Amber Valley Labour Group
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"We want to build a Britain that works for the many, not the few. That means building the homes we need to rent and buy, keeping our communities safe, giving our schools the funding they need,
​and restoring the NHS to its place as the envy of the world."



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I want to fight for a fairer Britain
FIND YOUR LOCAL LABOUR MP
TAKE PART

STOP PRESS:


​SAT, 13 APR AT 20:00
Save Amber Valley Greenbelt
The Marehay Miners Welfare · Ripley


​Important info for those responding to the AVBC Public Consultation
​
re. Green Belt

1. The NPPF was changed in July 2018.
2. The paragraphs about Green Belt are now paras 136 and 137.(Chapter 13)
3.Paragraph 136 on exceptional circumstances to amend Green Belt boundaries now refers to these being ‘FULLY evidenced and justified’, (an addition since the draft revised version).
4. While this might appear to be a more stringent requirement, the new para 137 specifies that, to justify the existence of exceptional circumstances, AVBC should be able to demonstrate that it HAS examined fully ALL other reasonable options for meeting its identified need for development’.
5. Has there been a FULL brownfield review ? NO
6.Has there been a FULL review of land that is under-utilised (i.e. land that has special landscape designation protection ) AGAIN,NO.
7.Are empty houses being brought back into use ? DOUBTFUL
8. The Inspector will pick up on this straight away when she returns to examine the Local Plan.

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The next elections to be held in Amber Valley are borough council elections and parish council elections on 2 May 2019.
Find out more by viewing our schedule of election dates for 2018-2024 -
https://info.ambervalley.gov.uk/docarc/docviewer.aspx?docGuid=b76ce8c6a0dc4a6c9a2ffe9f3e1dd199

Our country is in crisis and needs a Labour Government.
Our opponents are the Tories, not each other, and it's disappointing that a small group of MPs have felt unable to continue to work together for the Labour policies that inspired millions at the last election and saw us increase our vote by the largest share since 1945.
Labour won people over on a programme for the many not the few – redistributing wealth and power, taking vital resources into public ownership, investing in every region and nation, and tackling climate change.
The Conservative Government is bungling Brexit, while Labour has set out a credible alternative, keeping all options on the table, including a public vote to stop a disastrous 'no deal' Brexit.
When millions are facing the misery of Universal Credit, rising crime, homelessness and poverty, now more than ever is the time to bring people together to build a better future for us all. For those millions the only solution is a Labour Government that will invest in and transform our country.
That's why we must be united – not for ourselves but to deliver a Labour Government.
Yours,
Signed, Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party
Jeremy Corbyn
Leader of the Labour Party


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With £1.7 billion cut from schools, a few quid for the “little extras” isn’t going to cover it. Here’s what the Tories owe Britain’s teachers, pupils and parents
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The election to the NEC was as follows
THE RESULTS IN FULL:

Yasmine Dar (Momentum/CLPD/CLGA slate) 88,176– elected
Claudia Webbe (Momentum/CLPD/CLGA slate) 83,797 – elected
Jon Lansman (Momentum/CLPD/CLGA slate) 83,072– elected
Rachel Garnham (Momentum/CLPD/CLGA slate) 81,702 – elected
Huda Elmi (Momentum/CLPD/CLGA slate) 80,371– elected
Darren Williams (Momentum/CLPD/CLGA slate) 79,361 – elected
Ann Henderson (Momentum/CLPD/CLGA slate) 79,176 – elected
Nav Mishra (Momentum/CLPD/CLGA slate) 75,224 – elected
Peter Willsman (CLPD/CLGA slate) 70,321 – elected
Eddie Izzard (independent) 67,819
Johanna Baxter (Progress/Labour First slate) 50,185
Gurinder Singh Josan (Progress/Labour First slate) 48,643
Ann Black (Open Labour-backed) 45,566
Jasmin Beckett (Progress/Labour First slate) 43,955
Heather Peto (Progress/Labour First slate) 43,774
Luke Akehurst (Progress/Labour First slate) 43,156
Eda Cazimoglu (Progress/Labour First slate) 40,807
Mary Wimbury (Progress/Labour First slate) 40,507
Lisa Banes (Progress/Labour First slate) 37,993
Marianna Masters (Progress/Labour First slate) 35,061
Jonathan Fletcher (independent) 15,303
Stephen Guy (independent) 14,985
Nicola Morrison (independent) 10,671
James Craigie (independent) 10,326
Gary Spedding (independent) 9,854
Stephen Stanners (independent) 8,909

​

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Another Tory lie is exposed.
They told us again and again that bed blocking by older people was one of the main causes of extremly dramatic NHS overspends. Now we are told that Councils have saved the NHS only £60million by their immense efforts in reducing the number of days patients who are delayed in hospitals due to a lack of social care availability. A minute fraction of the NHS budget - which is £110,000 million. Its the cuts not the patients which are the problem.

Statement – Cllr Jack Brown M.B.E
Written complaints to Amber Valley Borough Council, received in March and April 2018, against Cllr Jack Brown M.B.E. that he had wrongly participated in a debate and voted on a planning application (Nether Farm) at a meeting of the Planning Board on 18 December 2017, were referred by the Council’s Monitoring Officer to the Standards and Appeals Committee, after first seeking the advice of the Council’s ‘Independent Person’.
The Standards and Appeals Committee heard on 13 June 2018 that Cllr Brown had frankly admitted, and accepted without reservation, that he should not have taken part in that debate and should not have voted at all because of having a personal and prejudicial interest in that application due to his wife’s ownership of a nearby property.
Whilst Cllr Brown had already notified in June 2016 that land ownership interest on his Register of Interests, he should have also declared his personal and prejudicial interest at that meeting. The fact that he had voted in favour of the development proposal, in what he saw as the public interest, and arguably against that private interest, did not excuse him from his obligation to have absented himself from the debate.
The Committee noted that he had accepted that an unequivocal apology was due (and would be given), that he would undergo further training, and that a news release would be issued for reasons of transparency.
The Committee were reassured that no planning decision notice had been issued in respect of the Nether Farm application and that the matter had been referred back to the Planning Board for a fresh consideration and decision. It further observed that Cllr Brown is no longer a member of the Planning Board and was not be present on 18 June 2018 when the matter was reconsidered.
In the light of this, the Standards and Appeals Committee decided that it was not in the public interest for a formal investigation to be undertaken at public expense.

Elections Results



Jeremy Corbyn visits Belper

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FIND OUT MORE
Join Young Labour

Some of the campaigning team out in Heanor today with John Healey MP after the official Manifesto launch for the AVBC May elections. Thanks to everyone involved in today’s event
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Chris Emmas-Williams : "This manifesto is a progressive move to ensuring that we give the public the services they need not like the Tories who just cut services at the behest of their government"

Out and about in Langley Mill 21/10/2017


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As a direct result of Tory Councillors voting to close the local Town centre Bureau Heanor and Loscoe Town Council have had to issue the following press release

Town Council ask local Shops to distribute free 'doggy bags'
The Town Council has contacted Heanor Vision, the umbrella group which includes Heanor Trader's Association, to see if their members would be willing to act as distribution points for the free 'doggy bags ' the Town Council provides. Council Leader Councillor Paul Jones said. 'Since the Borough Council's closure of the Town Centre Office we have been unable to provide adequate access for the distribution of the free 'doggy bags', we are therefore asking of colleagues in the Town if they can help us. Regretfully, if we are unable to find a solution we may no longer be able to provide this facility'.

The Council used to supply free 'doggy bags' to its resident via the Town Centre Bureau which was open 5 days a week 9.00am - 4-30pm. These hours are not able to be replicated by the Town Council.



The man behind the exit poll that predicted a hung parliament in the UK says Corbyn could easily become PM

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RESULTS
Daniel Bamford - Independent: 551
James Dawson - Labour: 17,605
Matt McGuinness - Green Party: 650
Nigel Mills - Conservative: 25,905
Kate Smith - Liberal Democrats: 1,100
Total: 45,929
Turnout: 67%



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Our General Election campaign has officially kicked off! Jeremy launched the campaign on Tuesday in Manchester, with a host of celebrities, leading Labour figures and – of course – the battle bus




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What Labour controlled Derbyshire County Council have achieved even after the cuts from central government

The Tories want to take away bus passes and winter fuel allowance. We are fighting against the proposals because we know how much they mean to so many people
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Amber Valley and Erewash in election fraud probe

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Derbyshire police force has been investigating alleged election fraud
Derbyshire police have confirmed that a file relating to Erewash and Amber Valley constituencies has been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service as part of an alleged election fraud investigation
The probe centres around the Conservative Party's use of a battle bus to campaign in key seats during the 2015 General Election.
Each party is allowed to spend about £15,000 in each constituency on an allowance that is worked out according to the size of the local population. There are allegations the battle bus was used in some constituencies despite being paid for by national funds.
Derbyshire police is one of 12 forces, which have been investigating the situation for the past 12 months, and a spokesman said that it is awaiting a decision by the CPS over future action "regarding two people in Amber Valley and Erewash". In 2015, Maggie Throup became Erewash MP and Nigel Mills retained the Amber Valley seat.

The Crown Prosecution Service has until June to decide if it wants to take further action

Lawyers have until June, two years after the alleged breach, to consider the files and decide if there is a reasonable chance of conviction in any of the cases.
No-one from the constituency offices responded when the Derby Telegraph asked for a comment on the situation.
Additionally, the Electoral Commission has now fined the Conservative Party a record £70,000 and reported its former treasurer to the police after an investigation found "significant failures" by the party to report its campaign spending.
Overall, the Electoral Commission found the party failed to declare or accurately report more than £275,000 of campaign spending at three by-elections in 2014 and at the 2015 General Election.
The Commission's investigation was launched following Daily Mirror and Channel 4 News allegations that the Tories had incorrectly recorded spending on the "battle bus" tour which took activists to campaign in key marginal seats.
The allegations centred on whether the tour should have been recorded as counting towards individual candidates' spending limits, rather than as part of the larger national spending return.
The Commission found no evidence to suggest the party had funded the Battlebus2015 campaign to promote the success of individual candidates.
But it said there was a "clear and inherent risk" that activists on the coaches "might engage in candidate campaigning" and that "it is apparent that candidate campaigning did take place" during the tour.

