Chesterfield Borough Council urged not to rush devolution decision

The future of local government in Derbyshire hangs in the balance following radical proposals published by the borough council last week.

Now county council Leader Councillor Anne Western is calling on Chesterfield to delay a major decision due to be taken this week (Thursday March 3) on whether to join Sheffield City Region.

As part of the proposals, key services in the borough – home to Derbyshire’s largest town – would no longer be provided by Derbyshire County Council.

Public transport, transport concessions, major planning and investment projects, and the management and maintenance of key roads in Chesterfield would all be handed over to Sheffield City Region. This is a combined authority of councils including Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley; controlled by an elected South Yorkshire mayor.

And the county council is also urging colleagues at the borough to look again at their options amid concerns that Chesterfield would be worse off economically if it joined Sheffield City Region compared to a combined authority proposed for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire (the North Midlands).

Councillor Western said: “This will be one of the most significant decisions Chesterfield Borough Council has ever had to make and we think councillors and the public need more than a week to fully understand the implications.

“It could potentially change the lives of people living in Chesterfield forever. It’s unlikely there will be any sort of public vote for local residents but we think local people deserve to know the facts so they have the opportunity to make their views known.”

All councils in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire have been working together on a joint ‘North Midlands’ devolution deal which keeps Derbyshire’s boundary intact. Chesterfield Borough Council has been part of the negotiations with central Government which would see devolved powers similar to those offered to Sheffield City Region.

But if Chesterfield joined Sheffield City Region it could derail negotiations with Government over a deal for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and leave Chesterfield worse off because:

Chesterfield would be competing against all the councils within the Sheffield City Region for funding. Much of Chesterfield is relatively prosperous compared to more deprived areas in Rotherham, Sheffield, Barnsley and Doncaster so the town may be lower on the priority list for funding.

Derbyshire is economically more productive than the Sheffield City Region. Of the 11 city regions of the Northern Powerhouse, Sheffield was consistently at the bottom of the league between 2004 and 2014, according to The Northern Powerhouse Economic Review.

Gross Value Added (GVA) – a measure of the value of goods and services in a local area and indicator for local wealth and productivity is increasing and is higher in Derby (£27,349) and Nottingham (£25,456) compared to Sheffield (£19,958) and Barnsley/Doncaster/Rotherham (£15,707).

Sheffield City Region needs more land for housing – more than it has already allocated. If Chesterfield joins with South Yorkshire then more land will probably have to be found in the district – including land which might be in greenbelt.

Recent figures also show:

Only 7% of Chesterfield residents travel to work in Sheffield with more travelling east, west and south to other Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire districts.

64% of Chesterfield residents work in Chesterfield.

Only 8.7% of people working in Chesterfield travel in from South Yorkshire.

Less than 1% of school aged Derbyshire pupils attend schools in South Yorkshire.

Most people who live in Derbyshire, learn in Derbyshire and work in Derbyshire.

European funding – a major incentive for business to start and grow – is greater in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire (£190.3m 2014-2020) than Sheffield City Region £161.6m 2014-2020)

Over £835,000 (out of a Derbyshire pot of £1,244,000) has been provided to Chesterfield businesses to support their growth and expansion.

£19.6m of recent and planned investment is available to Chesterfield from the D2N2LEP Local Growth Fund.

Councillor Western added: “We’re proud of Derbyshire and I have no doubt that sticking with Derbyshire is the best deal for Chesterfield and the county as a whole.

“Negotiations with Government on a deal for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire are at an advanced stage and when a deal can be reached it would mean 55,000 new private sector jobs.

“Plans to build 77,000 extra homes would also be delivered faster and would be made to include affordable and social housing.

“There would be a better co-ordinated public transport system, more apprenticeship opportunities, a joint fund to spend on improving transport and a separate investment fund to build infrastructure for the next 30 years.

“We want all of Derbyshire to be able to share in the benefits a North Midlands deal would bring”

For more information about what it would mean for local people or to find out how you can have a say visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/chesterfield.

What do you think? Should Chesterfield join with Sheffield City Region? Email us at [email protected] with your views.