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Would you like to find out more about plans to transform County Hall and the Winter Gardens in Matlock?
 If you would, we're holding two drop-in events in early February.
County Hall has been our headquarters since 1956. Now we're proposing to return the main building to its original use as a hotel. This is planned to be at no cost to the council and we will save money on maintaining the buildings so that we can protect front line services.
We would also build a more sustainable building for the council onsite and are looking at a variety of other new uses for the rest of the buildings to support the community and local economy.
County Hall started life as Smedley’s Hydro, and for many years hosted people who visited Matlock to take the waters and take part in a range of treatments. We're hoping that much of this history will be brought back to life with the plans for the Grade II-listed building.
The events are planned for:
- Friday 7 February 2025 from 4pm to 7.30pm
- Saturday 8 February 2025 from 10am to 2pm.
Plans to achieve a balanced budget for the year ahead will move another step forward if agreed by our Cabinet at its meeting next week.
Cabinet will consider the Revenue Budget Report 2025-26 when it meets next Thursday. The report can be found on the Cabinet meeting agenda, item seven.
The report includes a set of budget saving proposals for 2025-26 totalling £18.6m, a recommendation to raise council tax by 4.99% and details of how the proposed £769.7m net budget for the coming year will be managed and spent.
The Revenue Budget Report sets out our current financial position and includes the impact of external factors beyond our control which are continuing to put finances under huge pressure. They include pay and price inflation and a continuing increase in cost and demand for services, especially children’s services and adult social care.
The report and accompanying appendices also detail our reserves position which is at an adequate level and our Five-Year Financial Plan which includes savings that need to be achieved by 2029-2030.
Following next Thursday’s meeting the budget and savings proposals will be considered at Full Council on Wednesday 12 February.
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It's Holocaust Memorial Day on Monday 27 January.
We'll mark this important event by lighting a candle at 11am at County Hall in Matlock. We will also light up County Hall purple in the evening.
There'll be a display in the reception area with information about the Holocaust and genocides that have happened since.
We remember all those murdered during the Holocaust, Nazi persecution of other groups, and in more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
You can take part by lighting a candle at home in a Light the Darkness national moment at 8pm.
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Do you care for someone who is concerned about their memory or has been diagnosed with dementia?
Our Derbyshire Dementia Information and Advice Service – which is provided by the Alzheimer’s Society – is hosting several online information sessions to help carers access support and advice.
Sessions include:
- Relationships and dementia – 6 February
- Introduction to Carers Services – 20 February
- Introduction to Adult Care – 6 March
- Senses and memory loss – 20 March
- Equipment at home – 3 April
- Living well as a carer – 17 April
The sessions are on Zoom and run from 5.30pm to 7pm. Residents can just listen in or ask as many questions as they’d like.
To attend, or for more information, residents can email derbyshire@alzheimers.org.uk or call 01332 208845.
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Disruption on the roads is something we're all familiar with, when utility companies need to repair or improve their services.
We've responded to a national Transport Committee Inquiry about managing the impact of utility companies' roadworks.
Every time a utility company – which provides water, gas, electricity, phone, broadband and other digital services – wants to dig up the road they have to seek permission from us as the local highways agency. We currently have limited powers to refuse permission. In Derbyshire around four in every five sets of roadworks are by one of the utility companies.
We know that our utility companies need to do works, but we all get frustrated when we’re stuck in temporary lights, especially at peak times, and we don't know what the work is for.
We'd like a greater say and more powers to minimise disruption for our residents.
Calling all women – have you ever wanted to learn DIY skills or brush up on the skills you already have?
Learning new skills and how to use basic tools could help you become more self sufficient around the home when something needs mending or you want to make home improvements.
DIY skills can help you to save money, or mean that you don’t have to rely on help from others. Who knows, if you like it, it could even turn into a new career.
Our Women into Construction and DIY course starts in Chesterfield on Friday 28 February, 10am-12pm for six weeks.
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If you're a visitor to our popular Shipley Country Park you'll soon be able to visit a new café there.
Derbyshire-based catering business Blueberry is about to start work refurbishing the café space at the centre, off Slack Lane, Heanor, with a view to opening the doors to ‘Bluebell Café’ in March.
Bluebell Café, close to the main car park, will arrive hot on the heels of Barefeet Lodge Tea Rooms, which opened up in the picturesque setting of Derby Lodge in the Shipley Wood area of the park in November.
Blueberry bring a wealth of experience of running cafés in countryside locations elsewhere in Derbyshire – in Castleton, Millers Dale and Parsley Hay, as well as in Matlock and Chesterfield. And they have already begun advertising in the Heanor and Ilkeston area for staff, with plans to recruit to more than 10 full and part-time roles.
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