Force majeure

The Combined Authority for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire ( The East Midlands Combined Authority ) was imposed on the local populace by a quadrumvirate  composed of the leaders of Derby City Council, Derbyshire County Council, Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council,  contrary to the democratic expressed wishes of the local population

The dauphin présumé for Mayor of the combined authority is the leader of the Nottinghamshire County Council, and also Member of Parliament for Mansfield

Arteman has always opposed a forced marriage between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire  ( he believes Derbyshire will loose out ) and over many years has been incensed by the manner in which the proposal has been progressed despite very clear majority public opposition

He was also irritated by the assumption that the mantle of Mayoralty was destined for the shoulders of the Member of Parliament for Mansfield and leader of the Nottinghamshire County Council

3 May 2024

The Elected Mayor for The East Midlands Combined Authority is Claire Ward – not the dauphin présumé

Comeuppance !

Forced Marriage !!!

The East Midlands Combined Authority did not sink

It’s back on the table with a vengeance !!!

Report 30 Aug 2022

The Government has confirmed that a £1.14 billion devolution deal is on offer for the East Midlands, covering Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby, and Nottingham.

The deal will provide the region with a guaranteed income stream of £38 million per year over a 30-year period. Covering an area home to around 2.2 million people, an East Midlands combined authority would be one of the biggest in the country.

All four city and county council leaders in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby, and Nottingham have signed up to work on this devolution deal with the government

Been here before !!!

The East Midlands Combined Authority with a  Locally Elected Mayor rolls on !

Formal agreement to proceed with a proposed planned election date for 2024 was signed today

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/east-midlands-devolution-deal

The Arteman Team have read the document which is full of platitudes – and potential costs for the electors of both Counties but they still fear that Nottinghamshire will become the dominant partner not least because the major protagonist for the proposals is both Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council and MP for Mansfield

There is the promise of more money for the East Midlands, although significantly less per head than was promised to other Combined Authorities

As ordinary voters  The Team  accept that they have no way of stopping this juggernaut rolling on ( nor does the Parish Council or South Derbyshire District Council ) but they feel the proposed structure places to much power in the hands of a single individual

The Team could, of course, be wrong

There will be consultations on the plan – even though there have already been several – all previous consultations gave the incorrect answer,  which was that the local electorate did not support the proposals

“ Never mind – Try again ! “

The Team are angry and depressed

Here we go again !

A combined Authority for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire is back on the table again

Press Release from Nottinghamshire County Council on 25 March 2022

As before The Major Councils are pushing the agenda

Just for the record exactly the same situation occurred last time a Combined Authority was proposed  with “ them upstairs “,   County and Shire Councils pushing for a Combined Authority and a Mayor

These actions date back to the East Midlands Development Agency and the repeated attempts to form a coalition of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and sometimes Leicestershire into a Combined Authority under a single Mayor or Chief Executive

From where I sit it looks very much that the views of South Derbyshire District Council, Barrow on Trent Parish Council, the residents of Derbyshire, and my personal and inconsequential view are immaterial

All the previous attempts have foundered.  Lets hope this one sinks as well

Potholes!!!

Arteman has asked Fabius Maximus to take over all activity regarding potholes in the local area.

This follows a moving incident regarding the Boss.

It must have been a moving incident because the damage sustained to the wheel and tyre was such that the wheel and tyre have been written off.

The local tyre dealer confirms that the damage was caused by a pothole!

The cost of replacing the fancy alloy wheels on the Boss’s car was prohibitive so Arteman is negotiating a deal with his motor agent to replace the spare wheel with a pressed steel rim and a new tyre at a considerable discount from the price of the alloy wheel!

Potholes have been a major problem locally for many years

The lane that leads from the village to our local town has a verge adjoining fields which is in a disgraceful state – regularly reported and regularly repaired by our County Council : The problem is that there is no curb on the field side of the road

The tarmac merely runs into the grass and after any significant rainfall potholes appear and flourish like mushrooms in a dark room

Example only

At this juncture Arteman and the Boss are not pursuing the County Council for compensation, but they have written to the Council informing them of the situation and indicating that any future damage to nearside wheels or tyres of any vehicle will be reported for compensation

The Boss now has her cheap ( fullsize – get you home only )  spare wheel !!

An Update December 2019

Fabius Maximus is having a fairly quiet time at present.

There is little to report on the new Derby Infinity Garden Village accept that outline planning permission is still awaiting its hydrological survey.

The biggest local problem is potholes.

Following the recent inclement weather, we have far more deeper potholes all over the local area.

This has caused some problems locally.

The Boss had the MOT carried out on her car recently and the front passenger side wheel is no longer round.

