Dear Resident

Firstly can I apologise for a typing error by myself in the last Newsletter when referring to the funding removal. “Rail” was missed from the wording so it should have read “half price rail travel will be removed from August” and not as “the free bus travel would be removed” – again sorry!

I am pleased to announce that Pennytown Ponds have been awarded Green Flag status. This is a testament to everybody’s hard work with the site and I am pleased it has been recognised by the judges who we met, as a very important area to Somercotes.

Since the last Newsletter I held a meeting with the Crime and Reduction Team, the Probation Service and Street Lighting. The Probation Service have been working around the South Spire estate removing weeds from footpaths, cutting hedges back and clearing the stream of dumped rubbish. They have done an excellent job alongside our Wardens, Colin and Les who have also been busy clearing weeds from roads and footways which is all helping to make Somercotes look better. As a result of that meeting the Council have agreed to two more new lamp columns; one on a footway of Hedley Close and the second outside the Junior School on Bank Street. They will be installed shortly.

Swanwick Hall School has been awarded £2.2m for a new Sports Hall; this is good news for the children and the school, but there is still disappointment that the Government’s decision to scrap Building Schools for the Future programme meant they and The Delves missed out on a totally new school build.

You will have also noticed Ralph Drive was included in the surface dressing programme. This was included after I raised issues about the dangerous condition it was in.There will be carriageway resurfacing taking place from The Delves at Swanwick up to near the Devonshire Drive at Leabrooks from 23rd October to 13th November with a 30 mph speed limit in force whilst the work is undertaken.

The pedestrian refuge has been agreed by Derbyshire County Council at Hockley Way which will be jointly funded by Derbyshire County Council and Somercotes Parish Council with a contribution from Alfreton Town Council. The order has been issued so before much longer another road will be made safer.

There is a Community Action Fund available at Derbyshire County Council for groups to bid up to £1,000 for them to provide opportunities. The application form can be found at:
http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/community/lottery_funding/cag/default.asp?VD=cag
or contact Lia Ottosen on 01629 580000 ext 39172 and she will advise you.

There is a consultation out by Derbyshire County Council on winter maintenance which will run until 12 October. Some of the changes are 40% of roads currently gritted will only be gritted between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm. Snow ploughs and gritting lorries will be reduced and the budget will be reduced by £1m.

A petition has been set up by a Bolsover resident which can be found at
http: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/council/have your say/Petitions.

The Cabinet Report can be accessed at: http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/images/Review%20of%20Winter%20Maintenance_tcm9-176424.pdf or www.derbyshire.gov.uk\gritting, for you to feed into the consultation

Councillor Paul Smith