Derbyshire police investigate Tory general election spending

The General Election of 2015 has sparked a probe into a possible breach of spending limits.
Comments (3)
Derbyshire police are among 11 forces from across the country which have submitted files to the Crown Prosecution Service relating to general election expenses - and a second Tory MP has revealed he has been quizzed by officers.
The probe into the Conservative Party's battle bus campaign in the 2015 contest is examining whether strict spending limits in target seats were breached.
Tory MP Will Quince said he had been told by Essex Police he faced no further action after voluntarily attending an interview under caution last January.


The Essex force is not one of the 11 that has submitted files to the CPS.
But a CPS spokesman said it had received files from: Avon & Somerset, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon & Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Lincolnshire, the Metropolitan Police, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire police.
In a statement posted on his Twitter feed, Mr Quince welcomed the decision by Essex Police but said the complaint against him had been "vexatious and politically motivated".
The disclosure follows reports that Craig Mackinlay, who fought off a challenge from former Ukip leader Nigel Farage to hold Thanet South for the Tories, had been questioned for six hours last week by Kent Police.
The latest moves come amid growing anger among Conservative MPs still facing investigation by the police and the Electoral Commission in relation to spending

In his statement, Mr Quince acknowledged that once a formal complaint had been made in June 2016, police had had a duty to carry out a thorough investigation.
However, he said that the inquiry had been caused stress to his staff and family and he had suffered "reputational damage" while it had been carried out.
"Moving on to the allegation itself, I consider this to have been vexatious and politically motivated," he said.
"Politics is not a game. I would ask those individuals to think about the cost of this investigation, the important work those police officers could have instead been doing over this lengthy period, the stress that it put me, my family and my team under and the reputational damage to me personally."
Other MPs have directed their anger at Conservative Campaign Headquarters complaining that they had been cut adrift by the party's high command even though the complaints relate to the busing of activists to campaign in key marginal seats which was organised centrally.

The allegations centre on whether the "battle bus" tour should have been recorded as counting towards individual candidates' spending limits, rather than as part of the larger national spending return.
In a leaked email to Conservative Party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin, Lincoln MP Karl McCartney complained they felt "completely cast adrift" and "left to fend for themselves".


#CareforDerbyshire Children from St Thomas More school today named our new £9m extra care housing scheme in Buxton - Thomas Fields.

Its what Labour Councils do
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Your chance to have a say on the Local Plan for Amber Valley
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Your chance to have a say

​'Be vigilant' warning on Council Tax refund scam
Residents in Amber Valley are being advised to watch out for a potential email scam which appears to offer a Council Tax refund.
This follows a suspicious email sent in to the Council by an Amber Valley resident. It contained a message advising the resident that they are eligible to receive a tax refund which can be reclaimed by completing and submitting bank details on the online form within the message. The form asks for the recipient's bank details.
Amber Valley's Revenues Collection Manager, Martin Hendy said: "The Council sent out a similar warning a few months ago when we were informed that residents in Amber Valley were receiving telephone calls about refunds and it would seem now that scam emails relating to claiming refunds for council tax overpayments are circulating.
“We are again reminding residents never to give out personal details over the phone or by email. If you have any doubts about any cold calls or emails you receive relating to Council Tax, you should ring the Council on 01773 841440.
Should you receive any contact you are unsure about, its legitimacy should be checked using the organisation's contact details published in the phone book or a reliable source of information. Do not rely on details provided with the initial contact.”


The Tories have put the NHS and social care into a state of emergency – and Theresa May has absolutely no answers to Jeremy’s questions. Only Labour will stand up for our NHS and give it the money it desperately needs

​GROWTH SITE POLICIES
Housing Growth Sites
Policy HGS1 The following sites, as shown on the Proposals Map, are
identified for new housing development:-
Greenhill Lane, Leabrooks 58
Cotes Park, Birchwood Lane, Somercotes 210
Amber Valley Rugby Club, Lower Somercotes, Somercotes 200
Somercotes Hill, Somercotes 180
Belper Lane, Belper 120
Bullsmoor, Kilbourne Road, Belper 150
Leafy Lane, Heanor 12
Newlands/Taylor Lane, Heanor 500
Thorpes Road, Heanor 35
Whysall Street, Heanor 76
Hall Road, Langley Mill 80
Asher Lane Business Park (North), Ripley 85
Asher Lane Business Park (South), Ripley 92
Butterley Hill, Ripley 100
Moseley Street, Ripley 10
Nottingham Road/Codnor Gate, Ripley 50
Alfreton Road, Codnor 30
Radbourne Lane, Mackworth (North) 600
Radbourne Lane, Mackworth (South) 70
The Common, Crich 80
Derby Road, Duffield 38
Wessington Lane, South Wingfield 40
Land north of Denby 1,100
Total 3,916

AMBER VALLEY CONSERVATIVES CLOSE OUR BELPER SERVICES BUT REFUSE TO PRESS THE GOVERNMENT FOR MORE SUPPORT FOR LOCAL HOSPITALS AND DOCTORS, BELPER SOCIAL CARE FOR CHILDREN THE ELDERLY AND INFIRM - OR EVEN THEIR OWN BUDGET. WHAT A USELESS SHOWER OF DO NOTHINGS !

Labour Councillors in Amber Valley are fighting for the NHS and social care. Conservative Councillors are simply not listening.



Theresa May’s priorities are clear: tax giveaways to the wealthiest and big business rather than funding our health service. By 2022, the Tories will have handed the wealthiest £70 billion in tax cuts - money that could be invested in our NHS. Share our new broadcast on the NHS now


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Care For The NHS
Under the Tories our NHS is underfunded and understaffed
Around 3.9 million people on waiting lists
1.8 million people wait four hours or more in A&E
One in four patients have to wait a week or more to see their GP
Social care is approaching a 'tipping point' according to the regulator
Join our campaign:#CarefortheNHS
Under the Tories our NHS is underfunded and understaffed
 
"Join us in calling on Theresa May to give the NHS the funding it needs" 
​
SIGN PETITION

Derbyshire councillor disappointed by social care funding

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A leading Derbyshire councillor has expressed disappointment at the Government’s decision to try to solve the social care funding problem by only allowing local authorities to increase council tax further.
Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for adult social care, Councillor Paul Smith, said the policy would leave a major shortfall in funding and wouldn’t go anywhere near to solving the issue long term.
Calling for a national solution to a national problem, Cllr Smith said: “The Government has known for a long time that there’s an issue with social care funding and while I welcome that it’s finally acknowledging there’s a crisis in the system, this is totally inadequate and I’d call on it to think again about the way social care is funded.”

The Government has announced it would allow councils to levy a three per cent increase in council tax bills next year, and an additional three per cent the year after – six per cent over two years.
Previously it gave councils the power to ask for an extra two per cent in council tax each year for three years, specifically to pay for social care.The county council is currently consulting on its budget proposals for next year, including plans to ask for an extra two per cent in council tax to pay for social care in 2017-18.
A three per cent increase in council tax in Derbyshire would raise around £8.5m – nowhere near enough to solve the crisis in social care funding, said Cllr Smith.
“We have a very strong commitment to funding social care in Derbyshire and are one of the few authorities in the country which still has a substantial direct care service,” he said.
“We are very proud of what we do, helping the people of Derbyshire to live independent, dignified lives and we’re investing in our services. I would have expected the Government to step in to fund care properly on a national basis. Asking local communities to plug the gap is very disappointing.”
He added: “With advances in medical care it’s great to see people living longer but this means that people have more complex needs which has led to a growth in demand for care.
“In Derbyshire we’re already working closely with colleagues in the NHS and independent sector to integrate health and social care to ensure older and disabled people get the help they need and every penny is spent wisely. Only this week we officially opened a £10m care centre with specialist dementia facilities. But without better funding by the Government the crisis in social care can’t be solved.”
Cllr Smith said he would be looking carefully at the how the Government had arrived at its position and was waiting to see the detail.
He said: “The pressures we’re facing are unprecedented and I feel very let down. It’s unfair to put the burden on communities that are ‘only just managing’.”
To take part in the budget consultation, you can visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/challenge.




I would like someone to explain how two Tory Cllrs Orton and Taylor can vote as Cabinet members to sell land for housing and then also be members of a planning board which votes to give that very same land planning permission ?????

Amber Valley are at it again. Last night by 7 votes to 5 they approved building 30 houses on land between Old Coppice Side and Shipley Country Park with NO section 106 monies for the local community refusing to support a DCC request for £175000 towards local education or any funding for low cost housing BECAUSE the developer could not afford it and would not build the houses if the Council insisted on the monies being provided for these infrastructure items .What makes this more galling is that Amber Valley are actually selling the land to the developer.

High court rules consultation
is unlawful

21 December 2016

Leader of Derbyshire County Council Councillor Anne Western has welcomed the outcome of a judicial review as "a victory for fairness and common sense."

