepresenting the Green Deal scheme by making it appear that assessments are compulsory when they are not.

Reputable companies do not usually advertise for business by calling at your home uninvited or cold-calling via the telephone.  They'll also explain your consumer rights which rogue traders will not do.  If you receive an unsolicited call from any business offering this kind of scheme, our advice is to ignore it and do not agree to a visit.

Consumers wanting to purchase energy saving products or any other goods or services can use Derbyshire County Council’s Trusted Trader scheme.  This includes details of hundreds of local traders who have been checked out by Derbyshire Trading Standards service and have agreed to abide by a code of conduct.

For more information on the Trusted Trader scheme Call Derbyshire on 08456 058 058.

If you have a complaint or concerns about rogue traders/trading practices you can call Citizen’s Advice Consumer Advice Service on  08454 04 05 06

This post is one of several copied via the Derbyshire Alert website.  It is a useful tool to have, especially with the increasing number of scam calls as above as we approach Christmas.

The website can be found on the below link:

https://www.derbyshirealert.co.uk/

Book Sale, Cakes and Meals at Methodist Church

This coming Saturday at the Methodist Church on York Road there will be a book sale.  This will take place between 10am and 12pm during the monthly coffee morning.  It also coincides with our monthly surgery.

There will also be cakes and food available.  For more information, please see below link:

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/CHURCH-GRESLEY-Book-sale-coffee-morning-Church/story-24005688-detail/story.html

The week ahead - w/c 3rd November 2014- Council, Surgery & Remembrance Sunday

The following events are taking place this week:

On Thursday 6th it is Full Council at the SDDC Council Chamber from 6pm.

Link to meeting agenda: http://south-derbys.cmis.uk.com/south-derbys/Meetings/tabid/70/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/397/Meeting/1709/Committee/364/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx

On Saturday 8th November is our monthly Surgery.

This takes place at York Road Methodist Church between 10am and 11am during the monthly coffee morning.

On Sunday 9th November is the annual Remembrance Service.  This will take place at the War Memorial Garden on Market Street at 10:45 and be followed by a parade down Market Street and Church Street to be followed by the church service at St George and St Mary's church.

We hope that the event is well supported this year as it always is by young and old alike.

Poppy Trail around Maurice Lea Park

As part of the World War One Centenary commemorations the below picture and links refer to the Poppy Trail around Maurice Lea Park in Church Gresley. 

The booklet, which is well worth a read, can be found in the Tourist Information Centre at Sharpes Pottery in Swadlincote and is also available online via the South Derbyshire District Council website at the bottom of the following link:

http://www.south-derbys.gov.uk/community_and_living/community_events/fwwc/default.asp

The booklet provides some excellent and interesting information about Maurice Lea, Herbert Lea as well as about the development of the park.  It also provides some information on some of the groups involved in publishing the leaflet and those involved in the commemoration events.

Improvement to footpath helps with link to schools

Over the summer holidays the footpath from Gresleywood Road through to Pennine Way was closed for upgrading.

The results as shown are a big improvement and this now allows those with pushchairs and wheelchairs to use the path.  This cuts a significant distance out to get to the 2 schools on Pennine Way and encourages more people to walk.  The section shown is the
narrowest part and it does widen towards Pennine Way. 

The 2 photos are not taken from exactly the same point but do indicate the improvements.

This section is one of several that need upgrading to allow people to walk from Wyedale and Castleton Park estates.

After - much improved surface



Before - very narrow and impassable with pushchair.

 

Half Term Activities at Rosliston Forestry Centre

Please see below 2 posters advertising the cycling activities taking place at Rosliston Forestry Centre over the half term break.



Tips for managing Christmas from Citizens Advice Bureau

As Christmas time approaches, it is worth reminding ourselves that it can be a testing time financially for many.

Our local Citizens Advice Bureau has shared the following Prezi presentation to give tips and advice on how to manage through Christmas.

There are also some links to other generic information relating to the CAB.

We hope you find this useful.

http://prezi.com/a0xthffsgogm/12-christmas-top-tips-part-1/

Review of Safer Neighoods and Area Forum Meeting

The most recent Area 4 (Church Gresley, Swadlincote, Woodville & Hartshorne) Safer Neighbourhoods  and Area Forum Meetings took place at Sharpes Pottery on 23rd September.

A summary of points can be found below:

Safer Neighbourhoods Meeting:

• New members of the Police Safer Neighbourhoods Team introduced themselves.  Sergeant Graham Summers is the new SNT sergeant covering all 6 areas.  Also introduced were new Gresley PC Kevin Cassidy and PCSO Lee Walker.  We have already mentioned Lee on the blog and would like to take the chance to welcome Kevin to Gresley.
• The year on year crime figures were down around 10% in Area 4 whereas most other areas saw an increase. This included a 5% decrease in non dwelling burglaries.
• An increase was noted in sexual crimes but these were mainly due to the actions of one individual who has been caught.
• More funding has been secured for better lighting at the skate park.  Funding was agreed to be put towards a Fire service cadet scheme.  A scheme to show youngsters the perils of prison called "Prison me - no way" has taken place in the districts secondary schools. There will also be a number plate security event at Toons Furniture shop on 15th October from 3pm to 6pm.
• Issues raised included parking issues on Belmont Street and around Church Gresley,  large and speeding vehicles around Coppice Side, antisocial behaviour around Gresley Old Hall.

