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Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Community funding scheme faces freeze
War memorial upkeep and lunches for the elderly are among the local schemes that could have their funding scrapped in Derbyshire, amid a planned anti-waste drive from the new Reform UK administration. The Community Leadership Scheme enables individual councillors to access funding for projects that benefit the local area. It is understood a council officer confirmed the scheme was on hold in an email to a councillor who was seeking to access the funding. Reform Derbyshire spokesperson Stephen Reed told the BBC that the party were committed to "reviewing everything". He added: "We know how vital these grants are to the community and they are an important part [of] supporting vital services." Reform UK has pledged to carry out audits of the local council budgets it will soon control after winning several councils in the local elections, in an attempt to combat wasteful spending. The scheme currently costs Derbyshire County Council about £120,000 each year. However, it is among the areas whose funding is facing uncertainty as the authority's new Reform leaders assess where money can be saved on the council's books. The leader of Derbyshire Conservatives, Alex Dale, said the scheme was "a lifeline for countless grass roots projects". "Putting this scheme under review is worrying and suggests Reform are clearly unaware of the positive impact it's had on Derbyshire communities." The Conservatives defended their decision to halve funding for the scheme in the past as "a responsible move to reduce council costs", adding that "it was preserved due to its direct and tangible benefits to local people." A British Legion branch in the High Peak area received £4,880 from the fund to carry out specialist essential repairs to a war memorial in Chapel-en-le-Frith's market place, which is central to annual commemoration events. The remainder of the cost is being covered by supporters of the legion. Jason Adshead, a local parish councillor, said paying for the costly repairs would not have been possible without the fund. "It's a major part of our town... it's important we keep these monuments in tip top condition. It's the very least we can do. "I would ask [Reform] to think long and hard before they make any drastic decisions." The Friends of Dronfield group have received funding from the scheme for the past few years, which is used to host Christmas lunches for roughly 40 local elderly residents to combat loneliness during the festive period. They cost about £900 to run, half of which has been funded by the scheme. David Goater, who organises the events, said groups like his would struggle without the funding. "The community is very important. I know that funds are tight, but there are a lot of people out there doing good things. We should be celebrating that." Reform UK will take control of the council on 21 May after winning 42 seats on the authority in the local elections. Derbyshire County Council were approached for comment. Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Reform takes control of Derbyshire County Council Derbyshire County Council
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Derbyshire community funding scheme faces freeze
War memorial upkeep and lunches for the elderly are among the local schemes that could have their funding scrapped in Derbyshire, amid a planned anti-waste drive from the new Reform UK administration. The Community Leadership Scheme enables individual councillors to access funding for projects that benefit the local area. It is understood a council officer confirmed the scheme was on hold in an email to a councillor who was seeking to access the Derbyshire spokesperson Stephen Reed told the BBC that the party were committed to "reviewing everything". He added: "We know how vital these grants are to the community and they are an important part [of] supporting vital services."Reform UK has pledged to carry out audits of the local council budgets it will soon control after winning several councils in the local elections, in an attempt to combat wasteful scheme currently costs Derbyshire County Council about £120,000 each it is among the areas whose funding is facing uncertainty as the authority's new Reform leaders assess where money can be saved on the council's books. The leader of Derbyshire Conservatives, Alex Dale, said the scheme was "a lifeline for countless grass roots projects". "Putting this scheme under review is worrying and suggests Reform are clearly unaware of the positive impact it's had on Derbyshire communities."The Conservatives defended their decision to halve funding for the scheme in the past as "a responsible move to reduce council costs", adding that "it was preserved due to its direct and tangible benefits to local people." A British Legion branch in the High Peak area received £4,880 from the fund to carry out specialist essential repairs to a war memorial in Chapel-en-le-Frith's market place, which is central to annual commemoration events. The remainder of the cost is being covered by supporters of the Adshead, a local parish councillor, said paying for the costly repairs would not have been possible without the fund."It's a major part of our town... it's important we keep these monuments in tip top condition. It's the very least we can do."I would ask [Reform] to think long and hard before they make any drastic decisions." The Friends of Dronfield group have received funding from the scheme for the past few years, which is used to host Christmas lunches for roughly 40 local elderly residents to combat loneliness during the festive cost about £900 to run, half of which has been funded by the Goater, who organises the events, said groups like his would struggle without the funding."The community is very important. I know that funds are tight, but there are a lot of people out there doing good things. We should be celebrating that." Reform UK will take control of the council on 21 May after winning 42 seats on the authority in the local County Council were approached for comment.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City approves agricultural lease for excess land in rubbish site expansion