Derbyshire County Council took Sheffield City Region Combined Authority to the High Court because it believed a public consultation on whether the region should expand to include Chesterfield was unlawful.
The High Court Judge, Mr Justice Ouseley, ruled that the consultation failed to ask local people a direct question about whether or not they believed Chesterfield should become part of Sheffield City Region. The judge said that this made the consultation unlawful and unfair and that "something had gone seriously and significantly wrong".
Sheffield City Region's consultation on whether it should expand its devolution deal to include Chesterfield ran from 1 July to 12 August 2016.
If the expansion went ahead, responsibility would pass to a Sheffield City Region Mayor and combined authority for key services in Chesterfield including major roads, funding for maintenance and road safety on all roads in the borough, public transport, travel concessions (Gold Card and b_line), skills for employment and major planning and investment projects.
The judge also stated that Sheffield City Region had provided no reasonable justification "as to why it had not included such an obvious and fundamental question in the questionnaire."
Councillor Anne Western said:
"The people of Chesterfield knew this consultation was unfair and misleading and this High Court judgment confirms that.
"When the county council asked the question Sheffield City Region failed to ask - whether Chesterfield should join Sheffield - more than 7,500 people responded to our online poll (opens in a new window) or filled in postcards in libraries and more than 92% opposed the plans.
"Taking action in the High Court was the last thing we wanted to do but unfortunately we were left with no other option to help us defend the right of local people to have their say on something so important.
"This is a victory for fairness and common sense and for the thousands of local people who - despite not being able to answer the question they wanted to in the official consultation - spoke up and made their views known loudly and clearly."
The next step is for Sheffield City Region Combined Authority to decide what action it needs to take to correct the flaws identified by the High Court.


In just two planning applications the Tories on Amber Valley have refused to support the following funding for the community of Heanor and Loscoe :-
Recreational £64500
Educational funding £231753
Public open space £27774
No provision of affordable housing
Is it because its a Labour supporting Town or are they just incompetent ????


It's what Labour does

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A Heanor care home for older people that specialises in supporting those with dementia has picked up a national award.

Florence Shipley Community Care Centre took home top prize in the ‘Best Dementia Care Development’ category of the prestigious Building Better Healthcare Awards.

The Derbyshire County Council-run centre won the top accolade due to its well-designed buildings that enhance the quality of life of its residents to give them an environment as close to ‘home’ as possible. This includes the layout of Florence Shipley being filled with visual clues to help people with dementia feel at ease when they’re moving around the building.
Deputy Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Councillor Paul Jones, said: “It’s a real achievement to be recognised in these awards and we’re very proud to have won. “This is another example of the county council’s ongoing commitment to investing in quality developments such as Florence Shipley, Lacemaker Court in Long Eaton and Maple Mews in Alfreton to help our vulnerable residents live independently and well. “The specialist support for people with dementia is tailored to the needs of our residents and the hardworking staff there deserve this recognition.”

Read more at: http://www.ripleyandheanornews.co.uk/news/business/heanor-care-home-praised-for-its-specialist-care-1-8267217


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Not one Tory MP or minister has mentioned the report today that shows UK workers are joint bottom with Greece on wages. Wonder why:
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Sheffield City Region’s proposal that Chesterfield become part of the South Yorkshire region could threaten the future of Derbyshire as we know it.

You have until August 12 to have your say. Find out more about the proposals and how to have your say here: http://derbyshirelabour.co.uk/2016/07/labour-says-keep-derbyshire-together/

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Labour supporting Belper's Save our NHS campaign
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Labour Group Leader Paul Jones has stepped down, due to his commitments at Derbyshire County Council.

Paul,who has been Leader of the Council 1999/2000 and 2014/15 and deputy Council Leader 1995-1999, made the announcement at last weeks group meeting.
He is succeeded by his deputy Chris Emmas -Williams


Amber Valley General Fund reserves.
The FACT is
you cannot afford to vote Conservative

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Leaders comments Updated 05/03/2019


                Leader -                 Cllr Chris Emmas-Williams
Deputy Leader -  Cllr Tony Holmes
​
Chair -                  Cllr Isobel Harry
Secretary -           Cllr Sheila Oakes

While the Tories let prices rise and standards drop, here's Labour's plan for transport. Pass it on ↓
✔ We’ll bring rail back into public ownership
✔ We’ll deliver Crossrail for the North & Crossrail 2
✔ We’ll prioritise making transport accessible for all passengers


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Luke Akehurst: Which Seats Does Labour Need To Take To Win The Next Election?
Listed below are all the constituencies where Labour is in second place and the winning party’s majority is under 10 per cent. Winning all 78 of these seats (and holding every seat we hold now) would give Labour 340 seats, a working majority.
Labour becomes the largest party, with 295 seats, if it takes every seat as far down the list as Putney, requiring either a uniform increase in the Labour vote of 3.3 per cent if its main opponents stand still or a swing (change in Labour and its opponent’s vote added together and divided by two) of 1.65 per cent. In such a situation the SNP would have 28 seats, the Lib Dems 12, Plaid Cymru 3 and the DUP 10, so reaching an overall majority would require a coalition or “confidence and supply” arrangement involving the SNP and one of the other parties too.
https://labourlist.org/…/luke-akehurst-which-seats-does-la…/




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The NHS is in crisis, but Theresa May is in denial. Share the facts now:
✘ The British Red Cross said there’s a “humanitarian crisis” in our NHS
✘ In 2016 over 1.8 million people had to wait longer than four hours in A&E
✘ The Tories have cut £4.6 billion from social care
✘ There are 6,600 fewer mental health nurses since 2010

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Shop local
and support your town!

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Jobs and Services to go after Tories Incompetence.

After the July 13th Full Council meeting approved to increase Council Tax by over 3% for the next 3 years, the possibility of closing the Town Centre Offices at Alfreton, Belper and Heanor, forcing residents to pay for the garden waste scheme, proposing to make staff redundant and the loss of some services,The leader of the Amber Valley Labour group, Councillor Chris Emmas-Williams, stated,

“The report highlighted that the Council faces a projected deficit of £3.8 million yet despite this damning fact the Tory group, clearly knowing this they attempted to bribe the electorate with their council tax reduction*.

The Councils’ finances were in dire straits as we, the Labour group, have been warning them for a number of years and now in a desperate attempt to resolve the situation the new Tory administration are introducing savage increases of excessive council tax rises for a minimum of 3 years and imposing unilateral charges for garden waste and burials as well as raiding the New Homes Bonus scheme of £3 million. This week staff have been informed of a review both of jobs and services with already a severance budget in place for £600,000 created for redundancy’s. One of the questions in the review asks 'should the service be discontinued' with also a full review of all services. The residents should be asking how was the authority allowed to get into this position and clearly the answer is the pure incompetence of the Tory Controlled administration ”

Further information is available from Cllr Chris Emmas-Williams  on 01773 746041



A breakdown of the voting on Thursday by political party
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For the first time in at least 20 years, the number of votes cast for each elected Labour MP has overtaken the equivalent figure for the Conservatives. Will this stop them gerrymandering the parliamentary boundaries Hell NO

The DET reported the result as follows

But Mr Jones did not believe that it was a reflection on his group’s work in Amber Valley over the previous months.
Speaking at the count at Alfreton Leisure Centre, said: “I am obviously disappointed with the result.
“But I think that has been due to national issues and not what we have been doing on a local level in Amber Valley.
“If you look at the turnout we have seen double what we would have done for normal borough elections and we have been hampered by that.
“The current system of voting in thirds is, in my opinion, not the best way of doing things but it is the system that we have.
“There are more elections in 12 months time and we will be looking to take control of the council once again then.”



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'It is time to change Britain so it works for you, not just a powerful few. That's my goal. That's what Labour is about.'


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"A new ICM poll shows that the Labour party has drawn neck and neck with the Tories for the first time under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. And it appears this fall in support for the Conservative party may be down to its divisions over June’s EU referendum.
The two parties now stand at around 36% of voting intentions each, according to this poll. Labour has increased its share by 4%, while support for the Conservatives has fallen by 3% since December."....

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Greater Heanor County Councillor Paul Jones presenting his community fund cheque to Salcare at Heanor to help them continue to support the former employees of Leaderflush. Something that Borough Councillors cannot do because the Tory council scrapped the scheme when they took control in May 2015. — at Heanor Salcare.

25 January 2016
TRIBUTES FOR FORMER DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN

Tributes have been paid to former Derbyshire County Council Chairman Joe Heathcote who has died.

Mr Heathcote, who passed away aged 93, served on the county council from 1964 to 1993 representing the old Alfreton No.2 Division, now known as Somercotes Division.
He was deputy leader from 1981-1990 and was Derbyshire County Council Chairman from 1991-1993.
Mr Heathcote clocked up over 50 years in local government, both as a councillor and as clerk to Somercotes Parish Council.
Councillor Paul Smith, Deputy Leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “To serve for over 50 years in local government is an impressive achievement which few will match. Joe’s tireless work was of huge benefit to the local community.
“When I was elected on to Derbyshire County Council in 1996, Joe had already stepped down from his role with the authority – but he was still around to offer support, advice and guidance.
“Joe knew the role like the back of his hand and it was great to have someone of his vast experience to be able to call on.
“It was fitting that he was Chairman of Derbyshire County Council for his final two years on the authority.”
Mr Heathcote leaves daughters, Mavis and Susan, and a son, Kevin.
A funeral service will take place at 1pm on Wednesday 10 February at Somercotes Parish Church followed by refreshments at Somercotes Village Hall.


