Staveley council hopes Chesterfield MP will support them instead of putting their future in doubt

Mr Perkins has been calling for Chesterfield Borough Council to set up a Community Governance Review to consider whether the town council should be abolished and he has suggested residents should also consider whether they should start a petition to also call for a Community Governance Review.

The town council avoided bankruptcy after Chesterfield Borough Council agreed to loan the authority £400,000 in February, 2023, and an independent Improvement Board criticised the town council’s financial management between 2011 and 2022 in a report which also, however, praised its current clerk and acknowledged the town council’s support and progress.

A Staveley Town Council spokesperson said: ““The town council has been through a very traumatic period over the past year and despite this it has still delivered on important activities, such as Remembrance Sunday, and has made significant progress in its recovery. ”

However, before the board released its report findings in November, Mr Perkins claimed 83 per cent out of 706 respondents had called for the abolition of Staveley Town Council after he carried out his own survey of 5,172 homes during the first half of 2023 on the town council’s services.

Mr Perkins also called for Chesterfield Borough Council to set up a Community Governance Review to consider whether the town council should be abolished and after the independent board report released its findings in November, 2023, he suggested residents should consider starting a petition calling for a Community Governance Review.

He said: “It is now for Staveley residents to decide if they wish to start a petition to call for a Community Governance Review to consider the abolition of Staveley Town Council. The Labour Party are clear that this is a decision for the people of Staveley.

“It is important to know whether resident’s views have changed since the survey I did in ‘May’ and also to hear from those Staveley residents who don’t live within the Chesterfield constituency.”

Despite the report’s criticism and its calls for more effective partnership between councillors and other authorities, it acknowledged Staveley councillors want to make the town council effective and it praised the current, experienced town clerk and highlighted positive opportunities and potential.

The town council spokesperson added: “The survey by Mr Perkins MP was carried out immediately prior to an election when all sorts of misinformation was flying around.

“As it is confirmed in the Independent Investigation report, we now have a balanced budget and are working towards restoring the council’s general reserves. We currently expect a general fund surplus of approximately £60,000 by year-end (March 31).”

The report stated that the cause of Staveley Town Council’s financial position was due to events between 2011 and 2022 which were not due to issues faced by one particular political group’s administration.

It confirmed Staveley Town Council’s budget was ‘balanced’ by November, 2023, and stated that the council has been showing an understanding of its commitments and that a new financial system has been introduced and it has reduced expenditure.

NE Derbyshire Conservative MP Lee Rowley had also helped to bring people together to try and resolve matters, according to Staveley Town Council.

The town council spokesperson added: “The council has recently adopted a new Council Delivery Plan which shows the ambitions and commitment of all councillors to making a difference for the local communities that they represent.

“The town council believes that the continuation of grass roots democracy is important and abolition would have an adverse effect on the provision of local services.

“The town clerk and her small team [are] working to modernise internal processes to ensure that the council can operate efficiently.

“Small councils can do a lot with very little once capacity is unlocked and Staveley Town Council is keen to demonstrate this by increasing services over the next three years.”

The town council has stated that it aims to demonstrate good governance, better engagement with the community, improved management and work with staff and councillor development, and it has also adopted the report’s recommendations.

And the report revealed, that ‘without exception’, each person the investigative board spoke with declared that Staveley Town Council should continue because the town should be represented to avoid efforts and resources being concentrated in Chesterfield.

Independent Cllr Paul Mann and Liberal Democrat Cllr Paul Jacobs, at Staveley Town Council, also both argued Mr Perkins does not represent all of Staveley and that his survey included only a limited number of responses.

Staveley Town Council Labour Cllr Barry Dyke has stated he supports the report’s recommendations and conclusions, and Chesterfield Borough Council Leader, Cllr Tricia Gilby, said the report provided a ‘lifeline’ for the town council to ‘follow for a more positive future’.

The town council spokesperson added: “The town council would like to thank everyone who has helped and offered kind comments over the past year, this has been touching and has really boosted staff morale.

“Given the current climate, next year will be equally as challenging but we hope that everyone can hold patience, there are a lot of positives that have come out of this past year and many more to come.

“We simply need to work together for the greater good of the community. We hope that Mr Perkins MP will join the local community in supporting the town council moving forwards.”

Labour-controlled Chesterfield Borough Council has been considering Chesterfield Labour MP Toby Perkins’ request since the summer of 2023 for the borough council to pursue a Community Governance Review into the future of Staveley Town Council.