Working In Partnership To Support Derbyshire Residents
Working together to support Derbyshire residents and strengthen communities was the clear message to come out of a meeting between county MPs and the county council’s Leader and Cabinet.
Front row: Louise Jones MP, Cllr Dawn Abbott, Jonathan Davies MP, Cllr Carol Wood, Cllr Charlotte Hill.
Middle row: Cllr Joss Barnes, Cllr Jack Bradley, Linsey Farnsworth MP, Council Leader Cllr Alan Graves, Adam Thompson MP, Toby Perkins MP, John Whitby MP, Cllr John Lawson.
Back row: Cllr Stephen Reed, Council Deputy Leader Cllr Robert Reaney, Cllr Sam Redfern.
Derbyshire County Council Leader Councillor Alan Graves invited Derbyshire MPs to come to County Hall in Matlock to be officially introduced to his new Cabinet for the first time since forming the new administration following May’s local elections.
Councillor Graves welcomed Linsey Farnsworth MP (Amber Valley), Toby Perkins MP (Chesterfield), John Whitby MP (Derbyshire Dales), Adam Thompson MP (Erewash), Jonathan Davies MP (Mid Derbyshire) and Louise Jones MP (North East Derbyshire) to County Hall.
A number of issues were discussed during the afternoon meeting, including special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), flooding, council communications, the Ada Belfield Centre in Belper, council tax levies, road safety and the National Grid proposal to build more pylons across a section of the county.
Councillor Alan Graves said: “I was extremely pleased that so many of our Derbyshire MPs took the time to come to County Hall to meet with us and take part in what I consider to be vital and timely discussions about our county.
“As the new administration we are very focused on doing things as efficiently as we can, introducing different ways of working where needed to improve services and ensuring that we as a council are able to serve all Derbyshire residents as well as we possibly can.
“All levels of government have a shared responsibility, to serve the people of Derbyshire with vision and purpose, and by getting round a table for positive and constructive discussions I hope we can build strong working relationships going forward.”
In welcoming the MPs, Councillor Graves highlighted positive work at the county council, including setting a balanced budget despite many challenges and the strengthening of efforts to tackle potholes.
Councillor Graves said: “I think everyone around the table acknowledged that clearly all councils and their communities continue to face challenges, from the on-going cost-of-living pressures to the evolving landscape of health and social care. These are not issues that can be solved in isolation. They require innovation and collaboration.
“This meeting was an opportunity to have discussions that strengthen our ways of working together and to address issues or concerns from the start.
“There were bold discussions, challenges and a lot of listening from all corners, and I look forward to working with our county MPs over the coming months and years on a common goal, to serve the people of Derbyshire to the very best of our abilities.”
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