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Alfreton Town Council

The Town Mayor of Alfreton, Councillor Marlene Bennett MBE and Members of Alfreton Town Council want to pass on their thanks to all the people of Alfreton who have rallied round to help each other in many different ways during these difficult times.

We are particularly grateful to all those people who have put themselves on the frontline to care for people in hospitals and homes, those who are ensuring we get access to food and supplies and those who are keeping our Town and homes safe.

Please help our NHS and where you can ‘Stay at Home’

Keep smiling!

Our offices are closed but staff will be working from home if you need to contact the Town Council please view our website https://alfretontowncouncil.co.uk or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/alfretontc

Coronavirus Impact Report [Citizens Advice Derbyshire Districts March 2020]

Derbyshire County Councillor Steve Marshall-Clarke would like to reach out to the Community in these difficult times of the Covid-19 crisis to offer his support and to make people aware of the County Councils “Community Leadership Scheme”.

The scheme provides small grants to community, voluntary, youth and other local organisations. Its aim is to support worthwhile projects and initiatives that will benefit local communities.

People seeking support under the scheme should contact Steve explaining the nature of the project, the amount sought, what other funding may be available, and how it will benefit the community.

Steve can be contacted directly via Mobile: 07969 144909 or email: steve.marshall-clarke@derbyshire.gov.uk

Following the withdrawal of the Local Plan in May 2019, Amber Valley Borough Council remains committed to securing an up to date Local Plan for Amber Valley and is working to a timetable to adopt a new Local Plan by March 2023.

One of the key requirements for producing a new Local Plan will be to identify sufficient land for housing and economic development to meet the identified need within the borough, whilst at the same time ensuring that such land can be readily brought forward for development, including to enable the borough council to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable sites.

The borough council has previously established a list of potential housing sites, which have been included in its Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). In line with the National Planning Policy Framework, the borough council is now seeking to review this by producing a Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) to ensure that the range of potential sites for both housing and economic development within the borough is up to date.

As part of the process of producing the SHELAA the borough council is undertaking a ‘call for sites’ inviting landowners, developers or other interested parties to put forward one or more potential sites for housing development, ranging from small-scale sites (capable of accommodating 5 or more dwellings) to opportunities for large-scale developments (such as extensions to urban areas and/or villages and new settlements where appropriate) and/or potential sites for economic development (sites of 0.25ha or greater, or 500m2 of floorspace or greater). The borough council would particularly welcome the submission of previously developed (brownfield) land in order to maximise potential development on such land.

The borough council would also welcome potential sites being put forward for other uses, including:

• Gypsy and traveller accommodation
• Retail
• Community facilities
• Sports / leisure development

All potential sites submitted through the ‘call for sites’ process will then be subject to a detailed assessment in relation to their suitability, availability and deliverability, taking into account potential constraints to development.

The SHELAA will be an important source of evidence to inform the new Local Plan. However, it should be emphasised that the inclusion of any site in the SHELAA does not imply that the site would be allocated in the Local Plan, or that planning permission will be granted for development.

• Online site suggestion form
• MS word version of site suggestion form
• Guidance notes

Alternatively, a paper copy can also be requested by emailing ldf@ambervalley.gov.uk or by telephoning 01773 841584.

Completed forms should be returned to:

By email ldf@ambervalley.gov.uk

or by post to:

The Planning Policy Team
Amber Valley Borough Council
Town Hall
Ripley
Derbyshire
DE5 3BT

no later than 4:30pm on 31 March 2020.

All completed forms should be accompanied by an up to date Ordnance Survey (OS) map at an appropriate scale showing the site in context to its surroundings and clearly identifying the exact boundaries of the site. Please provide as much detail as possible about the site or sites on the form(s), as this will enable the borough council to give full consideration as to their suitability, availability and deliverability.

Please note that any previous submissions to the SHLAA will not automatically be taken into account, so if you have previously made any submission(s), you will need to confirm whether you still wish for these to be considered along with providing any updated information by using the site suggestion form.

All sites submitted through the ‘call for sites’ will be assessed using the SHELAA methodology, which has been written in accordance with National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG)

At its meeting on January 28^th 2020, Alfreton Town Councillors met with representatives from East Midlands Railways (EMR) as part of their ongoing campaign to protect direct services from Alfreton to London and provide long overdue step free access at the station.