Investigation shows that the wheel has been seriously deformed and the rim split which has torn the beading on the tyre.

Almost certainly caused by a pothole.

The cost of replacement wheel is £466 plus the cost of the new tyre.

At present the Boss is driving around with a defective spare wheel while we negotiate with the garage to see if we can get a pressed steel wheel rim with a slightly oversized tyre to use as a spare.

Otherwise January is going to be a very expensive month!

Update December 2017

Fabius Maximus is taking a well earned rest!

Not only  the administrative  battle,  but also the war, over the land at Wragley Way,  is now finished

Planning consent has been granted;   the early stage of the development has commenced and the entire site is no longer  ” the land at Wragley  Way ” but the entire site is now the Derby Infinity Garden Village

The good news is that responsibility for complaints about the development now lie with our neighbouring Parish Council !

Fabius Maximus did pop over to see what progress was being made.

The foundations for the first 100 houses (out of 1900 ) have now been dug.  The foundations are full of water!  Not from rain but from rising groundwater.

As a consequence an ” emergency planning application ”  has been put in for a further 100 houses – not part of the original 1900 – to include provision for a selection of settling ponds to try to dewater the site

In Anglo Saxon times the area was called called Sedenefeld which I understand means Big Fen – it’s was a marsh

At some stage between the Middle Ages and the modern era two large drains were dug across it in an attempt to dewater it ..

Information from local farmers who have farmed the land for many years revealed that below the topsoil there is a large area of white clay ( not surprisingly it was originally the base of a marsh ) – so dewatering the site may prove quite difficult.

It’s interesting to note that the Victorian canal half a mile to the south of the site clearly had its base” puddled out ” with local clay

If this layer of clay is thixotropic building 2000 new houses and industrial units on it may well result in disturbance of the clay layer with subsequent structural damage to the houses built upon it

Only time will tell – and Fabius Maximus has had plenty of time already

Devolution Again !!

Two years ago, seemingly from nowhere a proposal came forward that the counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and the Cities of Derby and Nottingham should combine together as a Devolved Combined Authority with a local elected mayor.

It did not receive the support of the public, happily, and was consigned to the waste paper bin.

My view at the time

Earlier this year the City of Nottingham and the City of Derby opened a consultation on
a ” Metro plan ” for greater cooperation between the two unitary authorities.

The plan was not particularly controversial involving the two authorities combining their back office procedures and working together in a spirit of cooperation.

This week an entirely different document has appeared, apparently supported by the City of Derby and the City of Nottingham with the encouragement of the Local Enterprise Partnership/ D2N2.

This proposes an entirely new Metropolitan area including the City of Derby the City of Nottingham and seven contiguous Local Authority areas in the south of the counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, Amber Valley, Ashfield, Broxtowe, Derby, Erewash,Gedling, Nottingham, Rushcliffe and South Derbyshire.

None of this was suggested in the original consultation earlier this year and has come as a surprise to the residents in the contiguous Local Authority areas and I suspect to their elected representatives.

You can read the document on the City  of Derby website at https://news.derby.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Metro_Dynamics_Derby_Nottingham_Metro_Economic_Case.pdf

or you can read it HERE

I encourage you to do so and make up your own mind.   My personal view is that this is just a reissue of the former proposed devolution plan cut down to size and sanitised ( to an extent ) to try to achieve local acceptance.

I do not share this view.

I believe this is a determined attempt to produce a Combined Urban Unitary Authority of Nottingham/Derby including Amber Valley, Ashfield, Broxtowe, Derby, Erewash, Gedling, Nottingham, Rushcliffe and South Derbyshire which will ultimately have an elected mayor, or in other words the original devolution plan but chopped down.

The entire thrust of the process is driven as before by the two City Authorities, the  LEP / D2N2 and local academics with no real consideration of the views of the local residents.

I am particularly concerned by the following statement from the document at Page 37

” However, the economic opportunity of the metro is exciting precisely because of its bicentricity. This should be reflected in its governance, creating the shared organisations that bring economic cohesion to the area. It also needs to be underpinned by a genuine public-private sector governance structure which gives real power to business, universities and skills providers in decision-making. “

I am equally concerned by the tone of some of the wording in the document which makes it clear that both the City of Nottingham and the city of Derby consider their boundaries constrained and undoubtedly wish to include all of the contiguous Local Authority areas in one major conurbation.

Document Page 48

” In the long term, a more ambitious approach could involve moving towards a joint contractual delivery model. Some core services could be delivered by a publicly owned body from which both councils contract their services.

Doing so could maintain public value, deliver benefits from operating and contracting at scale and encourage the two councils to operate across a wider economic area.