Tories Sounding 'Death Knell' For Affordable Housing, Says Labour
The Huffington Post UK | By Ned Simons
The Conservative government is sounding the "death knell for social housing," the Labour Party has warned.
On Tuesday MPs will debate the Housing Bill. Shadow housing minister John Healey said the legislation showed the government had "washed its hands of fixing our housing crisis".
Writing for The Huffington Post UK, he said: "It's the most extreme and extraordinary assault on affordable homes in a generation. Shelter predict the Bill will lead to 180,000 fewer affordable homes to rent and to buy over five years.
"Housing is fast becoming the starkest example of David Cameron's unbalanced Britain. Where families of ordinary means increasingly find that a decent home is out of their reach, and with a yawning gap between the haves and the have-nots."
He added: "The Bill sounds the death knell for social housing.
"Housing is fast becoming the starkest example of David Cameron's unbalanced Britain. Where families of ordinary means increasingly find that a decent home is out of their reach, and with a yawning gap between the haves and the have-nots."
On Sunday, David Cameron announced around a hundred of the UK's worst sink estates could be bulldozed to make way for better homes as part of a blitz on poverty.
The prime minister pledged that "brutal high-rise towers" and "bleak" housing will be "torn down" in an effort to tackle drug abuse and gang culture.
Making a bid for the political centre ground Tories believe has been abandoned by Jeremy Corbyn, Cameron said decades of neglect of estates were behind the riots that swept Britain in 2011.
The £140 million redevelopment programme is to be overseen by Lord Heseltine, who helped to transform the Liverpool and London docks in the 1980s.


AMBER VALLEY LABOUR GROUP PRESS RELEASE


LABOUR DEMAND COUNCIL LEADERS RESIGNATION AFTER TORY POLITICAL DECISION SPELLS DISASTER FOR AMBER VALLEY AS CORE STRATEGY IS WITHDRAWN AT LAST MINUTE
 
Cllr Chris Emmas-Williams, Labour shadow Deputy Leader has demanded the resignation of  Amber Valley Borough Council Leader  Cllr Alan Cox after the last minute withdrawal of the Council’s Core Strategy days before it was due to go before an Inspector


 Cllr Emmas-Williams said ‘What a total mess the Tories have made once again in our Borough. This is the second time in two years that they have made disastrous decisions to the major planning vehicle for our next generation. When the plan was first presented the Inspector suspended the hearing because of their incompetence and now with the resumption of the hearings of the Amber Valley Local Plan Part 1 Core Strategy  due to commence on Tuesday ( 15th December) next week they have had to be cancelled because the authority cannot now once again demonstrate a 5 year supply of housing land. The Tories have buried their head in the sand, removing sites purely on political grounds and despite being told by the Labour opposition that the figures that they were using were unsound since last July they have ridiculed our stance. At the last working party group meeting in early November Labour members once again questioned the 5 year supply numbers as they had changed five times in the last  two weeks and were told by the Tories that they could guarantee with 100% confidence that the figures were accurate.’


' We have returned back to the ‘smoke and mirrors’ game that ex Leader Cllr Bradford used which is disastrous for the planning process and despite the comments by Conservative Cllr Alan Cox  the Borough is now at the mercy of planners and developers who will get applications approved on appeal due to their total incompetence. For that reason I am asking Cllr Alan Cox to consider his position as Leader of the Council, as well as Chair of Planning, because it is through his lack of judgement and blatant political interference in the process that our green spaces are at the mercy of aggressive developers.’
 
For further information contact Cllr Chris Emmas-Williams on  07771751409 


Local Plan Part 1 Core Strategy Submission
The new Amber Valley Local Plan Part 1 Core Strategy, which sets out a spatial strategy and key planning policies for development in the Borough until 2028, was originally submitted to the Secretary of State on the 20th December 2013.
The Local Plan covers everything from new homes and jobs to retail and leisure facilities, transport and local services, energy and the environment. It aims to make sure the new homes, jobs and services required by communities are located in the most sustainable places. It will also deliver the infrastructure, facilities and other development needed to make this possible. In addition, it identifies strategic sites where the Council expects the most significant developments to take place.

Tories Lies and Hypocrisy 

Following last nights  Full  Council meeting ,at which the  proposal to support Whole Council elections was rejected. the Tory group issued a press release  criticising the Labour group for not supporting the proposal by saying it will result in the loss of £250,000 of savings between 2019-2023.

In response to this criticism Labour Group leader Paul Jones  stated

The statement issued by the Conservative Group on Amber Valley following the Council meeting is just a cheap political stunt  and has very little bearing in fact. 

The Leadership of the Labour Group had informed the Leader of the Council two weeks ago that there was insufficient support within the Labour group for this item to be approved yet he persisted in having the meeting wasting  money on printing the reports  , officer and member time. Hardly, the action of someone so concerned over making savings.

In respect of the claim that Amber Valley is out of step with other Councils in its election cycle  the following facts are taken from the report that went to Council listing the number of  other Councils which do not have a four yearly election cycle.

36 Metropolitan district councils: elections by thirds 
68 two-tier district councils: elections by thirds 
7 two-tier district councils: election by halves every two years 
17 single-tier (unitary) district councils: elections by thirds 

The sheer hypocrisy of Cllr Alan Cox's comment about saving money is laughable. Cllr Alan Cox and his group voted against  a similar proposal  put forward by Labour, when we were in control of the Council, on 2nd March 2015 which would have saved £235,000 from May 2016-2019 and the additional £250,000 between 2019-2023 a total of £475,000. The Conservative proposal would only have become effective from 2019 and saved £250,000. I think the question for Cllr Alan Cox is why did he voted against making saving of £475,000 only 10 months ago

The views of the public are very important in making these decisions  and the fact that  the views of the public of those 23 organisations contacted  69% were either against or failed to respond  Not a ringing public endorsement of the proposals

Therefore we felt that there is a lack of demonstrable public support for the proposals and that the savings proposed were less than the previous proposal they  voted against and  need to be made now NOT in 2019 

Jeremy Corbyn has written to President Hollande to convey his deepest sympathy for those caught up in the attacks in Paris

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Veteran left-wing Labour MP dies, forcing 1st by-election challenge for Corbyn

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Prominent Jeremy Corbyn supporter Michael Meacher MP has died at the age of 75, forcing the first by-election test for the new Labour leader.The veteran Labour MP for Oldham West and Royton died after a “short illness,” his office manager told the Oldham Evening Chonicle on Wednesday. Colleagues within the Labour Party offered their condolences to the former shadow cabinet minister on Twitter.


If there's one thing that you can be absolutely sure of, it's that Conservatives have a burning ideological hatred of the concept of socialised healthcare.
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Derbyshire County Council spending £500,000 to tackle food poverty

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Its what a Labour Council does
More than half-a-million pounds is being spent by Derbyshire County Council to help tackle food poverty in the region.

The figure of £528,550, paid for out of the public health fund, is being used to find sustainable solutions to food poverty.
These include the provision of a Fareshare store for fresh produce.
Other projects include support for breakfast clubs, community kitchens and social supermarkets.
The latter sell rejected supermarket food, which might be incorrectly labelled or have damaged packaging.
'Moral case'A spokeswoman for the council said: "The reason we've made the decision to tackle food poverty using public health money is because a lack of proper nutrition affects physical and mental health.
"In the long term this will cause huge pressures on health and social care costs - so there is an economic as well as a moral case for us to take preventative action to address the issue."
The authority said it had also set up funding pots to help food banks deal with rising demand.
On Friday, a new food bank opened in Sawley, bringing the total number in the county to 23.
Another food bank in Matlock is also offering a delivery service to help residents who would otherwise face paying more in transport costs to use the service.
The exact number of people using food banks is not known but the Trussell Trust, the biggest network of food banks in the UK, said it helped to feed hundreds of thousands of people a year.


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Labour leadership: At-a-glance guide to the contenders

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  • The candidates: Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, Jeremy Corbyn and Liz Kendall
  • Key dates: Ballot papers will be sent out on 14 August; voting can take place by post or online. They must be returned by 10 September. The result is on 12 September
  • Who can vote? All party members, registered supporters and affiliated supporters - including those joining via a union
  • The voting system? The Alternative Vote system is being used so voters are asked to rank candidates in order of preference
  • How does it work? If no candidate gets 50% of all votes cast, the candidate in fourth place is eliminated. Their second preference votes are then redistributed among the remaining three. If there is still no winner, the third place candidate is eliminated with their preferences redistributed. It is then a head-to-head between the last two candidates

Jeremy Corbyn tops Labour constituency vote in leadership bid

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Jeremy Corbyn is the most popular candidate for Labour leader among local constituency groups, according to the latest party nomination figures.

He is backed by 152 constituency parties, with Andy Burnham in second place with 111, then Yvette Cooper with 106 and Liz Kendall with 18.

The supporting nominations have no weight in the vote but give an insight into the views of active party members.

Mr Corbyn also has the backing of the UK's two largest trade unions.


Amber Valley Labour Group Press Release

By just 2 votes at last nights Full Council meeting Amber Valley Tories have agreed to consult on increasing the number of houses proposed under the Council's unadopted  'Core Strategy ' by an additional 701 houses.

In an act of blatant political opportunism they have removed 2 proposed sites in the Tory heartlands of Kedleston and Belper and are looking for additional housing to be built in the predominant Labour eastern side of the Borough to make up the shortfall. 
Deputy Labour Group Leader Chris Emmas-Williams said after the meeting ' Its amazing, the one chance the Tories had to get a Core Strategy in front of the inspector and they have blown it. The Borough is now more vulnerable than it has ever been to planning by appeal thanks totally to their political ends, this was demonstrated in Crich this week when permission to build over 100 houses was approved on appeal. By taking Kedleston Road and the Bullsmoor site at Belper out there has to be another 6 weeks minimum consultation which gives the biggest ever opportunity to developers to get their applications approved as the Borough Council cannot demonstrate that there is a 5 year housing supply.'

For further information please contact  on 0771 751409


Tory Leader, Alan Cox, refused to deny that the Tories are looking to provide a new Council Chamber within the existing main council offices.