Area Forum Meeting:

• Severn Trent Water Company were in attendance and were grilled by Woodville councillor Steve Taylor in relation to issues around Hartshorne Road following 2 years of unacceptable flooding issues.  In a lively debate there were several generic responses from Severn Trent and it was also noted that more phonecalls relating to an issue would mean a more likely prioritisation of response.
• Presentations were given by Kate Allies relating to the Swadlincote Townscape project and the  Environmental Volunteering project. Kate has recently been nominated for a lifetime award for out of classroom learning.  If you would like to nominate her, please follow this link http://www.lotc.org.uk/news-and-events/awards-for-outstanding-contribution-to-lotc/
• A presentation was also given by Adam from the Quad in Derby with a view to setting up a partnership with South Derbyshire to bring more cultural events to the area.

The next meetings will take place on 27th January at Swadlincote Town Hall.

Footpath cleared up

Before

Following feedback from residents, the section of path between Spring Street and Colliery Row has been tidied up.  This had become overgrown and was becoming difficult to pass due to nettles.

The extra foliage was also hiding discarded litter, despite there being a bin at the bottom.

We requested that the council look at the path and they have strimmed it an tidied it as can be seen in the below picture.  We are grateful to the staff who did this as it is a vast improvement.

After

Church Appeal

A noticeable addition to the landscape of the village has been the erection of scaffolding around the tower of St George & St Mary's church.  The church is in need of repair and some of the work has been started partly due to some funding recently gained after much work to gain it.

 

The below image is one of several displayed around the church in an effort to attract more funding to do further work to ensure that this wonderful building is maintained.

 

Any donations would be gratefully received.

Safer Neighbourhoods Meeting Reminder

Area 4 Safer Neighbourhoods and Forum Meeting

The Area 4 (Church Gresley, Swadlincote, Woodville & Hartshorne) Forum and Safer Neighbourhoods meeting will take place at Sharpes Pottery Museum from 6.15pm on Tuesday 23rd September.  A link to the meeting agenda and minutes can be found below.


http://south-derbys.cmis.uk.com/south-derbys/Meetings/tabid/70/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/397/Meeting/1805/Committee/379/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx

Planning Applications approved at Planning Committee

After much delay and negotiation the planning application relating to the 306 houses behind Church Street and Thorpe Downs estate was approved via Planning Committee on Tuesday, along with the 3 houses at the bottom of Thorpe Downs Road.

The Burton Mail were not present at the committee and had already printed a report prior to the meeting mainly based on the football ground as opposed to the development.  Their report below draws information from the Facebook Page set up by a local resident who deserves mention for his actions in keeping residents informed via the group and also allowed us to communicate to residents through this forum.  I will not embarrass him by naming him.

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/Shock-homes-approval-means-Gresley-FC/story-22943497-detail/story.html

A significant number of residents attended the committee to see the item debated for well over an hour.  The final vote was made with 7 voting for the application and 6 voting against.  Whilst Planning is quasi-judicial and can not be subject to party voting, the vote was split with Conservative voting for and Labour Voting against.  Please see below attached news report from the last major development in Church Gresley ward. A case of deja vu!

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/vote-huge-housing-plan-gets-OK/story-21509584-detail/story.html

One of the main areas of debate related to the inclusion of this scheme into the emerging Local Plan that is currently being deliberated through the Planning Inspectorate and this was said to be a significant factor in the justification for allowing it. 

The local plan has been put to the vote twice in Environment & Development Services Committee an also in Full Council. On all of these occasions the vote has been split by one vote with the Tories voting it through on all occasions.  Whilst we all appreciate the need for development we are frustrated with the lack of spread throughout the district, with most of the developments being in already developed labour wards in the urban core and on the fringes of Derby.  We also had concerns over the amount of responses to the plan throughout the district and felt that it may have been better advertised through newsletters rather than only on the internet.

During the site visit for the committee it was clear from the reaction of the vast majority of those there that the single access through Rockcliffe Close was inadequate but despite pleas for a review of this, the advice from the Highways authority was considered acceptable.

Despite our objections and a very well prepared objection speech by local resident Kevin Clarke the development was granted consent.  The 3 house development at the bottom of Thorpe Downs Road was also passed despite concerns over flooding.

We would like to thank residents for giving feedback and attending the meeting as well as the various consultation events.  Though the development has gone though  and we are all disappointed, it may have been worse had several concerns not been addressed through our and residents feedback.

So what happens next?

The development of 306 houses was for outline permission.  A more detailed application will be submitted for planning permission.  As with the outline permission, this will be subject to feedback from residents.  When we receive notice of this we will let residents know on this blog.

If you believe the Burton Mail, the football ground has been approved.  This is not the case.  A separate planning application will need to be submitted as it relates to a separate development which has not yet been submitted. 

