This week, Chesterfield Council held several important meetings. Here is a summary of the key discussions and decisions made.

Employment and General Committee

The Employment and General Committee met on Monday 24 June 2024 to discuss changes to the council's HR policies and the future of the Independent Living Service.

Independent Living Service

The future of the Independent Living Service, which supports elderly and disabled people to live independently in their homes, was a major topic. The committee considered multiple options: continuing the service as is, reducing the service level, or decommissioning it and finding alternative providers. No decision was made, and the matter will be revisited in a future meeting.

Councillor [REDACTED]: This is about real people's lives. We need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to support the most vulnerable members of our community.

HR Policy Review

Councillors approved updates to the council’s HR policies to ensure compliance with the latest legislation and best practices. The changes include updates to disciplinary procedures, grievance procedures, sickness absence, and whistleblowing policies.

[REDACTED - Monitoring Officer]: These policies haven't been updated for some time and are not compliant with the latest legislation. We need to make sure that all our policies are legally compliant.

Planning Committee

The Planning Committee also met on Monday 24 June 2024, considering various planning applications and tree preservation orders.

Temporary Compound at Bellhouse Lane

Permission was granted for Taylor Wimpey to site a temporary compound on land to the east of Bellhouse Lane, Chesterfield, for four years as part of a project to deliver 147 dwellings.

Councillor Smith: The proposal seeks to establish a temporary construction access during the construction phase of the development. This will ensure the efficient delivery of the development, including the affordable homes, which make a vital contribution to meeting the Borough’s housing needs.

Public Conveniences in Staveley

Amendments to the design of public conveniences in Staveley were approved unanimously.

Tree Preservation Orders

Several tree preservation orders were considered:

• 277 Handley Road, New Whittington: Permission to remove a sycamore tree was refused.
• Somersal Lane, Somersal Herbert: Permission to fell a lime tree and a sycamore tree was granted.
• 92A Foljambe Avenue, Walton: Permission to fell a pine tree was granted.
• 122A Newbold Road: Permission to fell a sycamore tree was refused.

Appeals and Regulatory Committee - Group 1

The Appeals and Regulatory Committee - Group 1 meeting scheduled for Wednesday 26 June 2024 was cancelled.

Scrutiny Select Committee – Resilient Council

The Scrutiny Select Committee – Resilient Council met on Thursday 27 June 2024 to review several reports and updates.

Emergency Planning & Business Continuity

The committee received an annual update on emergency planning and business continuity, noting the significant impact of Storm Babet on 20 October 2023, the worst flood event in the borough’s history. The council's emergency response team coordinated with the Derbyshire Resilience Partnership and is developing a Section 19 flood investigation report.

Councillor Ogle: There is debrief work ongoing. CBC went above and beyond with their response to this exceptional event.

My Chesterfield Update

The My Chesterfield digital portal, launched in late 2020, now has 52,916 registered users. Plans to support cash payments through payment machines in Customer Services were discussed.

Climate Change Quarter 4 Update

The committee reviewed the performance against the Climate Change Delivery Plan for 2023/24. Key activities were completed across themes like Buildings and Energy Use, Travel, and Green Space, Land Use and Offsetting. However, the woodland management programme faced delays due to resource and capacity issues.

Councillor Kellman: Feasibility studies for solar canopies in car parks are just starting to come back, and there are positive initial results.

This week’s meetings highlighted the council's ongoing efforts to update policies, manage planning applications, and respond to significant events like flooding, ensuring the community's resilience and well-being.