Tory Deputy Leader ,David Wilson, was forced to apologise at the Full Council meeting last night after making an inappropriate remark to Labour member John McCcabe ,who said 'In 27 years on the Council he had never been spoken to in that manner'

Tory deputy Leader,David Wilson, denied at last nights Full Council meeting that the Tories were committed to delivering free garden waste collection to ever household in Amber Valley despite them promising to do so in their election leaflets. Lies, damn lies and the Tory party will promise anything to get elected.

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Tories force through increase of 700 houses to be   built in Amber Valley by just 2 votes

At last night's Council meeting (15th July) the Tory group exposed their own naked self interest by forcing through by just two votes taking out two site in the western side of the Borough on the basis the brownfield sites,mainly in the eastern side of the borough, can make up the shortfall. The Tories have agreed to an additional 701 houses in addition to the previous number proposed by Labour under the core strategy for houses in Amber Valley.


Labour retains grip on Derby City Council

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After the Group AGM the following positions were approved

Leader Paul Jones
Deputy Leader Chris Emmas Williams
Shadow Cabinet
Housing and Public Health Tony Holmes
Environment John McCabe
Community Safety Isobel Harry




The Labour Party Manifesto 2015

Ed Miliband has launched our election manifesto. It’s a manifesto for the working people of Britain: a plan to secure the nation’s finances so we can reward hard work, share prosperity and improve family finances.

This manifesto is our commitment to make Britain better for you, for your family, for your community.

download the manifesto here.

AVBC have placed this report on its website:-
The Council’s Car Park, Cromford Road, Ripley


At a Full Meeting of Amber Valley Borough Council on 15 December 2010, consideration was given to a confidential report proposing the ‘marketing’ of the Central Headquarters, as part of a strategic review of the operations of the Council in response to challenging current and future financial circumstances. It was resolved that the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader:

agree a marketing strategy for the disposal of the Central Headquarters;
appoint a surveyors company to deliver that strategy; and
report back to Council on the outcome of the strategy, with the final decision on the disposal of the Central Headquarters being a matter for the Council

Although the Headquarters has not been formally marketed in recent years, the Council regularly receives and considers approaches from potential purchasers.

A Full Meeting of Amber Valley Borough Council took place on 25 March 2015, at which 44 of the Council’s elected members were present. The agenda for the meeting, which had been published in advance and placed on the Council’s website, included an item entitled, ‘Central Headquarters’. The paper for this item was not made publically available because it contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of an interested party and the Council.

At the start of the meeting the Councillors were asked to determine which of the agenda items, if any, should be taken with the public excluded. It was resolved, without any objections, that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the business set out in the item entitled, ‘Central Headquarters’. This was on the grounds that the report involved the likely disclosure of information relating to the financial or business affairs of an interested party and the Council and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

The minutes of the meeting, that were published and made available on the Council’s website soon after, state that consideration was given to a confidential report regarding the Central Headquarters and that it was resolved that the open market value be noted in respect of the disposal of the land at Cromford Road, Ripley, shown edged red on the plan at Appendix 1 to the Officer’s report, and that Council expresses its views in advance of Cabinet making the final decision on any disposal.

A meeting of the Council’s Cabinet took place on 8 April 2015 and the agenda, which had been published in advance and placed on the Council’s website, included an item entitled, ‘Central Headquarters’. The paper for this item was not made publically available because it contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of an interested party and the Council.

At the start of the meeting the Cabinet Members were asked to determine which of the agenda items, if any, should be taken with the public excluded. It was resolved that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the business set out in the item entitled, ‘Central Headquarters’. This was on the grounds that the report involved the likely disclosure of information relating to the financial or business affairs of an interested party and the Council and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

The minutes of the meeting, that were published and made available on the Council’s website soon after, state that consideration was given to a confidential report regarding the Central Headquarters building, the base for Amber Valley Borough Council. Further written information provided by the Executive Director (Operations) prior to the meeting was considered by members.

The minutes refer to the Council having received an offer in respect of the land at Cromford Road, Ripley, shown edged red on the plan attached at Appendix 1 to the Officer’s report, on the terms set out in the report and it was resolved that the disposal of the car park for the Council Offices at Cromford Road, Ripley be approved and the Executive Director (Resources), in consultation with the Leader of the Council, be authorised to negotiate the terms of the disposal. The reason for this decision was that it would release a Council asset, to generate a capital receipt to support the Council’s Capital Programme.

No sale has been agreed and no disposal will take place unless the Executive Director (Resources), in consultation with the Leader of the Council, is satisfied with the terms. This includes being satisfied that the Council gets the best value from the deal and that concerns about staff and public car parking are addressed effectively.

Any issues associated with a future development of the land would be addressed through the planning process.



What more of an endorsement could Labour hope for? - only the genius that is Professor Stephen Hawking!!!

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Tory purchase of Field Lane land could have meant "town’s trade would ‘die a death’

Stepping into the newsagent on King Street this week my eye was caught by local newspaper headlines where a Tory Councillor was accusing Labour of planning to ruin Ripley's town centre by selling off a car park and of hatching this evil plan in secret. I immediately thought of Mandy Rice Davies and her famous quote, "He would, wouldn't he". (For the more youthful of those reading this blog I suggest this link: Mandy Rice Davies ) As we run into the election we can expect more of such mischief from the Tories. I personally don't like such negative tactics but as this has been deemed so vitally important by the Belper News I think it fair to respond to these Tory claims. So here goes:

Tory Car Park Follies:

When the Tories were in control of Amber Valley Borough Council they spent £1,600,000 on purchasing land on which they proposed building a new leisure centre. The plans which are still available on the AVBC website (try this link: AVBC press release from 2011 ) would have meant a drastic reduction in the size of the Field Lane car park, probably losing over 90 spaces. We should not forget that the Tories had already lost half of the Green Lane car park capacity so under the Tories the number of car park spaces that directly serve King Street shops would have been reduced from 400 to 200. Yet another example of Tory hypocrisy. If you follow the link that I have provided you will find further links to the plans that show in detail the adverse effect on parking spaces.

Whilst we are looking at the Field Lane purchase I cannot resist sharing with you this amazing interview with the BBC in 2011 where a leading Tory Councillor states that the council did not have the money to complete the new leisure centre project but thought it a good idea to rush ahead with the acquisition so as to "avoid VAT"  ( the link to Tory Councillor BBC interview).
I am particularly amused , if that is the right word, by this gentleman's comment that, "Our next step will be to establish funding opportunities to build the facility itself, and then to meet the future leisure needs of the people of Belper and surrounding areas.".  
I took this photograph on Friday; this is how far the Tory plan has progressed in the last 4 years; a fenced off bit of ground that cost tax payers £1.6 million, an expenditure made in a town that already had a leisure centre that was in urgent need of investment. Why didn't they spend the money on our existing facilities?

But what about the accusation of secrecy?

This has to be the most scurrilous example of negative election tactics as I think back to last year and the "New Council Offices for Belper Shock" headline that never made it into the Belper News or onto the BBC News. Yes, local Belper Tories met in secret for several months on a plan to spend the Town Council reserves on the purchase of new premises to house it's three part time office staff. We will never know how much this would have cost nor how much was actually spent in time, energy and legal advice as none of these details were ever made public. It is obvious that the plan was yet another Tory folly as when it was voted upon by the full Belper Town Council it was rejected. However, that vote was held in secret, the euphemism being that the vote was held in camera. None of this was reported in any media but if the Tories can gain column inches and airtime for such blatant propaganda just before an election their own track record and obvious hypocrisy should also be a matter for public scrutiny.

So why is Labour thinking about selling off the Ripley car park?

This interests me so after a little bit of research I came up with what I think must be the reason. Between 2009 and 2014 the budget of Amber Valley Council has been cut by 42%. I found this out here: Annual Financial Statement 2014. We still await the statement for 2015 but we have already been warned that the budget for last year was yet again hit by Tory cuts, losing another £960,000. The forecast for 2015/16 being a further £1 million pounds. Faced with such huge cuts on a budget currently somewhere around £12 million is it any wonder that the borough council is looking for ways of avoiding cuts to essential services.

The comparison between Labour and Conservative financial wisdom could not be more clear. Labour tries to raise money to safeguard the fabric of our society whilst Tories squander our taxes on farcical projects that are not needed and have no hope of ever being completed.

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Lies, dam lies and Amber Valley Tories- re Cromford Road Car Park

It is evident from the front page of the local Tory press that nothing will stop the Conservatives trying to get a news story  where one does not exist based on something which is a lie and a smear But then again it is an election period.

It is disappointing, however,  that due to sloppy journalism and the need to create a sensational story to stop a sliding readership the Ripley and Heanor News have printed on their front page such a story which is nothing less than a bare face lie despite being told all the details by the Leader of the Council which the paper omitted to print.They obviously chose  to ignore the truth as it did not fit in with their sensationialised front page story.

For the benefit of clarity here is the TRUTH

  • The original decision to put the Town Hall and car park up for sale was made over 4 years ago by then Tory controlled Council.

  • There has never  been any meetings in secret held by the current administration. It is interesting that no details of the alleged secret meeting are available and the Ripley and Heanor puts  it down to their own investigations yet uses the same language as the deputy  leader of the Tory group .Is this a coincidence ? 

  • The rabid right wing Tory deputy leader  Alan Cox complained that the meeting to discuss the proposed sale of the car park should not be heard as a confidential item Yet did not vote against the item being discussed in the confidential section when it came to the Full Council on 25 March.

  • The process used to discuss this item were exactly the same as used by the previous Tory administration in respect of the sale of Nottingham Road Ripley and Field Lane Belper when Cllr Cox was deputy leader  

  • A senior member of the Tory group has been contacting businesses in Ripley about this and leaking confidential  council information ,including details of the company that has made a bid for the car park ,for their own political ends.

