Agenda item

1.     Public Question from Rachel Purchase on behalf of High Peak Biodiversity Group

 

“The High Peak Biodiversity Group welcomes the Council's Plan for Nature and is keen to work with the Council to help implement it. To this end, we would like to know how the Council intends to alter the working arrangements with AES to ensure that their work in parks and open spaces across the Borough is focused on protecting and promoting biodiversity, for example through changes to mowing timings and regimes, planting choices and approaches, and leaf clearance.”

 

Answer from the Executive Member for Climate Change and Environment

 

The High Peak Parks Strategy sets out the Council’s commitment to reviewing the maintenance and management of our parks and open spaces with a view to improving and enhancing biodiversity, ensuring that projects and improvements are in the right thing, in the right place and for the right reason.  The recently adopted High Peak Plan for Nature also recommends that the Council reviews existing park management plans to assess if changes can be made to increase biodiversity, aiming for a balance of accessibility, wellbeing and ecology.

 

We work closely with our delivery partner, AES, to monitor processes and procedures in our parks. We have started to review and, where possible, make changes to these working practices and arrangements.  This has begun with the commitment to review mowing regime changes to improve biodiversity at certain sites across the Borough and to formalise the process of ongoing maintenance of these sites with AES.  A report taken to the Community Select Committee in September discussed the approach, and an internal working group is looking at the requirements of AES in terms of changes to machinery as well as developing a community engagement and comms plan.  Agreed changes will be implemented during 2025 with a view to extending further mowing changes at other sites across the Borough in the future.

 

Work to address planting choices and approaches has also already started with some trial areas selected for sustainable planting and these include three roundabouts around Spring Gardens in Buxton along with Buxton Cemetery war memorial. These trial areas have been successful, and the roundabout at Ferodo in Chapel is also being included for next year. This approach reduces the need to provide so much annual bedding and replaces it with native perennial species which still provide colour.  The High Peak Nature Declaration also includes a commitment to reviewing bedding suppliers to steadily reduce the use of suppliers who use peat.

 

Discussions have already taken place with Derbyshire County Council (DCC) regarding the service level agreement for the delivery of flail mowing and, verge maintenance and weed spraying, and these will continue so we can fully understand how changes can be implemented on land owned by DCC. The Council’s commitment outlined in the Nature Declaration is to broaden our existing ban on glyphosate within our parks and open spaces to include any herbicide or pesticide, allowing exceptions for invasive/notifiable species such as Japanese Knotweed where the Council has a duty to control the spread.

 

We realise that there is scope to look at other operational procedures, including leaf clearance, tree management, water conservation and on-site composting, and this is something that will start to be looked at at a time to be agreed with AES going forward. We would also welcome dialogue with High Peak Biodiversity Group to discuss possible options as well as support with community engagement and awareness raising.

 

The Executive Councillor would reply in writing with regards to a supplementary question that related to any plans for delegated powers to be increased to officers, timescales and deadlines given to AES around key issues such as the introduction of new machinery or changed working practices and plans for staff training on biodiversity.

 

Questions from Councillors

 

2.     Question from Cllr Hopkinson:

 

'My question relates to the lack of transparency regarding the spiralling costs of the Glossop Halls project.

 

Starting with the replacement of the Town Hall roof, how much has the council actually spent so far on the refurbishment of the Town Hall, Market Hall and Municipal Buildings including professional fees and how much more does it expect to spend before the scheme is complete?' 

 

Answer from the Leader of the Council

In December 2017, the Executive approved the proposal to renovate the Glossop Town Hall roof (including gutters and parapet), remove the asbestos in the roof space, repair the clock, and undertake other associated works. The detailed works carried out within the Town Hall were as follows:

- Undertake asbestos clean/decontamination of the building including the roof void.

- Inspect/carry out repairs to and strengthen the existing timber roof structure before reinstating the roof coverings, flashings and guttering, reusing in part the existing oversize tonne slates and reclaimed slates (a conservation requirement which extended the works programme and resulted in additional costs).