Interestingly enough, the person who had the casting vote on the local plan was the current Chairman of the Council who voted in favour of the local plan despite an impassioned plea from a fellow Woodville Councillor.  The said Chairman now appears in the Burton Mail highlighting a petition regarding road safety in the area he previously represented as a County Councillor.  He had every opportunity to vote against the local plan yet is gaining publicity for this.

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/Road-safety-campaign-Swadlincote-400-home-plan/story-22935546-detail/story.html

ATC Open Day - Sunday 14th

The 1211 Squadron of the Air Training Corps are having an open day at their Eureka Park HQ on Sunday.  The squadron has over 100 cadets and many will be present to show the great work and activities that the ATC are involved in.

The flyer below shows more information.  It is well worth a visit, especially for those considering joining:

For more information about the 1211 squadron, please see the below link:

http://www.1211sqn.org.uk/

Police and Crime Commissioner Consultation

The following article is via the Derbyshire Alert website:

‘Alan Charles was elected in November 2012 to be Derbyshire’s first Police and Crime Commissioner. His chief aim in this role is to ensure that policing in Derbyshire is as effective as possible and meets the needs and expectations of all communities.
One of his main duties involves regularly talking to communities to ensure that their views are heard and represented and that they are well informed about policing in their neighbourhoods. This consultation serves as a check on general confidence in policing as well as enabling us to report back on what matters to the public, which in turn helps to inform the priorities in his Police and Crime plan.

The PCC’s office together with Derbyshire Constabulary have developed a joint consultation and engagement programme entitled “Over to you…”. We aim to talk to as many members of the public in Derbyshire as possible in order to gauge their views on policing in their area and to give us the opportunity to provide information about policing and crime prevention.

We appreciate that it is not always possible to obtain the views of people at events in their own community, or work location, but we are keen to enable you to participate in our survey and so would invite you to take a few minutes to click on the link below for our online survey and to share your views with us.’

http://www.derbyshire-pcc.gov.uk/Get-Involved/Consultation-and-Community-Engagement/Over-to-You/Over-to-You-Online-Survey.aspx

Church Gresley items on Planning Committee 16/09/14

There are 2 items in Church Gresley Ward being discussed at the next planning committee on Tuesday 16th September at 6pm in the council chamber.

The first is the 306 house development for the rear of Church Street and Thorpe Downs Road.

The second is the 3 house development at the bottom of Thorpe Downs Road.

Both of these have attracted significant interest from residents and have subsequently been brought to committee.

For further details including the reports to the planning committee please use he following link and open the agenda document pack:

http://south-derbys.cmis.uk.com/south-derbys/Meetings/tabid/70/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/397/Meeting/1758/Committee/373/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx

Forthcoming Dates - Surgery and Safer Neighbourhood / Forum Meeting

Monthly Surgery Reminder

Our monthly surgery will take place at York Road Methodist Church this Saturday 13th September.

As normal it will start at 10am and last until 11am.

All welcome.

Area 4 Safer Neighbourhoods and Forum Meeting

The Area 4 (Church Gresley, Swadlincote, Woodville & Hartshorne) Forum and Safer Neighbourhoods meeting will take place at Sharpes Pottery Museum from 6.15pm on Tuesday 23rd September.  A link to the meeting agenda and minutes can be found below.


http://south-derbys.cmis.uk.com/south-derbys/Meetings/tabid/70/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/397/Meeting/1805/Committee/379/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx

New Blog - WW1 cyle rides

As part of the on-going World War 1 commemorations, a new blog is now online with 6 cycle rides that pass the majority of war memorials in South Derbyshire.

Although many events have taken place recently to commemorate the start of the war, it is important to remember that these events will be spread over the 4 years to 2018.

The rides take place throughout the district and total around 100 miles but there are shorter rides within.  Led rides are likely to take place net year on some of the rides.

Rides 1 and 3 pass through Church Gresley.

More information can be found on the below link:

http://southderbswwmemorialrides.blogspot.co.uk/

Welcomes and Goodbyes

We have had 2 significant arrivals in the ward over the last few weeks and also a departure.

Firstly, goodbye and good luck to our PCSO Kate Bottomley who like her predecessor Adrian Millar has done a good job in the village and now has left to join Nottinghamshire Police.  We wish her all the very best in her career.

Our new PCSO is Lee Walker who is also covering Swadlincote.  We look forward to working with Lee and wish him all the best in his work here in Church Gresley.  His contact details can be found on the useful contacts page but the twitter account remains the same and if needing to contact by phone please use 101.

We also have a new vicar at St George and St Mary's.  On Thursday 4th September Mike Firbanks became the official vicar of the church in his institution ceremony, followed by his first full service today 7th September.

Mike has moved from Camborne in Cornwall with his wife and young family.  We're very much looking forward to working with Mike and we know he is looking forward to meeting many people throughout the area.

We wish Mike and his family a big welcome to the area and hope they settle well.

Updates on Planning Applications of Note and Local Plan

South Derbyshire Local Plan

Recently in Full Council the Local Plan Part One was approved despite opposition from the Labour Group.

The Local Plan is to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate and is the document that will be used in reference when planning applications are considered.  With a large number of houses required, we appreciate that the plan is not an easy task to complete but there are reservations over the distribution of the developments outlined, hence the opposition to the plan.

