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Community News from Derbyshire County Council – 9 April 2024

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.Community news bannerBusiness start-up adviceLearning disability supportOur plans for the year aheadOnline safety events at County Hall in MatlockBargains that benefit the environmentStress Awareness MonthBusiness start-up adviceAre you thinking of starting your own business but need some advice?vision Derbyshire business start-up carpenter woodThe Vision Derbyshire Business Start-Up Support Scheme can help. A team of local expert business advisers offers free, one-to-one impartial support and advice covering a wide range of topics tailored to your needs. Grant funding is also available if you meet the eligibility criteria.Talking to a business adviser can be invaluable in helping you to make important decisions about your business idea and to put plans in place.The team has supported more than 1,000 residents across Derbyshire to build plans to start their own business. Several of these are now employing more people and going from strength to strength, including Suzanne Lloyd, of Virtue Virtual Assistance, Chesterfield. She said: “Working with a business adviser has helped me challenge my own perceptions of what opportunities may be available. Doors have opened that I didn’t know would be possible. The support I’ve received has been invaluable.” This scheme is running in the Amber Valley, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, North East Derbyshire and South Derbyshire local authority areas. Funding has been received through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to continue until at least March 2025.Learning disability supportIf you support someone with a learning disability and/or who is autistic, we want to let you know that we’re considering a proposal to consult on changing the support we provide.learning disabiityOn Thursday (11 April), councillors will be asked to agree to seek people’s views on plans to redesign the way we provide day opportunities and short breaks.Following a previous consultation, we transformed services to create new day opportunities to help people with learning disabilities and/or autism lead safe and fulfilling lives in their community.This work has shown that they want to be as independent as possible with equal access to opportunities and services such as housing, leisure activities, jobs, health and transport.To help us get the best value for money for our services, at a time of increasing financial pressures for councils nationally, we need to review how people’s assessed care needs are met and to what extent we provide those services ourselves.Our plans for the year aheadInterested in reading about our ambitions, values and objectives for the year ahead?Mam Tor council planThen take a look at our updated Council Plan for 2024 to 2025.Key sections also highlight the outcomes we seek to achieve and the approach we will take to achieving them by working with and for communities and in collaboration with partners.Online safety events at County Hall in MatlockIf you, or anyone you know, works with children or young people, a free event in Matlock about online safety could be of interest.Derby and Derbyshire Safer Communities team is teaming up with the UK Safer Internet Centre and South West Grid for Learning to deliver the talk about online safety in the Members’ Room of Derbyshire County Council’s Smedley Street headquarters on Monday 29 April.There are two identical sessions to choose from, either 9.30am-11.30am or 1.30pm-3.30pm.South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) is a leader in online child safety, a founding member of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety as well as an advisor to governments and a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre. Open to anyone who works with children and young people, the event will give you the latest in research, legislation, technology, tools and resources along with exclusive access to the presentation and resource materials.Safety online is constantly changing and this event will provide all the latest information and detailed resources. The team will also be available to answer any of your online safety questions. Tickets are limited and issued on a first-come, first-served basis.Bargains that benefit the environment We’ve opened a re-use shop at our household waste recycling centre in Bolsover.HWRC re- use shopThe shop will stock good quality items collected at the county’s recycling centres and sell them at low cost to give them a new lease of life.Items like:FurnitureCrockery, pots, cutlery, kitchen goodsBooks, CD’s Records, DVD’s – all should be originals and not copiesOrnamentsPictures, picture frames and pieces of artGarden furniture, garden tools, garden ornamentsPremium clothing and footwear – donated directly to the shopToys and board gamesThe shop will be open in tandem with the recycling centre and will be run by contractors H W Martin who operate eight household waste recycling centres for us.Proceeds from sales at the re-use shop will go towards running costs of the shop and any profits will be shared equally between the county council, H W Martin and charitable causes.The county council’s share of any profits will be put back into its waste management budget which pays for services like the running of household waste recycling centres.If the shop proves popular then we will consider opening further stores at other household waste recycling centres across the county.Purchases can be made using cash or electronically.Re-use is even better for the environment than recycling as it means items can be put to good use without having to use energy to re-process them and turn them into something new.Pic: Louise Bradley with some nearly-new roller skates on sale at the re-use shop.Stress Awareness MonthStress is something that we all experience at some point. Whether it’s a work deadline, financial worries or something more serious.Low-level stress can sometimes be helpful or motivational but equally too much stress can affect our mood, our body and even our relationships.There’s lots you can try to help reduce your stress levels.plan ahead for stressful days or events – planning long journeys or making a list of things to remember can really helpuse time-management techniques to help you take controlTry talking about your feelings to a friend, family member or health professionalYou can get help and advice around dealing with stress on the NHS website here: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/understanding-stressIf you’re feeling stressed, worried or anxious then you can call the Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline for free, any time day or night, on 0800 028 0077.Find out more online here:  www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/services/helpline-and-support-serviceThere’s also lots of advice online at the Derby and Derbyshire Emotional Health and Wellbeing website here: derbyandderbyshireemotionalhealthandwellbeing.uk

Coming soon: New trial to encourage reports of illegal parking

A new scheme will mean that the public can help Derbyshire Police to crackdown on illegal parking.