This could be managed as a Modern Municipal Corporation controlled by both councils, as outlined in the following section. “

I believe this proposal should be resisted as firmly as possible by all local residents  in the contiguous threatened Local Authority areas and by their elected representatives – but especially by South Derbyshire

Derby Infinity Village – A Truce

I attended the Barrow on Trent Parish Council Meeting on 7 March

Our District Councillor gave an update.  The matter was discussed at South Derbyshire District Council Environment Services Committee meeting last week.

The matter is progressing and a revised map has been issued which more closely reflects reality.

The Chairman of Barrow on Trent Parish Council has been reassured that  in future the Parish Council will be informed of progress and the District Councillor said that the matter could have been handled better in the past

So – only the constituency changes to be resolved

Not Another Consultation !!!!

Yes

Another Consultation by The Boundary Commission for England  to transfer our entire Parish from our present Parliamentary Constituency  ( South Derbyshire ) ( predominantly agricultural  ) to the constituency of Derby South ( an entirely urban constituency )

The first consultation ended at the beginning of December 2016 – and we only managed to get three comments recorded opposing the proposal – but we have a second chance to comment before 27 March 2017

If you want to move to the Constituency of Derby South you need do nothing

If you want to remain in the constituency of South Derbyshire you need to tell the The Boundary Commission for England now !!

You can read the proposal on the website of The Boundary Commission for England by following the links below

They are big files – so SLOW so it may be easier to skip the first two files and just look at Derby South lower down

East Midlands Initial proposals

East Midlands Constituency Map

Or you can see the proposed new constituency by following these links

Derby South

Page extracted from Document relating to Derby and South Derbyshire

Map of Derby and South Derbyshire Constituencies extracted from Document

Easy response

Copy the text below

I am a long-term resident of the village of Barrow on Trent within the Aston Ward of South Derbyshire District Council.

I wish to make a comment on the proposals to include the Parish of Barrow upon Trent within the proposed constituency of Derby South, moving it from the constituency of South Derbyshire.

The parish is entirely separate from the City of Derby and has very different requirements from the urban environment, based mainly on its agricultural nature and the risk of flooding from the River Trent. Features which it shares in common with the other northern parishes of South Derbyshire which also lie in the Trent river valley

I wish to state forcefully my personal objections to this proposal

There seems little good reason to add an urban ward from the City of Derby to South Derbyshire whilst at the same time removing a rural ward from South Derbyshire and adding it to the City of Derby.

End of text

Go to the Comments page for The Boundary Commission for England  by following the Link below

https://www.bce2018.org.uk/node/add/informed-representation/6483

fill in your details and paste the comment into the comment box

IMPORTANT

You should repeat this for each person on the Electoral Roll at your address

You can read the full text of my comment by following the links below

My email to The Boundary Commission for England  PDF format

My email to The Boundary Commission for England  Word Format

You are welcome ( even encouraged ) to cut and paste any part of my email for your own use

If you wish to send a letter the address for The Boundary Commission for England  is

Boundary Commission for England,

35 Great Smith Street,

London,

SW1P 3BQ

Good News at Last!!!

South Derbyshire District Council has agreed the Boundary change requested by Barrow upon Trent and Stenson Fields Parish Councils

Press release

Council approves boundary changes

The final phase of a legal process to determine potential boundary changes and governance arrangements in an area of rural South Derbyshire has been completed.

A Community Governance Review was carried out following a joint request from Barrow upon Trent Parish Council and Stenson Fields Parish Council to change their parish boundaries.

South Derbyshire District Council was charged with determining the future status of the above areas, following consultation with local residents.

At a meeting of the Full Council on Wednesday, March 1, it was resolved that Barrow upon Trent will transfer around 153.5 acres of land into the parish of Stenson Fields.

Stenson Fields will also take in around 197 acres of land to the south-west, which currently sits in the unparished area of Twyford and Stenson.

Results of the public consultation were overwhelmingly in favour of the changes to the boundaries, as initially required by the two parish councils.

The draft proposals, consultation responses and more information about the Community Governance Review is available on the Council’s website at www.south-derbys.gov.uk

March 3^rd, 2017

Two matters still remain

The first is to determine the exact extent of the new Derby Infinity Garden village especially the “ Potential new housing ” adjacent to Chellaston which was excluded from the Local Plan

The second is to campaign to prevent the proposed transfer of the Parish of Barrow upon Trent from the Parliamentary constituency of South Derbyshire into the expanded constituency of Derby South

The Boundary Commission for England propose to transfer our entire Parish from our present Parliamentary Constituency, South Derbyshire  ( predominantly agricultural  ) to the constituency of Derby South ( an entirely urban constituency )

Current Boundaries                                                     Proposed Boundaries