The plan was put out to consultation including some events at the community rooms on Church Street as requested by us, your local councillors.  The response to the plan overall was poor but was responded to fairly well in Church Gresley.

Application behind Church Street/Thorpe Downs

Included in the plan is the 306 house development planned behind Church Street and Thorpe Downs Estate.  The application has been in for this estate for some time and there has been significant feedback from residents and ourselves, with education and flood alleviation high on the list of priorities to address.  This development is due to come to committee soon, but there is still negotiating to be done with regards to several factors of the development.  Updates to follow when more information is available.

Hilltop Nursing Home

Having been deferred due to a site visit, the application to change the former nursing home at the top of Castle Road to 15 flats was recently approved by the planning committee.  In consultation, concern was expressed about parking and access.  Comments were also made with concern over the wall and foliage onto Castle Road and Colliery Row.  The comments were made by residents and councillors alike.

As a result of comments, cycle provision was added in one way to ease parking and the parking and access was further debated at the committee.  We have asked that the road is brought up to adoptable standard to include the 2nd Colliery Row.  We will update with further news when available.

Health Profiles 2014

Earlier in the summer we were alerted to the updated health profile information.  This gives us important information about health trends and therefore a basis to plan to improve on problem areas and continue to improve other areas.

A link is shown below, but the most salient points are:

• Significant difference between life expectancy between the poorest and most affluent areas.
•  18.4% of Children in Year 6 are classified as obese (a 0.5% increase on 2013 data)
• 2,400 children live in poverty
• Levels of GCSE attainment are lower than the England average
• Breastfeeding initiation is lower than the England average
• Smoking status at the time of delivery (pregnancy) is also worse than the England average
• 22.2% of adults are classified as obese
• For the first time excess weight in adults is flagging up as worse than the England average
• The number of people killed and seriously injured on roads is worse than the England average

 

On a more positive note:-

·         Levels of adult smoking, sexually transmitted infections, TB, statutory homelessness, violent crime, long term unemployment and drug misuse are all better than the England average

The profile suggests that local priorities should include:-

·         Smoking in pregnancy

·         Reducing inequality in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in the area

·         Increasing breastfeeding

The link below shows the data in more detail:

http://www.apho.org.uk/default.aspx?QN=HP_METADATA&AreaID=50416

Surgery Tomorrow

Just a quick reminder that our next surgery is tomorrow (Saturday 12th July) at the Methodist Church on York Road between 10 and11 am.

All welcome.

Sustainable approach to dog fouling

One of the biggest complaints that we receive continues to be related to dog fouling and littering.

Whilst we have ensured that the council have put several counter-measures in to improve the situation (more bins, more patrols in certain areas and increased cleaning), the situation is one that is ongoing.  Despite the actions above, people continue to let their dogs foul and drop litter.

The ideal actions will lead to people being caught, hence fined but it is not always easy to catch people in the act.  The next step is to put measures in that shame those who foul and litter and make it socially unacceptable, which is a far more discreet but effective way to approach than has been done in some places.

Although the problem is ward wide (indeed district wide and country wide), there is one particular area of concern and this is around the schools on Pennine Way.  Dog fouling in any place is bad but to allow dogs to foul in an environment where there are a large number of young children and babies is unacceptable.

We have communicated issues from the school to the wardens and have tried to engage the public for more information as to when the incidents are happening, though success has been limited.

In order to improve the situation, we have worked with our fellow councillors in the Swadlincote Ward (as the school is on the border of the 2 wards) and engaged with council officers.

On a recent afternoon Councillor Mick Mulgrew, head warden Gareth Evans, Environmental Health Manager Matt Holford and I monitored the area around the school during afternoon school run and discussed the issues with several people around the area including the headmistress of the infant school.

Below is a summary of what was discussed:

• There were a few bins that were overfull and also places where the siting of a new bin would have been ideal.  This was mainly on the footpath from Glebe Street through to the schools.  Action – bin provision to be looked into as well as frequency of collections.
• Several anti fouling and littering signs were worn and some area were short on signs (although contrary to some opinion, it is not a legal requirement to have signs up in order to prosecute for dog fouling or littering).  The use of alternative signs was also discussed, though the use of shocking images signs is not felt appropriate given the surroundings. Action – signs and stencils to be replaced where necessary.
• The infant school had produced some posters to highlight the issue but these have not yet been displayed.  Action – print the posters and display appropriately.
• Add to the intelligence gained to find out if there are any known persistent offenders.  Action – wardens to patrol and engage with dog walkers and hand out poop scoop bags.
• Some of the intelligence given suggested that people may be letting dogs off the lead to foul in an evening.  Action: look to impose a “dogs on lead” control order on the area, therefore action can be immediately taken on any dog not on a lead.  This would need to be approved by the EDS committee and would not be an immediate action.
• We also discussed the work done by other councils to implement a good dog walker scheme and are considering a pilot scheme if the results elsewhere were successful.

Overall, we need to ensure that the actions lead to not only improvement but a sustainable improvement.

Next date for Area 4 Safer Neighbourhoods and Forum

The last Safer Neighbourhoods and Area 4 Forum meeting was held at the Community Centre in Goseley last Tuesday.  The Forum was an event that was dominated in the Forum by many residents from Woodville who came to discuss the proposed housing development at Broomy Farm as included in the local plan.