The ‘Parking No’ trial will cover the areas of Ashbourne and Mercia, so if you live in these areas you’ll be able to send them photos of illegally parked cars.

See the link below for full details

https://www.derbyshire.police.uk/news/derbyshire/news/campaigns/2024/march/new-trial-to-encourage-reports-of-illegal-parking/

Parking

Parking is a perpetual issue in Repton and has been getting worse recently around the Primary School. The Parish Council is working with the school and police to request more considerate parking behaviour so as to ensure the safety of the children. Please observe the Highway Code which states that vehicles should not stop or park near a school entrance, opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles or in front of an entrance to a property.

Disposal of Waste

Reports have been received by the Parish Council of dog waste bags not being disposed of correctly.  Please ensure that you clean up after your dog, and that this is then placed into a public litter bin or your own.  A person who is guilty of an offence shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine.  South Derbyshire Fouling of Land by Dogs Public Spaces Protection Order 2023 covers this in more detail and can be found at https://www.southderbyshire.gov.uk/our-services/crime-and-community-safety/public-spaces-protection-order-pspo.  Please also be aware that Mitre Field is under the South Derbyshire Dog Exclusion Public Spaces Protection Order 2023, the only dogs allowed on Mitre Field are assistance dogs.

Councillor Vacancy

Would you or someone you know, like to be involved in representing the Repton Parish?  Repton Parish Council has a casual vacancy for one councillor, due to a resignation   This now means that the vacancy can be filled by co-opting a councillor. This person would hold the post of Councillor until the next local elections which are due in May 2027 for the Repton Parish, which includes not only Repton but also Milton.  The criteria below are the same for a Councillor that is voted in during an election or co-opted.

What is the Purpose of a Parish Councillor?

You are there to represent the views of all the residents within your parish.  You will be responsible for the running of services the Council provide, such as the burial ground, allotments, arboreta and recreation facilities at Mitre Field and Broomhills recreation ground.  You work to bring forward issues that are important to the residents that you represent and help to plan how the Parish Council can improve the Parish’s facilities.  The Council are trying to improve Youth Facilities in the area at the moment.  You can comment on planning applications in the area and represent the views of the residents that may be affected by the plans.  You must be willing to represent the views of the whole community.

What criteria must you meet to be a Councillor?

  1. Over the age of 18 years and
  2. Be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any member of the European Union and
  3. Be registered as a local government elector for the parish OR occupy as an owner or tenant, land or premises in the parish for the past 12 months OR work in the parish as your principal or only place of work OR live within three miles of the parish boundary

What obligations are there?

  1. You must sign a declaration of office before you can attend your first meeting.
  2. You must abide by the Parish Council’s code of conduct, this can be found on the website
  3. Complete a register of interests which will be published on the Parish Council’s website and that of South Derbyshire District Council.  This ensures that you have declared any interests that you may have of a financial nature or that may benefit you or could influence what decisions you make as a Councillor.

What will be expected of you?

Repton Parish Council has 11 meetings per year; these are usually held on the second Monday of the month at 19:30 (excluding August).  Usually held in Repton Village Hall, the October meeting is held in Milton Village Hall. You should attend as many of these as possible.  You will be expected to have read the agenda and previous month’s minutes before the meeting.  The meeting is your chance to present your views and that of the residents that you represent.  Committee meetings are also held for Finance.  The Council has various working groups that you should try and involve yourself with, hopefully these will encompass areas of the parish that you may already have an interest in. Please follow this link for a description and expectations of a Parish Councillor.

Still interested or think you may know someone that is?

Please follow the links for application forms and details of the co-option process or by contacting the Clerk, details shown below.  Application forms need to be submitted to the Clerk no later than 5th April 2024.  The co-option will occur at the April 2024 meeting, which will be held on 12th April 2024 in the meeting room at Repton Village Hall. 

Any queries please contact the Clerk on 07341 907137 or clerk@repton-pc.gov.uk or speak to any of the Councillors.

Planning Consultation: Draft Statement of Community Involvement

On 18th March 2024 South Derbyshire District Council will be commencing a consultation on a new Statement of Community Involvement.

A Statement of Community Involvement, or SCI, is a document setting out how the community, businesses and other organisations with an interest in the development of the District, can engage with the planning system.

Further details of the consultation, and how to respond can be found on the following web page: www.southderbyshire.gov.uk/SCI

The consultation will close at 5pm on Monday 13th May 2024.

If you have any queries regarding this consultation, please contact the Planning Policy Team on planning.policy@southderbyshire.gov.uk