  • Cllr Alan Cox complained to the Council's Scrutiny Committee that the decision making process was flawed and should not have been heard in the confidential part of the Cabinet meeting .This was rejected unanimously by the Committee made up of 5 Labour and 4 Tories . Indeed the Tory Vice Chair condemned Alan Cox for the call in as it had no basis in truth and said that the figures he quoted were misleading at best .

Unfortunately none of this will get in the press because of the restriction on printing stories during election time from the Council or political parties.

So the Ripley and Heanor has used a baseless story to support the Tory message during the election in the full knowledge that the Council is unable to respond with the truth. 

This is the same paper which has never mentioned the success of the new labour administration is removing over 1000  houses from the Greenbelt between Ripley and Codnor .

A letter from businesses asking the government for tax cuts is getting a lot of publicity today.Make sure working people are heard too —
sign our letter >>CLICK HERE


A Labour government will build a strong economic foundation and balance the books
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A Labour government will create jobs for young people
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A Labour government will freeze gas and electricity bills until 2017


Cameron heckled by pensioners during a speechDavid Cameron has been heckled by pensioners during a speech about Conservative policies for the elderly.

The audience at an Age UK event in London criticised him over NHS reforms and over not appointing a minister for the elderly.


Amber Valley Tories voted against holding Whole Council Elections in 2016 and, therefore, AGAINST saving £235,000 in four years .This was despite their leader telling the Council Leader they would not oppose it only last Friday.You cannot trust aTory



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Relieved that no Tesco's in Amber Valley are to be closed


Dan Jarvis MP joining local Labour activists in Ripley campaigning for kevin Gillott

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LATEST NEWS CLICK HERE

As per the requirements outlined in Section 12 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.  Police and Crime Commissioners must publish an annual report.  This report will be different to future reports as Police and Crime Commissioners were not elected until Thursday 15 November 2012. This first report therefore covers just four months of work.
http://www.derbyshire-pcc.gov.uk/Document-Library/Your-PCC/PCCAnnualReport/PCC-annual-report-2013-2014-10-14.pdf
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KEVIN GILLOTT 
    FOR 2015!

Your PPC for 2015.


Kevin Gillott is the Deputy Leader of Derbyshire County Council with responsibility for children’s services having been a local councillor since 1997. 

Married with a teenage son, Kevin lives in North Wingfield.

A Derbyshire resident for over 40 years, he grew up in Dronfield where he was educated at the local Henry Fanshaw Comprehensive School. After graduating from university in 1984 he started work as an administrative assistant in the Derbyshire Magistrate’s Courts Service but went back to university whilst still working to qualify as a solicitor. He continued to work in the court service as a senior legal adviser for over 20 years until he took on his current role as Deputy Leader.

Kevin has a strong record as an active campaigner and as someone who works hard for the people he represents. He already had strong links with Amber Valley before he was selected as the candidate by local Party Members. Since his selection he’s been active in the constituency on a range of issues including opposing the proposals to close local fire stations as a consequence of government cuts, working with the local health authorities to ensure the reopening of Heanor Hospital and working with Labour councillors to oppose some of the planning proposals in the constituency.

Kevin is a passionate believer in the importance of early years education and in the need to work with schools to ensure every child gets the best education. As the Cabinet Member for Children’s Service’s he’s supported proposals to introduce school breakfast clubs, tackle youth unemployment and introduce the living wage. He’s also a strong supporter of greater devolution of powers from central to local government and of the need to rebuild trust in politics.

Email: [email protected]



RIPLEY £5 MILLION DEVELOPMENT FUND ‘MISSING’

In November 2013 the Tories announce a multi-million Town sustainability fund  of which £5 was to be allocated to Ripley .

Council Leader Paul Jones said ‘We have looked at the books and cannot find this money .Another ‘smoke and mirrors’ promise from the Tories .They will say anything to try and win. Fortunately the people of Ripley saw through this ‘con’  and elected a more honest labour council’


TORIES CANNOT ADD UP
StandardFormer Tory leader of the Council Stuart ‘ I will not resign’ Bradford appears to be having difficulty with his maths . Its no wonder the Council is in such a financial mess.

Following the recent reduction in Cabinet numbers introduced by the new Labour administration Bradford claimed that this would increase costs from £25,938 to £28,759 per year..

However, what the former leader omitted to recognise was that the new support Cabinet members had forgone any  pay until the independent review had taken place which saved £2256 pa plus the abolition of the Appeals panel saved another £789 .Add the saving of reduced cabinet post of £3947pa That is a current saving  of £6692 pa


TORIES WANT TO ENDANGER PEOPLES LIVES
Standard It would appear that the local Tories wish to endanger members of the public attending Council meetings by ignoring health and safety restrictions on how many people can attend council meetings. What  would they say if  fire broke out and members of the public were injured. Just another sign of Tory irresponsibility.


Tories lost Cameron's "favourite" borough to Labour

By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph
3:01PM BST 23 May 2014

Hammersmith and Fulham, thought to be a flagship Conservative council, has been lost to Labour, as have Croydon and Amber Valley

David Cameron was dealt a severe blow when Hammersmith and Fulham, said to be his favourite borough, was lost to Labour.

The Conservatives lost 11 seats to Labour, leaving the council with a majority of 26 Labour seats to the Tories’ 20.

The borough, which has been in Conservative hands since 2002, was held up as a flagship authority to demonstrate the success of Cameron’s low council tax policy.

It neighbours Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, two Conservative strongholds.

Amber Valley was also swept away from the Conservatives, with Labour winning two of their seats, giving them a narrow majority of 23 against the Tories’ 21. The wards that changed hands were Belper South and Ripley.


Taking its name from the River Amber, Prime Minister David Cameron has made numerous trips to the Derbyshire borough council which has been in Tory hands for since 2000.

Amber Valley MP Nigel Mills was a prominent figure in the Tory rebellion against the Government's immigration bill in January. Dozens of Conservatives backed his calls for tighter controls to be reintroduced on Bulgarian and Romanian migrants.

The Conservatives also lost Croydon to Labour, with Labour gaining 7 of their seats, and marking it out as a tough battleground in next year’s general election.

DET REPORT ON LABOUR ELECTION VICTORY
MAY 24TH 2014
 
The Derby Evening Telegraph reported the election as folows

Labour celebrate taking two seats from the Tories in Amber Valley

LABOUR won control of Amber Valley Borough Council – ending 14 years of Tory rule.

The party took two Conservative seats to take overall control of the authority.

Roland Emmas-Williams took the Ripley seat from Tory Ron Ashton.

And Labour’s Erik Johnsen was voted in to represent Belper South ahead of Daniel Booth.

A third of the council’s 45 seats were up for election.

The Conservatives had held 24 seats to Labour’s 21.

Following the election results, Labour now has 23 councillors and the Tories were left with 21.

One seat, Swanwick, is the subject to a delayed election, following the death of the Conservative candidate Patricia Lynne Watson. This will be held on June 26.

UKIP came second or third in all 15 wards and the Liberal Democrats finished last in each one.

Labour leader Councillor Paul Jones said he was “really happy” his group were back in power for the first time since 2000.

He said: “We’re very delighted. After 14 years we’ve managed to take control of Amber Valley.

“I think because the election is done by thirds, it has made it difficult to make that jump.

“We were defending nine out of 15 seats. We managed to defend all nine and win a further two.

“That’s 11 out of 15 that we’ve managed to win. I see that as an excellent result for us.

“I’m proud of all our winning candidates.

“It could have been even better. We missed out by winning Belper East by just 50 votes.

“UKIP came second in a number of the wards but we managed to see off that threat, which I’m pleased about.”

The election count took place at Alfreton Leisure Centre.

Following the win, Mr Jones said it was a “victory for socialism in Amber Valley”.

“We will protect the poor and help the weak,” he said.

Asked how he would protect services, he said: “Running the council is about priorities. Our priorities are different to the Conservatives.”


The council’s Conservative leader, Councillor Stuart Bradford, said the result was “disappointing”.

He said: “I was expecting to hang on (to control) with a majority of one, frankly.

“It was disappointing to lose Belper South. I expected to hold that.

“We nearly held Ripley, but I knew that would be highly risky.”

UKIP finished second in eight of the 15 wards and Mr Bradford admitted the party had played a big role in the Amber Valley election.

He said: “Again, it seems to be the UKIP effect that has interfered – if that’s the right word – with the outcome of the local council elections, although it’s interesting that they didn’t get any candidate elected in Amber Valley.

“They have one policy and so it seems to be a protest vote.”

Despite losing control of the council, Mr Bradford said he had no intention of standing down as leader of the Conservative group.

He said: “It will be interesting to see how Councillor Jones does as leader.

“He’s done it before, but his group is out of practice.”

The full results are below.