The Safer Neighbourhood meeting, whilst quieter by comparison, was a fairly busy meeting.  The local police team has seen several changes of late, with a new area Sergeant and a new PCSO for the town centre.

Matters raised in the public forum included concern over metal thefts, speeding issues and parking issues.  These 3 issues which are based around Woodville, Hartshorne and Church Gresley will form the priorities over the next few months.

The next meeting will be at Sharpe's Pottery Museum on Tuesday 23rd September starting at 6.15pm.  Reminders will be sent out nearer the time.

Refurbishment of the Skate Park

Along with a sizeable crowd of enthusiastic youngsters, we had the pleasure of an invitation to the opening of the refurbishment of the Skatepark off Woodhouse Street this afternoon.

The new section was unveiled during a short ceremony this afternoon attended by Regular Users, Council Staff, PCSOs and Councillors.  The Sports team were in attendance to offer several cycle and scooting based activities and the youth services team from County Council were there too.

The refurbishment has been part of an ongoing project that has involved users of the skate park from an early stage.  Much work has been done by SDDC, Derbyshire Police and the Safer South Derbyshire Partnership to secure funding for the project and bring it to fruition.

Part of the work done earlier in the project was to fix the lighting to make the area safer.  Whilst the park location has the advantage of being handily placed for Church Gresley, Woodville, Swadlincote and Albert Village, it is also a little isolated in it's immediate locality.

What was also impressive is how the regular users, whose age varies from late primary school children through to adults, all use the facility together and want to be proud of the facility.  During our visit it was pointed out that there were not enough bins and therefore likelihood of littering and there were a few technical issues pointed out.

The improvements have been well received though and the feedback was very well communicated.  Hopefully, more money will be found in the future to address other issues, including the access to the site, and further work can be done that once again stems from a successful working partnership between the users, the Police and the Council.

South Derbyshire Sports Awards Nominations opened

Residents, clubs and organisations are being asked to nominate outstanding sporting individuals, coaches and teams for this year’s extravaganza.

Last year many of the winners from South Derbyshire fared well at the awards for the whole of Derbyshire.

The annual awards, run by South Derbyshire Sport and South Derbyshire District Council, afford an opportunity for local sports stars to shine and for valued volunteers to be given the recognition they deserve for efforts over the last 12 months.

This year’s categories include:

-          Junior Sportswoman or Junior Sportsman of the Year

-          Junior Disabled Sportsperson of the Year

-          Sportsperson of the Year

-          Disabled Sportsperson of the Year

-          Club of the Year

-          Team of the Year

-          Community Coach of the Year

-          Performance Coach of the Year

-          Young Sports Leader/Young Coach of the Year

-          Service to Sport Award

-          Contribution to School Sport

-          Professional Sportsperson of the Year

Pplease pass this on to anyone you think maybe interested in applying into the South Derbyshire Sports Awards for 2014.

Applications close on August 22nd 2014.

http://www.south-derbys.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_news/june/news_items/chance_to_nominate_your_favourite_sportsperson.asp

Introducing the South Derbyshire Citizens Advice Bureau

Based in Church Gresley, the South Derbyshire Citizens Advice Bureau are keen to engage with people and let them know that they are ready to help.

With an expected 50% increase in enquiries between this September and next October due to the introduction of Universal Credit, the CAB has been busy securing funding, recruiting staff and volunteers and working to ensure that there are different places to hold drop in sessions and increase their availability not only locally but throughout the whole district.

Recently, I was shown around the offices in Church Street and saw the operation in action and was lucky to talk to some of the dedicated staff and volunteers and learn about how the Bureau works.

The CAB is available to offer Free, Independent, Confidential & Impartial advice to all in such areas as the following:

• Debt
• Benefits
• Housing
• Family & Personal
• Consumer
• Immigration 
• Employment
• Money Advice

The website link is below and provides excellent information about the many services offered and projects undertaken:

http://www.southderbyshirecab.org.uk/

The current availability includes drop-in assessment at the Church Street offices, telephone assessment via 01283 210109 and also via the weekly advice sessions held at a number of GP Surgeries throughout the district.

Due to the amount of work covered by the CAB, the current financial climate and many interesting points of discussion arising from the visit, there will be more posts relating to the CAB in due course.

Festival of Leisure this weekend

This Saturday and Sunday are the weekend of the Festival of Leisure.  With many displays,stalls and activities there is something for everyone of all ages.  Taking place from 1pm to 5pm on both days at Maurice Lea Park it promises to be a great weekend.  The weather may be a little changeable but there should be some sun and no heavy rain forecast.

Among the stalls there will be plenty of people raising money for good causes and promoting community groups.  There will be a food collection for the CVS by Unite the Union.  Donations of canned and ambient food are welcome.

More information is available via the SDDC website on the following link:

http://www.south-derbys.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_news/june/news_items/fun_filled_line_up_for_festival_of_leisure.asp

All in this together?

As Councillors we tend to receive a lot of information, mainly via email.  The information takes a lot of reading through but there are a lot of interesting facts that come through to us.  One of the main sources of information is via the Local Government Association.

