Latest news with #LinseyFarnsworth
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Alfreton railway station's £6.75m upgrade completed
A £6.75m project to improve accessibility for passengers at a Derbyshire railway station has been lifts were added at each side of the track as part of the work at Alfreton station, while the ageing footpath was upgradedThe changes are aimed at making it easier for passengers who have limited mobility, use wheelchairs or have heavy luggage, bikes or pushchairs with Midlands Railway said the lifts will be in use at certain times of the day throughout June as part of a trial period and they will not be working on Sundays. A new ramp and steps connecting the car park with the station entrance have also been provided as part of the platforms were fully resurfaced as part of the work, with tactile paving. New CCTV and new lights have also been installed. The project was delivered as part of the Department for Transport's Access for All scheme to deliver accessibility improvements at railway stations, with a portion of funding also coming from Network Matthews, Network Rail head of operations delivery, said: "We are delighted to bring the new lifts at Alfreton into use, complementing the upgraded footbridge and bringing step-free access to the station for the first time."We hope the improvements will encourage more people to travel by train."Amber Valley MP Linsey Farnsworth added: "This significant investment will make a real difference for local residents and visitors, ensuring that everyone, regardless of mobility, can travel with greater comfort and independence."She also thanked Alfreton Town Council which has "campaigned tirelessly" for improved access at the station for decades.
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
MP steps down from borough council ahead of elections
The Labour MP for Mid-Derbyshire says he has stepped down from his seat on a borough council ahead of the local Davies was elected to Chesterfield Borough Council for the Brampton East and Boythorpe ward as a Labour councillor in May was then elected to Parliament in the general election the following told the BBC it had been "a privilege to serve people as their councillor". "I was pleased to support many residents through that role - and serve on several Derbyshire-wide boards to support people's health, safety and wellbeing across the county," he added."Following my election to Parliament, I stopped taking my councillor's allowance."I have now resigned my council seat so a by-election can coincide with May's county council elections - saving thousands of pounds of public money compared to a costly standalone contest."It has been a privilege to serve as a councillor, and I wish my successor all the best in that important role." The Labour MP for Amber Valley Linsey Farnsworth also resigned her borough council seat this week.A by-election will be scheduled once the council has received a written request to do so from two local government electors from within the local authority electors can be registered anywhere in Chesterfield and not solely within the ward minimum timescale required to hold a by-election is 25 working order to hold the by-election on 1 May, the same day as the county council elections, the request must be received no later than 5pm next Tuesday, 25 by-election will be held at a later date if the request is not received by then.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MP resigns borough council seat ahead of elections
The Labour MP for Amber Valley has stepped down from her seat on the borough council ahead of the local elections. Linsey Farnsworth was elected to Amber Valley Borough Council for the Kilburn, Denby, Holbrook and Horsley ward as a Labour councillor in May 2023. The former solicitor was then elected to Parliament in the general election the following year. She told the BBC she was resigning now so a by-election can be held on the same day as Derbyshire County Council elections, which would "save the public purse thousands of pounds". "I was honoured to serve as the first Labour councillor in over 20 years to represent Kilburn, Denby, Holbrook and Horsley - and to represent the ward where I live", she told the BBC. "When I was elected to Parliament, I renounced my councillor allowance from day one. "And I have now resigned my borough seat so the by-election can tie in with the county council elections - saving the public purse thousands of pounds compared to running a costly standalone contest. "It has been a privilege to serve as their councillor and I want to reassure my constituents I will continue to support them as their MP, as well as people across Amber Valley." Councillors received an email informing them of the vacancy. A by-election will be scheduled once the council has received a written request to do so from two local government electors from within the local authority area. The electors can be registered anywhere in Amber Valley and not solely within the ward itself. The minimum timescale required to hold a by-election is 25 working days. Councillors were told by officers in an email seen by the BBC that in order to hold the by-election on 1 May, the same day as the county council elections, the request must be received no later than 5pm next Tuesday, 25 March. The by-election will be held at a later date if the request is not received by then. A spokesperson for Amber Valley Borough Council said: "We can confirm that Linsey Farnsworth MP has resigned her seat on the borough council today. "We understand that the timing for her resignation was chosen so that the forthcoming by-election would coincide with the Derbyshire County Council elections on May 1." The other MPs elected in 2024 who remain councillors are Baggy Shanker, the Derby South MP, and John Whitby, the Derbyshire Dales MP. Both sit on Derby City Council but are under local pressure to resign their seats. Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Lack of SEND support leaving families suicidal - MP Amber Valley Borough Council
The Independent
07-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Ticketless football fans could face £1,000 fines if they gatecrash matches