Alfreton (pre election party – Labour) votes cast – 2040 of 6350 = 32.13%

John Walker (LAB) 1113

Stuart Bent (UKI) 573

Kat Moss (CON) 301

Peter Jelf (LBD) 49

Belper East (pre election party – Conservative) votes cast – 1539 of 4736 = 32.5%

Martin Tomlinson (CON) 584

Alan Thomas Broughton (LAB) 534

Roy Snape (UKI) 344

Paul Smith (LBD) 68

Belper South (pre election party – Conservative) votes cast – 1694 of 4564 = 37.12%

Erik Johnsen (LAB) 629

Daniel Joseph Booth (CON) 481

David Edgar Fisher (UKI) 445

Jeremy Richard Benson (LBD) 126

Codnor & Waingroves (pre election party – Labour) votes cast – 1403 of 3903 = 35.95 %

Isobel Harry (LAB) 586

Ann Fox (UKI) 395

Lind Edwards-Milson (CON) 347

Alan Edwards (BNP) 39

Fay Whitehead (LBD) 32

Duffield (pre election party – Conservative) votes cast – 1824 of 4027 = 45.29%

Chris Short (CON) 930

Patrick William Mountain (LAB) 424

John William Young (UKI) 298

Richard Alan Salmon (LBD) 164

Heage and Ambergate (pre election party – Labour) votes cast – 1744 of 4069 = 42.86%

David Farrelly (LAB) 734

Valeri Joan Taylor (CON) 561

Julliette Nicola Stevens (UKI) 371

Chris Bradley (LDB) 71

Heanor & Loscoe (pre election party – Labour) votes cast – 1418 of 4124 = 34.38 %

Heather Longdon (LAB) 571

Geoff Adwinckle (UKI) 487

Julie Whitmore (CON) 319

Ronald Welsby (LBD) 43

Heanor East (pre election party – Labour) votes cast – 1574 of 4695 = 33.53%

Barrie John Aistrop (LAB) 674

Dave Patchett (UKI) 440

Steven Grainger (CON) 408

Michael Bedford (LBD) 46

Heanor West (pre election party – Labour) votes cast – 1549 of 4778 = 32.42 %

Paul Jones (LAB) 623

Ken Clifford (UKI) 501

Mark Burrel (CON) 355

Heather Whitworth (LBD) 63

Ironville & Riddings (pre election party – Labour) votes cast – 1751 of 4675 = 37.45%

Paul Smith (LAB) 837

Jack Watson Brown (CON) 557

Pam Johnson (UKI)313

Ollie Smith (LBD) 40

Kilburn, Denby & Holbrook (pre election party – Conservative) votes cast – 2450 of 6353 = 38.56%

Trevor Mark Ainsworth (CON) 995

John Phillip Banks (LAB) 733

Philip Sanders Rose (UKI) 617

Elsie Situnayake (LBD) 97

Langley Mill & Aldercar (pre election party – Labour) votes cast – 1223 of 4184 = 29.23%

Eileen Hamilton (LAB) 529

Kenneth Chapman (UKI) 366

Stephen Whitmore (CON) 289

Margaret Tomkins (LBD) 30

Ripley (pre election party – Conservative) votes cast – 2502 of 7097 = 35.25%

Roland Emmas-Williams (LAB) 951

Ron Ashton (CON) 783

Garry Smith (UKI) 612

Ken Cooper (BNP) 80

Paul Gibbons (LBD) 70

Shipley Park, Horsley and Horsley Woodhouse (pre election party – Conservative) votes cast – 1875 of 4706 = 39.84%

Richard Iliffe (CON) 795

Adrian Nathan (UKI) 525

Steeve Holden (LAB) 444

Kate Smith (LBD) 95

Somercotes (pre election party – Labour) votes cast – 1422 of 4831 = 29.43%

Brian Lyttle (LAB) 805

Andrew Maslin (UKI) 348

Ian Smith (CON) 214

Rosemary Milward (LBD) 47



Top


May 22nd wiped away 14 years of Tory incompetence and could not have been achieved without the support of our army of volunteers.

The Labour group would like to pass on their thanks to you all and see you next Saturday at the celebration bash.

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New Amber Valley Borough Council leader Paul Jones is settling into his top job and knows he has a tough task ahead as the authority grapples with spending cuts.

But he also has plans for 
economic growth for the 
borough, including an ambitious plan to extend the 
Nottingham tram system into Amber Valley.

This week Cllr Jones spoke in detail about the future for the borough under Labour rule after his party wrestled control of the council from the Tories after 14 years.

Cllr Jones is the only council leader to have been in post in two different centuries, and two different millennia.

He was previously leader in 1999 when the council was last Labour led.

His party has a slim 
majority of just two seats after the local elections in May.

He said: “It has been a long time coming. I am excited, 
exhilarated, and also 
apprehensive to take on the 
challenges that lie ahead, but I am more than ready.”

He has kick-started his term in office by proposing 
several ways for the 
council to review budgets and 
streamline spending, after the announcement of severe council budget cuts, which are affecting all local authorities.

And it comes as Derbyshire 
County Council, also now 
Labour run, is slashing its budget by £157 million as it faces ‘unrelenting’ 
government cuts to its funding due to the recession.

Cllr Jones, who as well as being leader of the 
council represents the 
Heanor ward, and is also a county 
councillor for the Greater Heanor area, which includes 
Aldercar and Langley Mill.

The leader is set to carry out an independent review of borough council spending in September to evaluate the 
structure and effectiveness of the 
current system.

He said: “I aim to change the priorities of the council and get them thinking 
outside of the box, in order for 
Derbyshire to deal with the cuts. The income stream is drying up and we need to look at different ways of 
approaching things.

The Labour group is looking to increase 
economic regeneration, including 
transportation, by working with neighbouring 
authorities.

“Economic growth is important, and I believe the most proactive way of 
tackling this is by discussing the sharing of services with areas of mutual development,” said Cllr Jones.

“We have aspirations to extend the tram system from Broxtowe, Nottingham, 
into our neck of the woods. This would greatly improve 
transportation links.”

Cllr Jones is also keen to cut down youth 
unemployment.

He said: “I have been in talks with businesses at 
Heanor Gate Industrial Estate, and local colleges regarding setting up apprenticeships for school children. Lets get them 
into the workplace and doing something they are passionate about.”

He also stressed one of his priorities would be to tackle 
regeneration in towns such as Heanor.

“Heanor is a great place but it needs work. It used to be a market town, but 
after closures throughout the 
recession it needs to be 
injected with a new lease of life.

“We need to increase 
footfall and attract people to the town rather than just pass through it on their way to a city centre.

The councillor who is 
married with two sons, 
added: “I am born and bred in 
Heanor, and am committed to trying to improve the town by 
working with local traders and 
businesses. I welcome any suggestions on how else this could be done in Heanor and other local towns.”



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LEADER’S ARTICLE FOR PROGRESS MAGAZINE

Council Leader  Paul Jones wrote the following article for the progress online  magazine

Council Leader wrote the following article for progress online

The difference a Labour council can make

Largely unnoticed by the national media, obsessed as ever by the London results, the former mining area of Amber Valley in Derbyshire went Labour for the first time in 14 years at last month’s local elections.

The impact of the Labour victory was obvious to everyone present, not least the sitting Tory MP whose parting comments to the local media about his own position that ‘it was hard to be confident’ about next year’s general election summed up what we all knew about the Tories in Amber Valley.

The seeds of our victory were laid last summer. Week in and week out, with only a short break over Christmas, local party members and our candidate, Kevin Gillott, were out on the doorstep campaigning. Door knocking and listening to people really does make a difference. And it was from our conversations on the doorstep that our programme and priorities were shaped. The issue raised were round public services, toilets, dog fouling and car parking – those mundane things that are important to people.

Just as importantly, they said that they felt powerless to change things. The centralisation of power that started in the 1970s has gone too far and is undermining our democracy. Local government is a shadow of what it used to be when I first came into politics and what power we do have is so governed by rules and codes that little local discretion remains. House building in particular has been a major issue in Amber Valley as the last Tory administration tried to force upon communities massive new housing developments. Yes, we have to build more houses, but if you change the nature of communities in the process, destroying their sense of identity, you only feed that sense of powerlessness.

Our manifesto was not as ambitious as in previous years due to the damning effect of the cuts to local government funding streams by the coalition government and 14 years of outsourcing by the previous Tory administration. Like most authorities, Amber valley took the ‘Pickles gold’ and as a consequence have a declining council tax base, which is only storing up problems to be faced three years down the line – something confirmed by the LGA who we are working with to make the council more effective and efficient. We have started a with a programme of changing the priorities of the previous administration within our existing budgets and working with our Labour county council colleagues to share resources and facilities as well working with neighbouring authorities over the county boundary to develop shared regeneration areas along the Derbyshire – Nottinghamshire border, including the potential for a tram system.

At our first meeting we created a community fund for the 11 most deprived areas in the council, which happen by coincidence to be predominately Labour seats. We have also reduced the number of cabinet posts to demonstrate our commitment to efficiency. And we have agreed to support the bicentenary of the ‘Pentrich Revolution’, which has been referred to as England’s last revolution, promoting radical Labour history and using it as a basis to promote tourism. We will be working with the local, regional and national ‘green energy’ companies to promote an annual environmental fair, cancelled by the Tories 14 years previously.

This community has seen off a strong British National party challenge in earlier elections. We used our control of the local town and parish councils along with the control of the county council to demonstrate that we are not all the same.

Finally, on a topical note, the company who developed the goal line technology for the world cup is based in Amber Valley at Heanor and hopefully we can build on hi-tech industries to help drive the local economy forward with quality, high-skilled jobs for a former coal mining area.



LIBERALS NO LONGER A LOCAL PARTY IN AMBER VALLEY

Although the Liberal Democrats have not been a force in Amber Valley for a number of years they still seemed to be able to have a local connection to the areas they were standing in. However, that seems to be a things of the past looking at their nominations for the May 22nd elections. Out of 16 Liberal Democrats nominated only 2 actually live in or near to the area they are standing in.