Here is a snapshot of some of the information recently receive and it shows how the government cuts are not only affecting the general public but also authorities up and down the country:

In relation to those councils who felt it necessary to turn off lights to save money.........

According to research carried out by the Times, road casualties in areas where street lights have been turned off have risen by 20% in four years. It found that 324 more people were killed or seriously injured in crashes at night on roads where street lights were unlit in 2011-12 than in 2009-10. Deaths rose by 39% to 25 and serious injuries rose by 27% to 225, analysis of 800,000 pieces of data collected by police showed. The Local Government Association said: "If councils were presented with evidence it 'turning off street lights' was causing a public safety risk they would act. However, this data fails to provide that evidence and it is completely misleading to suggest it tells us anything about the cause of accidents."

Increase in pauper funerals

Figures obtained through freedom of information requests to local councils across England, show that the number of people given "pauper's funerals" has risen by more than a third in the past five years. About 4,100 people were cremated anonymously or buried in mass graves with no headstone in 2013, against about 3,000 in 2009. The southwest saw a 102% increase between 2009 and 2013. In Cornwall the rise was 433%, and in Camden, north London, it was 183%

Bus subsidies cut back

A freedom of information request made by the Labour Party has shown that bus subsidies in England have been severely cut back by councils. The figures revealed that shire counties have cut their subsidies by 23% from an average of £5.62m in 2010-11 to £4.34m in 2013-14. While unitary authorities have made cuts of 24% from an average of £1.20m in 2010-11 to £910,000 in 2013-14. Labour said that the biggest real terms cuts to council support for bus services between 2010-11 and 2013-14 took place at Conservative-run authorities. Northamptonshire County Council cut its subsidy by 55%, Suffolk County Council by 50% and Hertfordshire County Council by 40%. Hilary Benn MP, the shadow communities and local government secretary, said: "It couldn't be clearer to residents that vital front-line services are disappearing dramatically as cuts to councils intensify. David Cameron needs to get a grip and ensure that elderly and disabled residents are not left stranded at home."

Fewer parents get first choice school

Several papers report that fewer parents are getting their children places at their first choice primary school. Many local authorities were set to inform parents yesterday of their offers for places. In Reading, only 75.7% of parents received their first choice, down from 77.4% last year. Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt criticised the government, commenting: "Before the 2010 general election, David Cameron promised us small schools and smaller class sizes. The reality is there are more than double the number of infants in class sizes of more than 30 and three times as many 'titan' primary schools with more than 800 children than in 2010”. However, in Suffolk, it is reported, 92% of applicants received their first preference primary on national offer day. Jane Merrick in the Independent argues that the country desperately needs more primary schools. The Times remarks that National Offer Day should be renamed National Destiny Day. The Independent describes the situation as a farce.

Office of National Statistics reveal wealth disparity in England

New figures from the ONS show household wealth has risen five times faster in London than the English average between 2006 and 2012. The median wealth across the country rose an average of 6% in those six years, while in London it shot up 31% - and fell 10% in the northeast. The ONS Wealth and Assets Survey also found that the richest 10% of households own 44% of the total wealth, while the bottom half owns 9%.

Update on our recent survey

Thanks to those who completed our survey relating to issues on Church Street.  We're still awaiting further feedback but so far all responses have indicated that they would support a 20mph zone and there are issues with over-weight vehicles using Church Street regularly.  This will be communicated further.

We will update further soon.

Monthly Surgery - This Saturday

Just a quick reminder that our next surgery will be on Saturday 10th May at 10-11am at York Road Methodist Church.

All welcome.

New bus route through Castleton Park

A recent decision by the Arriva Midlands bus company to change its Route 8 has proved to be beneficial for those on the Castleton Park estate.

The route formerly ran from Burton to Ashby but Arriva announced that the route was being cut short and would terminate in Gresley with Midland Classic picking up services to villages affected such as Measham (which found services significantly reduced by the cut) by amending their current services.

The result of the changes has been positive for Church Gresley as the service now goes through Church Gresley turning into Castleton Park at the Drum and Monkey roundabout, runs all the way up Brunel Way, onto Swadlincote Lane then onto Cadley Hill Road and terminating at the roundabout by the Swadlincote campus of Burton & South Derbyshire college before making the return in reverse order.  The service, in effect, links the 2 main campuses of the college.  Hopefully there will be enough usage to ensure the service is maintained.

The arrival of a bus route through the estate should also mean that it becomes a gritting  route by default, though this needs to be confirmed via the County Council.  The route also links Castleton Park with the Chiltern Road estate and the Pennine Way Schools, albeit via the rest of the village.

With the provision of a bus route along Brunel Way, it seems that the completion of marking along the cycleway on Brunel Way should follow.

Links to both Arriva Route 8 and also Midland Classic website are included below.

http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/serviceInformation.aspx?id=2418&r=Midlands

http://www.midlandclassic.com/

Update on the odour issue

As you may have noticed there has been a foul smell in the air over the last few days.  This is coming from land near Tetron Point and is part of a soil replenishment process.  There are a few more details in the link below including a contact number.