In respect to the December 2020 proposal to abolish direct services to the capital, the meeting heard how the timing of the franchise award had compressed the preparation of the consultation process and EMR acknowledged that this process could have been much better. The meeting also heard how operational needs arising from fleet changes and reductions in high speed trains had forced the proposed changes, which were as a result of the recent franchise award.

The meeting received a letter from the Secretary of State for Transport noting that timetable proposals were a matter for EMR, although this was contradicted at the meeting where a number of potential suggestions from members to retain the services to London were dismissed due to timetable requirements set by the Minister’s Department. In addition to raising serious concerns around inadequate consultation process, members raised issues around economic and environmental impacts, the challenges faced in changing trains at Nottingham, premium fares via Chesterfield and anticipated loss of evening services from Nottingham.

There was some positive news in respect to the late evening services from Nottingham, where EMR committed to replacing the removed London services with local services, details which were not in the consultation document, or seemingly on offer, as recently as November.

Councillor Scott Walker Leader of the Council drew the debate to a close by summarising the discussions and commented that in his near twenty years’ service on the Council, that he could not recall a matter in which: MP’s, the County, Borough and Town and Parish Councils were all agreed on. He urged EMR to find a way to retain the London services and recognise not only the views on the civic leaders, but the near 4000 people who had signed both electronic and paper petitions.

After concluding discussions around the timetable changes, attention moved the long-promised access improvements to platform 2. Members were reminded of an Equality Act action from a local family, which the Town Council helped instigate some years ago. They also heard of comments via social media of rail user’s concerns that the matter of access has taken too long to resolve.

The meeting heard that one of the rail organisations had denied any liability and how legal papers had gone astray. An EMR representative described parts of the process as appalling and that as far as EMR is concerned, he would ensure that the matter is put in the appropriate hands.

Councillor Scott Walker commented that ‘it’s simply not acceptable that a station with footfall in excess of three hundred thousand people per year does not have ‘Access for All ‘ to both platforms ‘

and members generally echoed their frustrations that the bridge access dilemma has gone on for far too long.

In proposing that the Town Council should continue its opposition to the timetable changes and continue to campaign to ensure ‘Access for All’ at the Station Councillor Scott Walker said that ‘this  highlights the failings in the franchise system, where there is seemingly a merry-go-round between Ministers, Network Rail and Train Operators.’

Alfreton Town Council proudly present

Loopy Lou

Appearing on Severn Square
Saturday 20th April 2019

1 – 3PM

As part of Alfreton Town Councils campaign to improve facilities and access at the Town’s station, which has been ongoing for more than 25 years, representatives from East Midlands Trains and the Derbyshire Law Centre attended a recent Town Council meeting.

The meeting heard about recent works at the station including security and toilet upgrades and details of an extension to the current Franchise ahead of a formal announcement of a new East Midlands Railway Franchise, which is now expected in April. A variety of topics were raised by Councillors, with the discussions dominated by car parking and access challenges. Although the meeting was constructive, members were left frustrated with the limited information about the long-delayed access improvement project, where it is expected that clearer information on funding in Network Rails Control Period 6 would be available in April. It was also noted that the ongoing short extensions of the current Franchise was limiting opportunity to compete more substantial works to the car park where it was agreed a full review was required by the new Franchisee.

An update on a Discrimination claim, which had been initiated by the Town Council was provided by the Derbyshire Law Centre, who confirmed the final stages of the claim where being concluded ahead of the case being heard in court.

Finally, members expressed concern that fares to London via Chesterfield were more expensive than via Nottingham, which felt like a double whammy for less able passengers that had to travel that route due to the access restrictions to south bound services.

The meeting resolved to write to the Transport Minister and the local MP’s with constituents likely to use Alfreton Station, pressing for prioritisation of the access work. A further meeting is to be held with East Midlands Trains once the new Franchise has been awarded and funding for Control Period 6 confirmed. East Midlands Trains agreed to undertake urgent investigate concerns with the structure of the current bridge, clarity of disabled parking provision and visibility of the ticket machine in direct sunlight.

The Town Council have run a “Christmas Elf Competition” in conjunction with their lights switch on, for children to spot 14 Elves in businesses windows around the town.

The competition Winners have now been drawn and will be contacted directly, well done to everyone that took part!