- Secure safe access to the clock tower, undertake inspection and perform maintenance/repair works to leave the Clock in working order.

The costs for this Phase of the project are as follows:

Site Works - £1,141,265

Professional Fees - £219,744

Total Costs - £1,361,009

On 10th October 2019, the Executive considered a report which outlined the findings of a condition survey carried out on the Municipal Buildings and Market Hall, which identified a number of defects in the buildings, in particular to the roof. The Executive approved further works to the Market Hall and Municipal Buildings as detailed below:

- Refurbishment of the existing pitched roof coverings, including removal and salvage of existing slates, new counter battens, new breathable membrane, re-installation of salvaged slate and import new slate where required.

- Replacement of lead flashings and valley gutters.

- Making good timber fascia and soffits, replacement rainwater gutters.

- Replacement patent glazing and glazed lanterns.

- Replacement flat roof coverings with built-up mineral felt system.

- Installation of new glazed lanterns over existing atriums.

- Installation of roof access ladder and walkway system.

- Internal works to the Market Hall including removal of existing suspended ceiling systems, isolation and removal of Mechanical and Electrical services installations.

- Removal of market traders’ stalls, partitions, raised access floors together with general floor coverings to the Market Hall.

- Fabric repairs to the Municipal Buildings.

- Market Hall and Town Hall window repairs and refurbishment.

The costs for this Phase of the project are as follows:

Site Works - £915,093

Professional Fees - £78,756

Total Costs - £993,849

In response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Local Enterprise Partnerships were asked to submit to the government a list of projects which can deliver new floor space, jobs and business outcomes within their areas. As part of this process, the Council submitted the full Glossop Halls Project to D2N2, including the proposed works which had been included in the earlier bid for funding to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in 2018. These significant works included the construction of a mezzanine floor in the Market Hall and the full refurbishment of the Town Hall. The funding request from the bid was £2.078 million. After confirmation of the receipt of this funding, on 1st July 2021, the Executive approved the procurement of contracts to deliver the full Glossop Halls project, comprising the following works:

- Refurbishment and alteration of the Market Hall, with the installation of a new mezzanine floor and stairwells.

- Installation of new fixed retail units at ground and mezzanine floor level.

- Alteration and replacement of windows and external doors and new access ramps and steps to West facing elevation.

- Strip out and replacement of all mechanical and electrical installations and fittings, including new incoming electric supply and substation.

- Installation of external mechanical plant area to East facing side of building and new louvered screen and gates.

- Alteration of ground floor toilet areas, including new fittings and finishes.

- General refurbishment of the Shopping Arcade area and existing ground floor.

- Refurbishment and restoration of the upper floors of the Town Hall.

- New glazed screen/doors to the entrance off the High Street, ensuring the same complied with conservation requirements.

- New plaster and lath ceilings together with cornices to the Town Hall first floor (responding to the conservation requirements relating to plaster works resulted in delay to the works programme and increased costs to the project).

- Refurbished toilets in the Town Hall and Market Hall.

- Replacement of the platform lift located in the Town Hall stairwell.

- Installation of an external fire escape from the Market Hall.

- Installation of smoke ventilation to the Market Hall skylight, following further smoke monitoring required to address the requirements of the building control service.

Site Works - £6,887,959

Professional Fees - £662,992

Total Costs (including costs required to complete the project)- £7,550,951

In total, therefore, the Council’s total contribution towards the 3 phases of works to deliver the transformation of the Glossop Halls (net of external funding) is £7,827,809.

 

In response to a supplementary question the Leader of the Council stated that an answer he been provided based on what the Council had spent and that  lessons would always be learnt and reflections made with regards to developments on historic buildings.