In a nutshell the land having limestone added with a slurry on top before being covered in soil. It is the slurry phase which combined with the wind has resulted in the smell in the air. The process has been approved by the Environment Agency.

For more details please see link below. Hopefully the work will be completed very soon.


https://www.facebook.com/southderbys

Councillors Surgery - this coming Saturday

Just a quick reminder that our next surgery will be on Saturday 12th April at 10-11am at York Road Methodist Church.

All welcome.

Feedback on recent doorknocking session on Church Street

We recently had a doorknocking session on Church Street. We had a good time talking with residents who were welcoming, friendly and very honest.

Whilst most of the residents are happy with life in Church Gresley we did pick up on some issues.

It was no great surprise that the main issue was relating to speed and noise of traffic. We have liaised with other bodies in the recent past to improve this but talking to residents has encouraged us to focus further.

We are currently looking into dropping a leaflet in to gauge reaction to the possibility of changing the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph.  The aim of this would be to make it safer, particularly around the school, but also to try and reduce the noise.  Critics often argue that the limits can not be enforced but the effect of changing to 20mph zones has had positive impact in many places and does reduce the speed.

Feedback will be shown on this blog and the appropriate next steps will be taken.

There is a national campaign forum currently campaigning for this, called the Go 20 Coalition (don't be worried this time about the word coalition) and the details of this can be found on the link below:

http://www.brake.org.uk/component/content/article/18-top-level/campaigns/1196-go20coalition

Other issues picked up included dog fouling and lack of bins in the area.  The issues of littering and dog fouling are issues which depend on being able to catch people to take direct action, but we are working with SDDC to improve the situation.

Interested in Sports Leadership Courses?

The below flyer has been sent via the South Derbyshire CVS and will be useful to anybody who knows someone who is interested in a career in Sports Leadership.  Sounds like a good course, and it is free.

Recent events in the Chamber and beyond

Following the Christmas period, the cycle of committee meetings within council has been busy over the last few weeks, combined with the latest round of Safer Neighbourhoods and Forum meetings.  Below, I have outlined the meetings that we have attended with a brief explanation of how they affect us all:

The cycle of meetings started in early January with special budget meetings for the 3 main committees - Environmental & Development Services, Housing & Community Services and Finance and Management.  With the funding for councils from Central Government being cut severely the content of the reports in these committees are vital.

Full Council on the 23rd of January saw a motion backed by both sides if the chamber to approve the loan to a local credit union. There was also a response from the Commanding Officer of 1211 squadron of the Air Training Corps following the award of an order of merit.

January 27th saw another Finance and Management budget meeting.

The Environment and Development Services committee on the 30th January had several reports to consider. The first report related to the councils' representation on a joint committee for Economic Prosperity in the East Midlands which was supported. The next report related to Tourism and a change in emphasis in funding and publicity from Derbyshire and the Peak District to concentrate on the National Forest. A look on the Visit Peak District website is a good insight to the lack of shared publicity and backed the report up.

There was an update on the Draft Local Plan. Most comments on each of the proposed sites for development were against them.  However only 368 individuals from a population of over 90000 responded to the exercise that is vital to the future of the district.  This led to questions relating to the methods of publicity used.

There is one further consultation stage in the Local Plan process and an event will take place in Church Gresley. More details will follow.

Tuesday 4th February saw the first round of Safer Neighbourhoods and Area Forums. The area 4 event took place at the Church Hall rooms here in Church Gresley.

The Safer Neighbourhoods meeting was a well attended and busy meeting and a little fractious at times. Some of the main issues included:

• Parking issues in the Pennine Way area - see separate post relating to this issue.
• Anti-social issues in the vicinity of the Travellers Rest pub.
• Speed checks on Swadlincote Lane approaching Castleton Park. 28 people caught in 1 hour!
• Overweight vehicles on Coppice Side

The area forum noted feedback on Highways issues as normal and also the following:

• Flooding issues around drainage
• Budget issues within SDDC
• The return of the clothing store Peacocks to Swadlincote.

Since the above, there has been a full cycle of meetings again............ to be continued..............

Monthly Surgery this Saturday

Our monthly surgery will take place this Saturday's March 8th at the usual place - York Road Methodist Church at 10-11am

All welcome.

Local Plan Drop-in Event - Reminder - This Tuesday

As previously mentioned on the blog, there is an event at the Church Hall community rooms on Church Street as part of the final consultation on the local plan.  For more information on the Local plan, please see the web link below.

http://www.south-derbys.gov.uk/planning_and_building_control/planning_policy/local_plan/local_plan_part1/presubmission_localplan/default.asp

In Environment & Development Service committee we have twice voted against the local plan as we do not believe that there is an equal spread of housing across the district.  Most of the developments planned are in the Urban Core of the district, including our ward and also the Stenson Fields ward.  We also feel that as something that is so important to us all in South Derbyshire, the consultation should have been advertised through a more traditional method such as a newsletter to ensure that everybody would be aware.  We have posted newsletters to various areas in the village, mainly to those most affected by proposed development, but can not reach everyone. 

Half Term Activities at Maurice Lea Park

The Wheelsmobile will be making a visit to Maurice Lea Park on Wednesday 19th February as part of the Half Term Break activities.