Ticketless football fans could face £1,000 fines if they gatecrash matches after MPs backed a proposal to criminalise unauthorised entry. The Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill moved closer to becoming law on Friday after MPs voted to give it a second reading without a debate. According to an explainer from the Home Office, 'tailgating and other forms of unauthorised entry (including attempted entry) poses public order and security problems to matchday operations at stadia and tends to take place at the highest interest sold-out matches, which included the Euro 2020 matches at Wembley Stadium'. The Euro 2020 tournament – held a year late during the Covid-19 pandemic – ended at the north-west London stadium with Italy beating England 3-2 on penalties. MPs also agreed on Friday to progress the Controlled Drugs (Procedure for Specification) Bill without a debate, which if passed, would give ministers the power to list substances as class A, B or C using regulations. Fines for unauthorised entry to football matches would apply when at least one team ranked in the top five tiers of men's domestic football competition – including the Premier League and EFL Championship – the Women's Super League and the Women's Championship, or the men's Cymru Premier league in Wales. They would also apply when at least one team represented a country or territory. Linsey Farnsworth, Labour MP for Amber Valley, brought forward the proposal as a private member's Bill, but MPs ran out of time to debate it. 'Currently, detected persons who gain entry without authorisation are likely to be ejected with no legal repercussion, whilst persons detected attempting entry are usually moved on and will often make multiple attempts to gain entry,' the explainer said, adding that rule-breakers would face a maximum fine at level three on the standard scale, which is £1,000. Courts would also be able to issue offenders with a football banning order for a time-limited period unless they believe 'there are particular circumstances that would make it unjust in all the circumstances to do so'. Alex McIntyre, Labour MP for Gloucester, brought forward the Controlled Drugs (Procedure for Specification) Bill. According to explanatory notes, changing the mechanism for listing drugs would 'ensure that new substances can be made subject to control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 more rapidly'. It said new synthetic opioids like fentanyl and nitazenes are 'a significant risk to public health', adding: 'With the rapid development of synthetic drugs, it is vital that any new controls come into force at the earliest opportunity as a matter of public safety.' The bills must be considered again in the Commons and the Lords before they become law.
BBC News
13-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Lack of SEND support in Derbyshire leaving families suicidal
The government has demanded that Derbyshire County Council "urgently" improves its provision for children with special educational needs, after a Derbyshire MP said families were being driven to "breaking point".It follows a recent Ofsted report which found "widespread and systemic failings" in Derbyshire's SEND provision. Several of the county's MPs took part in an emotional Parliamentary debate on the issue this week, raising the cases of constituents who felt they had been let down by local recently agreed an improvement plan with the council and the Integrated Care Board, which also has responsibilities for SEND services in the region. Linsey Farnsworth, Labour MP for Amber Valley, told the BBC she hosted a recent public meeting on the issue where she met families who had been driven to mental crisis by the lack of support."There were a number of parents telling me they had been driven to the point of despair where they thought about taking their own life," she said."What was also incredibly heartbreaking was that they were telling me their children as young as 12 had told them that they wanted to die because they weren't able to live their life in the way they should with the support they deserve to have."In Derbyshire we have inherited a crisis...I don't think you can just blame the national picture."She is calling for the county council to act urgently on the recent improvement plan agreed between SEND partnership authorities in Derbyshire and Ofsted. During the Commons debate, the South Derbyshire MP Samantha Niblett raised the case of her constituents Theresa and Nathan, whose autistic daughter has cerebral palsy and ADHD. "Transitioning into mainstream secondary school severely affected her mental health, leading to self-harm and suicidal thoughts," she said."Delays in her EHCP [Education Health and Care plan] process meant that she lost a place at a suitable special setting."At 14-years-old, 14, she is on antidepressants and has remained out of education since January 2024. That's over a year."An EHCP is a legal document outlining a child's needs and enabling them access to support. 'Improvement coming' Responding during the debate, Schools Minister Catherine McKinnell said the cases were "heartbreaking". "[Derbyshire] must address these concerns urgently. Progress is being monitored," she told the Commons the Department of Education had appointed a SEND advisor to "challenge and support" Derbyshire County Council and the Integrated Care Board to improve. Councillor Alex Dale, cabinet member for education at Derbyshire County Council, told the BBC he hoped families would see an improvement in the service in the next 12 months."We absolutely have been very honest and open for the past couple of years about the real challenges the service faces in light of significant increases in demand," he said."As a partnership we have established a SEND improvement and assurance board."We're meeting monthly to track progress against all of the areas for priority action."Timeliness, identifying and assessing needs, insuring there are sufficient school places and communication with families are all key areas that make up the improvement will assess Derbyshire again in about 18 months.