TUPELO — City officials will lease extra land purchased as part of an expansion to Tupelo's natural debris rubbish site for use as farmland. The Tupelo City Council Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a one-year lease agreement to use 215 acres of agricultural land it purchased to expand the city's Class II rubbish site as farmland. The year-long lease nets $15,662 and has an option for annual extension up to four years with city approval. The 215 acres comes from a previous $658,000 purchase of 235 acres off of South Veterans Memorial Boulevard near Camco Roofing Supplies. The land was previously owned by BSB Associates. The city plans to use about 20 acres of the land to expand its rubbish site, which officials said previously was nearing capacity. The other 215 is already being used by the prospective renters as farmland, Assistant City Stephen Reed said. 'Twenty acres of (the land) has been permitted by the state to be used as a Class II site. The remaining 215 acres sits pretty much in a floodway and is already being used as agricultural land,' Reed said. 'What this is, is a lease to the farmers that have been using it for the last several years.' The $15,662 price tag is based on two appraisals and comes out to a little under $90 an acre. Of that 215, 175 acres is usable as farmland. City Attorney Ben Logan noted that while the dynamics of the land changed with this upcoming expansion, it should not affect the farmers already renting the property too much overall. The property is next to the city's existing Class II rubbish site, which is used exclusively for natural debris and building materials from demolitions. Officials said the rubbish site is nearing capacity, with just 10 of its 44 acres designated and developable for usage. Much of the land lies within flood zones, leaving much of it unusable as a rubbish site. Ward 6 Councilwoman Janet Gaston asked Reed if the city could come back later to expand onto the farmland if the rubbish site needs to be expanded further. Reed said that was possible. Meanwhile, work on expanding the rubbish site continues. Logan noted the city will perform tests soon to see how deep it can dig its cells. As of Tuesday, Logan said work should begin soon, but there is no solid date for when the project will be completed. The current site design runs debris trucks along South Veterans. Officials say the long-term plan is to build a new entrance along Ryder Street to bypass the nearby neighborhood.
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Four key takeaways from BBC Radio Derby election debate
Six leaders standing for election to Derbyshire County Council outlined their views on a range of topics during a care, the state of the county's roads, tourism and trust in politicians were among the issues discussed during the event hosted by BBC Radio candidates were also asked who they would be willing to do a potential deal with in the event no one party gets a clear majority on the leader of an independent party was also included, reflecting the wide range of independent candidates standing across Derbyshire. Those who took part were:Joan Dixon, Derbyshire Labour leaderEd Fordham, Derbyshire Liberal Democrats leaderGez Kinsella, Derbyshire Greens leader Barry Lewis, Derbyshire Conservatives leader (and current leader of Derbyshire County Council)Stephen Reed, Derbyshire Reform UK candidate Philip Rose, Amber Valley Independents leaderHere are four key takeaways from the debate. Clashes on social care Numerous council-run care homes and day centres have closed in recent years in is an issue that has sparked fierce campaigning among families whose elderly relatives have been left facing disruptive moves or paying for expensive private asked about the future of social care in the county, divisions Liberal Democrats' Ed Fordham called on the Conservatives' Barry Lewis to apologise, calling the handling of the issue "shameful". Lewis insisted he was proud of his record on social care and said his party had done "the best we can" given pressures on the authority's Fordham said the Conservatives had "starved our care homes of money", leading to closures. "We spend money badly and he knows it," he Green's Gez Kinsella agreed with the criticisms and accused Lewis of refusing to take the views of local people into account when deciding to close care UK's Stephen Reed described the situation as a "crap sandwich" and held it up as a key area where the party would deploy its anti-waste Joan Dixon conceded there was no money pledged from central government to improve the local picture, amid calls from Independent Philip Rose for Whitehall to boost added that Labour wanted to look at alternative "cooperative or not-for-profit" models of care. Deal or no deal While some national leaders have been keen to rule out the prospect of their party entering into formal coalitions, Derbyshire's leaders indicated they may be open to