The event will run between 10am and 12pm and will be mainly geared at cycling related activities.  The session are aimed at 8-16 years olds though younger children can join in if accompanied by a responsible adult.

Hopefully the weather will stay good.  At the time of writing the BBC website is showing Wednesday as being cool but dry but as ever this could be subject to change.

You can read more about the activities and a quote or 2 from new SDDC sports coach Alistair on the below link:

http://www.south-derbys.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_news/february/news_items/next_bradley_or_victoria.asp

Messages relating to Scams - be aware!

The following 2 pieces of information have been sent through the Derbyshire Alert website and relate to activities designed to take money from the vulnerable.  If you know of anybody who might be affected please see the contact details.

The first relates to the Citizens Advice Bureau:

The below information has been forwarded from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau

Beware Imposter ‘CAB’ cold callers

Imposters claiming to be from the CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau) are cold calling people in Derbyshire offering to help with payment protection insurance (PPI).  It appears that Derbyshire residents are being targeted.

Emma Hagger, Chief Officer of Derbyshire Districts Citizens Advice Bureau said:
“We would like to stress that no genuine CAB adviser, or anyone connected with the CAB service, would ever phone or text someone out of the blue.  If you are cold called or get a text from someone saying that they are from the Citizens Advice Bureau and asking you about PPI it is almost certainly a scam. Make sure you do not give or confirm any personal information and report the call immediately to the consumer helpline on 08454 04 05 06.”

For free, confidential, independent and expert advice for any problem, contact:
Derbyshire Districts Citizens Advice Bureau on 0844 375 2712
North East Derbyshire Citizens Advice Bureau on 0844 848 9800
South Derbyshire Citizens Advice Bureau on 01283 210109

TRADING STANDARDS ADVISE THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE PERSONAL DETAILS OUT TO ANYONE WHO HAS COLD CALLED YOU BY TELEPHONE OR IN PERSON, PARTICULARLY DETAILS RELATING TO BANK ACCOUNTS/CREDIT CARDS.

IF YOU DISCOVER A SCAM TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND REPORT THE MATTER TO CITIZENS ADVICE CONSUMER SERVICE ON 08454 040506. YOU CAN VISIT WWW.ADVICEGUIDE.ORG.UK FOR ADVICE.”


The second message is from Derbyshire Trading Standards Service

Residents are being warned about diet pills and anti-wrinkle cream internet scams following a spate of complaints sent our trading standards team.

The team is urging people to be wary of 'pop up' advertising, which can appear when they are looking at unrelated websites or unsolicited emails offering a 'free trial' in return for a small delivery cost paid by credit or debit card.

Some consumers who accepted trials complained to trading standards officers weeks later when they noticed several debits of between £50 and £100 taken from their card, despite repeated references on the website to a 'risk free trial' of the product.

Officers said that when accepting terms and conditions consumers often do not notice that the trial must be cancelled within a few weeks or it will turn into a monthly subscription for the full price of the product.

Cabinet Member for Health and Communities Councillor Dave Allen said: "We always advise consumers to read the terms and conditions of any contract carefully. The problem is that this information can be hidden and is not immediately obvious.

"Many of these scam operators quote UK addresses on their website but often these are just mailing addresses and customers have to pursue their lost money overseas, which is far more difficult.

"We would advise people to be very wary about accepting any free online product trial offer without carefully reading the small print first."

Trading standards officers have received 30 complaints from people in Derbyshire losing up to £600 in similar scams.

In most cases the customers agreed to pay small postage costs but a clause in the small print committed them to monthly auto payments of between £50 and £100 with no apparent way to stop the deliveries or debits.

Consumers taking up 'trial' offers are effectively signing up for recurring payments called continuous payment authorities (CPAs). These must be cancelled by the bank or card issuer when asked to do so by an account holder without the need to cancel direct with the company behind the scams.

Anyone who has lost money on a free product trial or would like advice about online shopping can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 040506.

Monthly Surgery Reminder

Our next surgery is tomorrow, Saturday 8th February at the Methodist Church on York Road from 10-11am .

All welcome as usual.  The last month has gone very quickly.

Area 4 Safer Neighbourhood and Forum Meetings - this Tuesday

The first round of Safer Neighbourhood Meetings and Area Forums of the year are upon us already.

Please see image below for further details of the Area 4 event.  They are taking place at the Church Hall Rooms on Church Street starting at 6.15pm.  If you have any issues that need raising, please come along.

The first meeting involves the Police and is an ideal time to raise issues directly with the local team.

The second meeting involves the District and County Councils and gives residents to voice concerns over issues relevant to those bodies such as highways issues and refuse collections amongst many others.

Happy New Year & January Surgery

Happy New Year to all of our readers.  Hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year.

The blog will be filling again with information and links through the year and details of our activities within the Ward and Division.

At the moment the committees are having budget meetings, which bring up a number of issues due to severe government cuts.

Details of meetings can be found on the following link

http://south-derbys.cmis.uk.com/south-derbys/Meetings.aspx

Meanwhile, our first Surgery of the year takes place tomorrow 11th January from 10am - 11am at the York Road Methodist Church.  Residents are welcome to come and discuss any issues, in confidence if necessary.