LABOUR COME SECOND IN DELAYED ELECTION

Labour came a very credible second in the delayed election in Swanwick last night .Tory  474 (36.93%)Labour 298 (22.90%)Ind 252 (19.36%)UKIP 245 (18.83%)LD 32 ( 0.24%)Council Leader Paul Jones said ‘ This is a seat we would not have expected to win so coming second is a good performance by the labour team in that area and gives us something to build on for the general election ‘

DATE JUNE 27, 2014

TODAYS RESULTS

Alfreton (pre election party – LAB) votes cast – 2040 of 6350 = 32.13 %
WALKER (LAB) (E)
John 1113 BENT (UKI)
Stuart 573 MOSS (CON)
Kat 301 JELF (LBD)
Peter 49

Belper East (pre election party – CON) votes cast – 1539 of 4736 = 32.50 %
TOMLINSON (CON) (E)
Martin 584 BROUGHTON (LAB)
Alan Thomas 534 SNAPE (UKI)
Roy Wilford 344 SMITH (LBD)
Paul 68

Belper South (pre election party – CON) votes cast – 1694 of 4564 = 37.12 %
JOHNSEN (LAB) (E)
Erik 629 BOOTH (CON)
Daniel Joseph 481 FISHER (UKI)
David Edgar 445 BENSON (LBD)
Jeremy Richard 126

Codnor & Waingroves (pre election party – LAB) votes cast – 1403 of 3903 = 35.95 %
HARRY (LAB) (E)
Isobel 586 FOX (UKI)
Ann 395 EDWARDS-MILSOM (CON)
Linda 347 EDWARDS (BNP)
Alan 39 WHITEHEAD (LBD)
Fay 32

Duffield (pre election party – CON) votes cast – 1824 of 4027 = 45.29 %
SHORT (CON) (E)
Chris 930 MOUNTAIN (LAB)
Patrick William 424 YOUNG (UKI)
John William 298 SALMON (LBD)
Richard Alan 164

Heage and Ambergate (pre election party – LAB) votes cast – 1744 of 4069 = 42.86 %
FARRELLY (LAB) (E)
David 734 TAYLOR (CON)
Valerie Joan 561 STEVENS (UKI)
Julliette Nicola 371 BRADLEY (LDB)
Chris 71

Heanor & Loscoe (pre election party – LAB) votes cast – 1418 of 4124 = 34.38 %
LONGDON (LAB) (E)
Heather 571 ADWINCKLE (UKI)
Geoff 487 WHITMORE (CON)
Julie 319 WELSBY (LBD)
Ronald 43

Heanor East (pre election party – LAB) votes cast – 1574 of 4695 = 33.53 %
AISTROP (LAB) (E)
Barrie Roy 674 PATCHETT (UKI)
Dave 440 GRAINGER (CON)
Steven 408 BEDFORD (LBD)
Michael 46

Heanor West (pre election party – LAB) votes cast – 1549 of 4778 = 32.42 %
JONES (LAB) (E)
Paul 623 CLIFFORD (UKI)
Ken 501 BURRREL (CON)
Mark 355 WHITWORTH (LBD)
Heather 63

Ironville & Riddings (pre election party – LAB) votes cast – 1751 of 4675 = 37.45 %
SMITH (LAB) (E)
Paul James 837 BROWN (CON)
Jack Watson 557 JOHNSON (UKI)
Pam 313 SMITH (LBD)
Ollie 40

Kilburn, Denby & Holbrook (pre election party – CON) votes cast – 2450 of 6353 = 38.56 %
AINSWORTH (CON) (E)
Trevor mark 995 BANKS (LAB)
John Philllip 733 ROSE (UKI)
Philip Sanders 617 SITUNAYAKE (LBD)
Elsie 97

Langley Mill & Aldercar (pre election party – LAB) votes cast – 1223 of 4184 = 29.23 %
HAMILTON (LAB) (E)
Eileen 529 CHAPMAN (UKI)
Kenneth William 366 WHITMORE (CON)
Stephen Peter 289 TOMKINS (LBD)
Margaret 30

Ripley (pre election party – CON) votes cast – 2502 of 7097 = 35.25 %
EMMAS-WILLIAMS (LAB) (E)
Roland 951 ASHTON (CON)
Ron 783 SMITH (UKI)
Garry Alan 612 COOPER (BNP)
Ken 80 GIBBONS (LBD)
Paul Robin 70

Shipley Park, Horsley and Horsley Woodhouse (pre election party – CON) votes cast – 1875 of 4706 = 39.84 %
ILIFFE (CON) (E)
Richard Henry 795 NATHAN (UKI)
Adrian William 525 HOLDEN (LAB)
Steve 444 SMITH (LBD)
Kate 95

Somercotes (pre election party – LAB) votes cast – 1422 of 4831 = 29.43 %
LYTTLE (LAB) (E)
Brian John 805 MASLIN (UKI)
Andrew Paul 348 SMITH (CON)
Ian Stewart 214 MILWARD (LBD)
Rosemary 47
total votes cast – 26008 of 73092 = 35.58 %

Party Seats after Election
Conservative 21
Labour 23
Other 0
Vacant 1

TORIES LOST CAMERON’S “FAVOURITE” BOROUGH TO LABOUR

The following is a report from the telegraph on-line of the Tory lost of Amber valley

By Camilla Turner

3:01PM BST 23 May 2014

Hammersmith and Fulham, thought to be a flagship Conservative council, has been lost to Labour, as have Croydon and Amber Valley

David Cameron was dealt a severe blow when Hammersmith and Fulham, said to be his favourite borough, was lost to Labour.

The Conservatives lost 11 seats to Labour, leaving the council with a majority of 26 Labour seats to the Tories’ 20.

The borough, which has been in Conservative hands since 2002, was held up as a flagship authority to demonstrate the success of Cameron’s low council tax policy.

It neighbours Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, two Conservative strongholds.

Amber Valley was also swept away from the Conservatives, with Labour winning two of their seats, giving them a narrow majority of 23 against the Tories’ 21. The wards that changed hands were Belper South and Ripley.

Taking its name from the River Amber, Prime Minister David Cameron has made numerous trips to the Derbyshire borough council which has been in Tory hands for since 2000.

Amber Valley MP Nigel Mills was a prominent figure in the Tory rebellion against the Government’s immigration bill in January. Dozens of Conservatives backed his calls for tighter controls to be reintroduced on Bulgarian and Romanian migrants.

The Conservatives also lost Croydon to Labour, with Labour gaining 7 of their seats, and marking it out as a tough battleground in next year’s general election.

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Amber Valley Tories refused to accept that the Council's reserves will be run down if we continued on the previous administrations proposals The figures below show a reduction in reserves from £5.6m to £1,2m by 2018

*31/03/2015 £5,692,000.00
*31/03/2016 £4,092,000.00
*31/03/2017 £2,557,000.00
*31/03/2018 £1,259,000.00



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Amber Valley Labour - Paul Jones 20 February   
More evidence as to why voting Labour does make a difference is the following press release from AVBC

A forward-thinking partnership with Nottingham Trent University’s School of Architecture and the Built Environment is looking at potential regeneration initiatives in Heanor town centre.
Keen to explore new and innovative ways of improving the area’s town centres, Amber Valley Borough Council has welcomed the opportunity to get new views on the challenges facing Heanor, and how they may be tackled.
As the first phase of the project, a group of 15 mature students from the University visited Heanor on Wednesday (18 February), to meet with Council representatives and look at Neighbourhood Planning and explore whether such a plan would be a good mechanism to aid the town centre’s regeneration.
The students, who are working towards their Postgraduate Certificate in Planning, Urban Design and Sustainable Development, at the University, will follow up this initial work with a presentation of their findings in April.
Leader of Amber Valley Borough Council, Cllr Paul Jones, commented: “We very much welcome the opportunity to work with the University on this project and are looking forward to hearing a different take on the issues facing Heanor, and, hopefully, some alternative solutions too. This is part of our vision to look at improving all of the towns across the Borough and is part of a long-term economic regeneration vision for Amber Valley, which we will be launching later this year.

1.1mn working households in England plagued by fuel poverty

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Ed Miliband tweets: 

"Great news from Amber Valley. Now Labour-run after for the first time in 14 years. Congratulations to the whole team there"

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TRAMS FOR AMBER VALLEY

The BBC website has reported our efforts to look at introducing Trams to Amber valley as follows.

Nottingham-to-Ripley tram route considered Councillors have said some of the funding for the line could come from the European Union
Proposals for a tram route between Nottingham and a Derbyshire town are to be investigated.
Amber Valley and Broxtowe councils are hoping to fund a study into a line from the city to Ripley, via Eastwood, Kimberley and Langley Mill.

The line, which could cost £180m, would relieve congestion and create new jobs, councillors have said.

Nottingham’s current tram extension has been criticised for overrunning and disrupting residents and businesses.

‘Ticks boxes’

The £570m extension was due to be open by Christmas but will not now open until next year.

Richard Robinson, from Broxtowe Borough Council in Nottinghamshire, said the Ripley planners would “learn from” the problems encountered with the Chilwell and Clifton extensions.

“We have got two options, we can do something or we can do nothing. If we do nothing, the congestion is going to continue,” he said.

“Because we are planning for this now, when this comes to Ripley we can plan for that and make this successful.”

Return of the Ripley Rattler?

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  • It has been 101 years since trams ran between Nottingham and Ripley.
  • Known as the Ripley Rattlers, the trams ran via Kimberley and Eastwood from 1913 to 1932.

The first phase of Nottingham’s tram system cost about £15m per kilometre, so the 7.5 mile (12km) route from Nottingham to Ripley could cost £180m.

Paul Jones, leader of Amber Valley council in Derbyshire, said some of the money could come from the European Union.

“It’s two different councils across county council borders. There’s deprivation in Eastwood and Langley Mill,” he said.

“It ticks lots of boxes with the European Union and I am confident they will be able to support it.”

Nottingham council has also said the tram could be extended to East Midlands Airport or the proposed HS2 station in Toton.

Lines to Bingham and Erewash in Derbyshire are also under consideration.

TOTAL VOTES CAST AT THURSDAY ELECTION

Labour-  10187-39.32%
Tory-       8087-31.22%
UKIP-      6467-24.96%
LibDem- 1046-4.04%
BNP-       119-0.46%

MAY 25, 2014

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