 

3.     Question from Cllr Farrell

 

The Government is planning to reorganise local government, creating unitary authorities which would replace Borough and District Councils. This may devolve power from Westminster, but it also erodes local democracy. The Local Government Association states: From 2014 English devolution … has failed to address the challenges that local government has hoped devolution would help to alleviate. In part this is because the government has prioritised economic growth and political convenience, shying away from the tricky task of building a coherent, democratic vision for local empowerment and place-based service delivery. Signs are that this will continue to drive engagement with devolution in Whitehall, and that a more radical reckoning with some of the big challenges in local finance, services and democracy will be left to one side. 

 

In the East Midlands, devolution has begun with the creation of the EMCCA. The centre of power for the EMCCA is in Nottingham, far from High Peak and its concerns. Although the Leader of High Peak Borough Council is on mayoral committees, there is as yet no evidence that High Peak as a whole will benefit from the creation of the mayoral authority, especially as most of our residents look to Sheffield and Manchester as their nearest urban centres.

 

Derbyshire and High Peak are not in the first stage of the creation of unitary authorities by the current government, but we need to be ready for further roll-out of the changes, pending the forthcoming White Paper. Bearing in mind the need to support local democracy, ensure sufficient funding for local government  and ensure the needs of our communities are truly understood, how will High Peak react to any proposals to absorb this Council into a unitary authority or otherwise move Council functions away from High Peak? 

 

Answer from the Leader of the Council

 

Firstly, I’d like to correct an inaccurate claim in the question. The ‘centre of power’ for EMCCA is not in Nottingham. Nor is it in Derby. The EMCCA office is located in Chesterfield, a stone’s throw from the High Peak, and the Mayor has committed to keeping the EMCCA offices based in Chesterfield. 

 

Secondly, you advise that there is ‘no evidence’ that the High Peak will benefit from EMCCA as its residents look to Sheffield and Manchester.  Yet one of the very first actions taken by the East Midlands Mayor was to work with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to pilot subsidised bus travel so young people living in the High Peak can travel into Greater Manchester for sixth form college.  The Mayor chose to provide the funding for this, saving parents nearly £800 a year in travel costs for their children.  The Mayor will review the pilot and discuss further with partners and stakeholders to find a long-term solution. This is precisely what devolved decision making looks like – rather than arbitrary cut-offs at boundaries which have no insight into the reality of people’s lives, Mayor Claire Ward recognised that people live in one area and travel to another for work or education and found and funded a solution to a local problem, working cross-party and cross border, with Mayor Andy Burnham and Cllr Barry Lewis. 

 

The Mayor has also met with South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard to discuss cross-border transport and economic development opportunities and will continue to do so, as well as working with the Lincolnshire Mayor once they are in post.

 

The Mayor offered me the role of Deputy Portfolio Lead for Transport & Digital Connectivity, which was voted on and passed by the EMCAA board precisely as she recognises the specific issues we have here in the High Peak when it comes to transport and digital connectivity. The Mayor was determined to have a voice on that committee that could speak to the specific issues found in rural areas. I was delighted to take on the role to make sure the High Peak not only has a seat at the table but so I can bring the expertise and insight needed to make sure areas like ours are properly represented.

 

Furthermore, to tackle the concern around ensuring EMCCA hears the voice of our rural towns, villages, businesses, and communities, the Mayor has created a specific portfolio for Farming and Rural Communities. This portfolio will work across the EMCCA committees to ensure that the rural voice is part of EMCCA’s strategic planning, led by Cllr Barry Lewis, with his Deputy Cllr Paul Peacock, leader of Newark and Sherwood, to enshrine that commitment in the rural areas across the EMCCA region.

 

Regarding your final point, we have yet to see the white paper and its contents. Whilst there is a great deal of suggestion and speculation both within the local government trade press and elsewhere, until the paper is released and considered, there are no specific proposals. Discussions are, however, taking place both locally with other districts and boroughs and nationally through the District Council’s Network to enable us to respond appropriately when we know the details.

 

In response to a supplementary question the Leader of the Council stated that the contents of the White Paper were awaited that would address current rumours and suggestions with regards to unitary councils.  The Council would continue to liaise with councils in Derbyshire, the EMCCA and across the country via the District Councils Network.