'It’s a disgusting decision' - Broke Staveley Town Council makes staff redundant and closes cafe

After being told they were being made redundant, workers from Staveley Hall Cafe hugged their regulars who had helped keep the community facility going with donations of stock.

A majority decision by Staveley Town Council (STC) this week led to the closure of the facility and numerous redundancies among the authority’s wider staff.

This follows the news that the cash-strapped authority was in the red by more than £400k after more than a decade of financial mismanagement.

Former cafe worker Kelly Evans said times had been tough in recent months.

“We have relied on donations from the public, without them we wouldn’t have been able to stay open.”

She said she’d been doing split shifts when needed – working at the cafe during the day and the Speedwell Rooms at night.

Despite this, she hadn’t been paid complete wages.

“I was being paid in dribs and drabs since before Christmas,” she said.

The cafe ceased trading yesterday after they ran out of milk and were told not to restock, but even today they were turning away members of the public who were unaware of the news.

Patron Margaret Cooper thanked the staff for their hard work to keep the cafe open.

“You couldn’t wish for better staff, they’re lovely,” she said.

Mrs Cooper and her partner have been regulars at the cafe for several years, coming to meet with friends so often that they have named part of the seating area ‘the committee room’ because it’s where they always sit and discuss news and events, but now they have nowhere to go.

Independent town councillor Cheryl Jackson, who was against the closure, said: “Staveley hasn’t got a focal point now, there isn’t a meeting point.”

She is also a regular at the cafe, and has come in the past with Inkersall Knitting Group to knit poppies for Remembrance Day.

Fellow Independent member Councillor Dean Rhodes, who is deputy leader of the town council, echoed her concerns, pointing out that the cafes in Staveley Healthy Living Centre, Queen’s Park and Chesterfield Library had all closed as well.

“It’s a disgusting decision,” he said.

“It’s a community resource, I come nearly every day and speak to people here.”

The cafe supports numerous community events such as Easter egg hunts, Christmas markets and a 1940s weekend, organised by Joe Roberts, which last year brought in around £3,000 in one weekend.

Mr Roberts, who celebrated his 80th birthday at the cafe three years ago, said he wasn’t interested in the politics surrounding the town council, he just wanted to put the community first.

Independent leader Councillor Paul Mann, who was also against the closure and redundancies, pointed out that the council has now lost its only source of day to day revenue.

“It was making a loss,” he acknowledged, “but council is not all about making a profit.

“A lot of the elderly in Staveley would meet, chat, have a nice warm drink, have a warm space and warm meal and go home.”

He said the loss of the cafe put future events at the hall in jeopardy, as people would have to source their own catering, and four weddings have already been cancelled.

Furthermore, the hall was allocated funding as part of the £25million Staveley Town Deal to build a double storey extension on the side, however Coun Mann, who sits on the town deal board, said that was unlikely to go ahead now.

Leader of the Staveley Labour Group, Councillor Chris Ludlow, said she was unable to discuss the closure or redundancies, but commented: “I remain extremely concerned that our loyal staff and local suppliers remain unpaid.”

Staveley Town Council is currently in talks with neighbouring Chesterfield Borough Council over a potential loan.