Council has made its own severe cuts, says reader

On reading the Derbyshire Times (August 2, '˜Leader calling for U-turn on charity cuts') I had to catch my breath when I saw on page 14 Derbyshire County Council's (DCC) Conservative leader, Barry Lewis, criticising Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group for making cuts to grants to volunteer-run charities and support groups, whilst on page 29, of the same edition, was a report on how DCC plans to make cuts in hours to 952 school catering staff and make other school support staff redundant.

Is he really not able to comprehend that the same sector of society most likely to be affected by Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s cuts are very likely to be same people most adversely affected by Derbyshire County Councils cuts?

This Conservative administration of DCC has also made its own swingeing cuts to voluntary support groups in the county. He surely hasn’t forgotten that fact too? This is quite apart from this administration’s plans to turn over many of the county’s libraries to be run by volunteer groups, which itself represents another cut to the level and quality of services provided by DCC.

All these cuts by both bodies are likely to diminish the bonds in society that help bind us all together and thereby make Chesterfield and Derbyshire a less pleasant and peaceful place in which to live.

Stephen Bright

Dukes Drive,  Chesterfield

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