some form of deal in the event no party wins an outright majority on the council. Stephen Reed, for Reform UK, dismissed a formal coalition but suggested something more informal would be acceptable."We'll work with any party to do the right thing. We won't form a coalition, but we'll work with all the parties," he Lewis, for the Conservatives, did not rule anything out, saying the party would be open to anything in the spirit of "getting things done".Joan Dixon, for Labour, added: "Let the dice roll where they will and then I will think about that depending on what happens on 2 May." The Liberal Democrats, however, said the party would refuse to work with Reform UK, whilst the Greens said they would look at it "issue by issue". Trust in politicians Trust in politics and politicians was another topic raised during the Greens' Gez Kinsella said he had been struck "more than ever before" by the number of people he had come across during the campaign who are "turned off" by politics and and drawn to parties like Reform UK, who he claimed would pose "risks" to the county if they gained UK's Stephen Reed was challenged about a Reform candidate in Derbyshire who it is understood is under investigation for posting a racial slur refused to comment but insisted support for Reform was "enthusiastic". Independent Philip Rose, who was among several local activists to have recently left Reform UK, was challenged on the fact he had been suspended by the Conservatives in 2022 for social media posts that were accused of being anti-semitic. He denied any wrongdoing, stating it was "difficult to support Israel when they're killing so many Palestinians". Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas have been at war since early October after Hamas fighters launched an attack, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. This triggered a massive Israeli military offensive in also dismissed Reform UK leader Nigel Farage referring to him and other former party members in Amber Valley as "bad apples", claiming Farage had "gone to the left". Plans to tackle potholes The current leader of the council, Barry Lewis, conceded that Derbyshire's roads had got worse in recent years, as set out in government data, but denied the county was the "pothole capital" of the UK, as opponents have often he would not pledge the roads would improve if the Conservatives held on to power on the council, blaming a "flatlining" of investment from central government."We actually spent £50m last year trying to get our roads in order," he told the panel, and said "first time fixes" had Green's Gez Kinsella said more focus needed to go on planned maintenance rather than reactive "slapping concrete into a hole".Labour's Joan Dixon said driving through Derbyshire "felt more like an episode of Top Gear, you're rally crossing around potholes".Whilst she would not pledge the roads would improve if Labour regained control, she said the government was boosting funding. You can find a full list of candidates standing in your local area here, or on Derbyshire County Council's website.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City effort to expand Fairpark district continues
TUPELO — With their eyes on further growth in downtown Tupelo, city officials are moving forward with the next step to see the Fairpark District expanded. The Tupelo City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution for planned expansion of the Fairpark urban renewal district, setting a public hearing on the matter for the first meeting of April, coincidently the same day as municipal election primaries. 'Back in 2023, we acquired 17 acres along Elizabeth Street…. Since that time, it has been the desire of the administration, and we've shared with council in the past, to include that area … in the urban renewal area,' Assistant City Attorney Stephen Reed said. 'There are several things this resolution does, but it will be brought up again at the April 1 meeting.' As of now, the city owns the 16-acres south of Fairpark that it hopes to rehabilitate. It is located between the Canadian National Railway line and the BNSF line on Elizabeth Street downtown. Reed said the Tupelo Planning Committee will draft a final recommendation for the district's future during its March meeting. The city previously entered a contract with Tupelo-based firm Cook Coggin Engineers for engineering services related to the development project. Through the Tupelo Redevelopment Agency, the city hopes to market and sell the plot. This renewal designation affords the acreage certain local tax abatement benefits. City officials previously mentioned there was a prospective buyer for the property. City Attorney Ben Logan said the city was in negotiations as of Wednesday but he could not give details. Before Tuesday night's decision and before tapping Cook Coggin, the city entered a contract with Tripp Muldrow of Arnett Muldrow and Associates, for a master plan for the property, and a $4,500 contract with Cook Coggin Engineers, Inc., for environmental studies of the property. Muldrow assisted in the establishment of Fairpark decades ago. Ultimately, Logan said, the city will turn the land over to the TRA. The TRA also owns multiple other plots in Fairpark, a 5-acre lot on Fairpark Drive, a little over 4 acres with some parcels adjacent to the 5-acre plot on Elizabeth Street, and another parcel just under an acre north of the two. The Fairpark District was established in 1999 with 50 acres designated for urban renewal development by the TRA. At the time, the city took out $22.7 million in bonds to accomplish the goal.
